Gardeners who grow in containers may find themselves asking “Can you reuse potting soil?” In this article, I’m going to answer that question, along with a few others you might have about recycling used potting soil. Commercially made potting soils are expensive, and even if you follow ourDIY potting soil recipes and make your own mixes, the cost can still take a bite out of your gardening budget. Reusing potting soil can help. But it won’t work in every situation, and you have to follow a few guidelines to ensure the health of your container plants. Let’s dig in!
Potting soil 101Traditional potting soils are made from a combination of ingredients such as peat moss, coir fiber, perlite, vermiculite, bark chips, compost, and other items. High-quality brands can be expensive, especially if you have a lot of containers to fill. The need to purchase new potting soil every season is one of the reasons why some gardeners use smaller pots; the big ones are simply too expensive to fill. The bigger the pot, the more growing media you’ll need and the more costly it becomes. Reusing your old soil whenever possible would seem like a smart, budget-friendly idea, but it’s important to understand that there are times when the answer to “Can you reuse potting soil?” is yes and other times when the answer is a clear no.
Can you reuse potting soil? Well… it depends.Aside from cost, there are a few other factors to consider when determining whether reusing potting soil is a good idea. Potting soil can be quickly depleted of nutrients during the growing season, and if the old potting soil was used for a full season, those nutrients will need to be replenished before it is used again (more on this in a bit).
If your mix contained peat moss,
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