This position check affiliate links . learn full disclosure program line here .
While reusing potting mix is common , it can harbour disease and impact flora wellness . utilize our top to find out when it ’s time for a refresh .
We also have thishandy territory calculatorto cipher out how much dirt , potting mix , or compost you need for your garden beds and containers .
Potting mix, a clay flower pot, and garden trowel
Reusing Potting Mix
It ’s no mystery that many of us reprocess pot mixture each year without any known issues .
And why would n’t you ?
The toll of potting mix can add up and it seems wasteful to toss it out after each growing season .
Potting mix, a clay flower pot, and garden trowel
And yes , it ’s great when it works but there can be risks — some serious and others mild .
While you ca n’t make out for certain if your potting commixture is safe to reuse , there are clue to manoeuvre your decision .
I ’ve save this using out-of-door container growing as the exercise . houseplant typically require more forethought since the indoor gap of insects or disease may ruin an intact works appeal .
allow ’s go over the key point so you may get started .
To reuse or not reprocess — that is the question !
Contents
Potting Mix 101
While garden term diverge around the Earth , I ’m mouth about products sold as pot mixture in Canada and the United States .
What is potting mix?
pot mixis a soilless medium used for growing plants in containers . “ Soilless ” means it does not contain soil .
ingredient are typically some combination of organic issue and minerals include :
While not truly sterile , commercial-grade blends should be free of pathogens and seeds .
Potting mix is best for container because it ’s much lighter and fluffy than soil , tolerate air and water to pronto reach plant antecedent .
You may see “ potting mix ” and “ pot soil ” used interchangeably . Always check the production label to be sure the product you ’re buying is soilless , safe for food harvest , and made for container growing .
I mentionsafe for food crops , because if this is your nonremittal , there are few business organization about flip remnant in your garden or compost bin .
What is soil?
Soilis a mixture of minerals , dead and living organism , air , and pee .
Topsoilis the upper 5 to 10 inches of soil .
You ’ll also hear soil usually mention to asearthordirt .
This showshow to do a basic soil composition psychometric test at home .
Should I reuse potting mix?
If your potting mix look to be in good condition with no sign of disease , it is probably ok to reuse it — but there is no way of life to be sure .
Unless we send off sample to a lab for testing — and no laboratory is going to check for every possible pathogen — you just have to utilise your in force judgement and go from there .
Visually , it should look similar to how it does in the packet , without any strange things growing in it .
perfume - fresh , sometimes “ off ” pot mix has an unpleasant scent . While you should never designedly smack it without a protective mask , but you may note an odd smell without trying .
So , what can go faulty ?
unfit case scenario , the potting premix spreads disease induce future industrial plant to struggle or die out .
Another opening — and more likely — is your used potting mix is depleted and new plants wo n’t have the experimental condition they necessitate .
If mine seems somewhat wipe out but otherwise ok , I combine old with new and add compost or fertilizer to make up for lost nutrient .
Safety Tip
When potting or repotting plants , wear out anN95 maskto help prevent inspiration of fine particles .
Both pot mix and land can harbor pathogen that are harmful when inhale .
How to Reuse Potting Mix
If you may yield it , the top choice is always to start fresh with unexampled potting admixture . you could always save the old hooey as filler .
For those of us who desire to make unnecessary money — or perhaps disregard down on plastic waste matter ( all those old bag add up!)—the half - Modern result is a good compromise .
The Half-New Solution
If your sure-enough potting premix seems o.k. , debate meld old with new to salvage money while still keep the plants happy .
you’re able to either coalesce the onetime and newfangled together , or , for deep stack , habituate the older material to fill up the base ( where plant ascendant wo n’t reach ) and put the full stuff up top .
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use soil from the garden instead of potting mix?
No . Soil from your garden is not recommended because it lacks the trait for successful container ontogeny . Overall , potted plants growing in potting mix transportation much better .
What happens to potting mix during a growing season?
How potting mix changes during the growing season depend only on what you ’re growing .
Fast - growing flowering annuals bit by bit fill their container with roots , utilise up available nutrients , and compact the potting mix . By the end of the time of year , the potting premix is depleted .
Shallow - rooted herb may just use the top few inches and leave the rest in good condition .
Either direction , once you empty your container , you could assess the used potting mix and decide from there .
Is it ok to reuse potting mix that has old plant roots in it?
Fine , train of thought - like works roots ( disease - free ) are not an issue but do tease them apart with gloved hands and aggregate them thoroughly with the potting mix so fresh plant ascendant can grow freely . Like any organic thing , these erstwhile roots will gradually break up . Remove any larger or chunky bits to keep everything light and downy .
What’s the best way to get rid of old potting mix?
If the potting mix was labelledfood safe(safe for organic intellectual nourishment develop ) , does not contain hokey additives , and you ’re sure-footed it is disease - free , you’re able to put away it in agarden bedorcompost bin .
If you ’re unsure about disease , hot compost mountain will pop off unwanted bacterium and pathogens once temperatures get hold of around 160 ° F ( 71 ° C ) .
Some gardeners bake old potting mix at 180 ° F | 82 ° nose candy for 30 minutes but I ca n’t imagine it ’s deserving the prison term or DOE ( literally ) .
Do n’t worry about perlite or vermiculite — those are minerals mined from the earth . If you do n’t like the look of the small white bits , you always bury them .
you’re able to also apply previous potting mix asfillerin large flowerpots or resurrect beds . Add it to the base of the container and use young potting mix higher up where flora root will grow . I keep a bin of one-time potting mixing on hand for this very determination .
This has more peak on what to habituate tofill tall fire beds .
Is it ok to keep old potting mix in containers over the winter?
The best practice is to toss old potting mixture .
If yourannualshave finished up , empty the pots , strip them ( see below ) , and put them in warehousing . Assess any remnant pot mixture and store what you like for future use in a light , air - tight container .
If you are growinglong - living annualsorperennialsthat areoverwinteredin pots , it ’s still idealistic to repot them at the end of the grow season . This will serve reduce unwanted bacteria , viruses , kingdom Fungi , and pathogen that may be lurk . It ’s also a skillful meter to prune the roots and switch to a large pot if necessary .
It ’s your conclusion whether you employ all - new potting mix or some combination of honest-to-goodness and unexampled .
I do this with semi - hardypotted fruit tree that I am storing in a garage for the wintertime .
How do you disinfect flowerpots?
Resources
Listen
Ebook
germ bulge out for BeginnersSow Inside Grow alfresco
by Melissa J. Will
NEW EDITION| Everything you involve to get pop out with indoor source start for indoor and outdoor plants . Grow what you require — any clock time of year !
About This Ebook|Visit Ebook Shop
This ebook is a digital filing cabinet ( PDF format ) you save to your equipment . It is not a physical product .
PayPal , Credit Card , Apple Pay
~Melissathe Empress of Dirt ♛
