What do we do with the soil left in our pots and boxes from last year?
Question:I have several pots from last year with the soil from last year's flowers. Can I use that again? Or, can I fill the pot or box half fill with old soil and top it off with good soil? Thanks for your help!
Answers:
Remove part of the old soil is what I do, but I suppose if I were entering a competition I might not reuse any of it.
I also recycle the old potting soil as an amendment to the native soil when planting in the ground.
Potting soils are normally just sanitized soil so there is no seed or root growth in them. They do not contain nutrients (unless you are using Miracle Grow type). I always reuse my soil since I add nutrients for the plants I am growing.
I suggest mixing the used soil into your compost pile and starting w/ fresh soil for this year. That way you won't have any disease problems. The heat from the compost pile will kill any disease organizms that might be in the used soil.
My first suggestion is to go out and buy a inhouse garden kit. In it you will have a small spade and tiny hoe a tiny hand rake.
Take the hand hoe and turn the soil over so as to bring the bottom soil to the top; this will bring the nutrients to the top where they are needed most. Then I think next you rake over it; anyways I think that is the best way to start. If you need to you can put the new soil on top just be sure to mix the old and new very well,
mix the old soil with the new and use to your hearts content.
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