STOP Throwing Out Potting Soil! 3 Ways We Reuse It
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2018
- At the end of every season I see pots filled with potting mix, or people telling me that they are throwing it out. Why?!? Why on earth does a container’s soil get thrown out when your raised bed soil doesn’t? This doesn’t make any sense to me and is totally a waste of money. Here are 3 ways we reuse it in our garden. Check out our new clothing line! http:www.freshpickedapparel.com
Started a new 4' x 10' raised bed this spring. Filled all summer long with fruit and veggie scraps plus last falls leaves like a lasange garden and let it cold compost. Threw in my old potting soil from this year plus some red wriggler compost worms. Will top off with more leaves before the snow comes and it'll be perfect next spring.
The earth itself has been reusing its own soil over and over for millennia and I think it's working out pretty well so far... hehe It's funny and odd that we would think "it's used so it's no good so I should toss it right?" I guess that's due to the consumer culture we've been living in, lol. Good thing that's slowly changing though! 👍
Love your videos Luke. As a new urban gardener, I've learned a TON from you and I greatly appreciate it!! STAY CALM AND GARDEN ON!!!
I wish people left bags of soil on my street 😂 what are they thinking
I found out from experience that semi compost dirt in a pot with a couple worms will sprout seeds faster. I add the newspaper, food, worms, and all. (Whatever i pull out the compost bin..) And add some old potting soil and i have Great results. MIgardner u have a Beautiful garden and i really enjoy your advice, videos, and your harvest!!!! Lol..... Take care
I know I'm 2 years late. But thanks for your tip. Helped me out.
Perfect timing. I recycled some potting soil today by topping off one of our beds. I thought it would be fine but glad to have some reassurance ☺️ thanks!!!
Enjoyed the video Luke. I am such a penny pincher so I do most of this already but... I did overlook filling the low spots in the yard so kudos!!!
I used to pile it up, mix it through, add amendments and then use it but that became too much work in my limited space. The idea this behind this though is that I would "balance out" depleted nutrients from each pot. Now I just add amendments in last season's pot then put new potting soil on top (lose an inch or two each season) and try to plant a different family of vegetable than the previous season, sort of a mini-crop rotation.
If you have some really tired looking potting soil just add it to your raised beds. It will at least add some volume / water holding capacity even if it is really drained of nutrients.
You’re so spot on Luke. It has happened for me to collect some thrown away soil , but this stuff of people leaving on the side of the road..........
Thanks for sharing Luke! I love reusing my potting soil. I Never throw anything away. Definitely love repurposing lots of different things!
I use free mulch like you have talked about to fill in low spots works great. Takes a little while longer for the grass but it works and doesn't wash* away so easy.
I never throw out potting mix ever! I use that stuff for all sorts of projects, a lot of which is what you suggested which are great suggestions!
Im shocked! Are there people who actually throw out potting soil? Why would you ever want to in the first place?. Ive never heard of that. Good video👍
Usually they are throwing out old hanging baskets with dead plants or stalks. The soil is just a bonus. Or they are getting rid of large cracked planters too heavy to maneuver easily- from what i have seen. I have always asked to have them when i see them because a growing basket doesn't have to be pretty- it will most likely be hidden under foliage. I usually dump/add them to a fallow area for next year or the compost pile- since i have no way of knowing what might have been sprayed on them. Cracked clay pots get broken down further to be drainage for the bigger pots like i was always shown. Even the plastic can be recycled if you like to drop them into a larger decorative flower planter which you may want to switch out for holiday occasions (my mom likes red/white/& blue for July) but i prefer deep purple for most of the year.
Or sometimes people will buy a bag for a planter then use only half. (My uncle would compulsively do this with any product) "Don't need it taking up space in the garage." Was his life-motto. He did have a very clean garage!
Thank you so much for doing this video!! It has inspired me even more now with my strategy of gardening. You have helped me greatly!!
The first time I planted in containers I used a bag of potting mix to patch a big hole along my driveway, it washed away. After that I used homemade compost for hole filler, nothing stayed on that slope until I put pine cones where I could in the washed out part and stomped them down, then dumped compost or whatever on top. Lasted for a year, so far.
Great video Luke. I use mine over and add compost or new to it. We also use to fill in yard holes if needed.
I live in zone 3 Edmonton. Growing up here I piled up all my container and pumpkin pit soil in a pile about 5 feet high covered it with leaves and then snow as it started to snow. This would keep the pile moist and warm.
From now on I will be throwing my used potting soil in my raised beds and compost piles. Thanks for the great idea Luke. Best Wishes. Grandpa Jones.
Wow...There’s the fence trees they looking good ... nice! They look really rich and green... great info thanks Luke
I never really thought about it....But I've always just chucked the old potting soil from my containers into my compost pile. I always figured it was rich in stuff that my compost might be lacking (perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, etc.) In my mind, it was totally valuable and certainly not worthy of the dump! I can't believe people toss their old potting mix.......Send it my way, folks! I can use it! Great video. Enjoy your content. Keep up the good work........................................AO
Thank you i will certainly use these tips.👍
When I see people putting their pots outside as garbage I always shake my head and if possible stop and collect it
Hi thank you for turning us on the Levi👍✌
Just did that yesterday. My new tall raised bed dropped down several inches over the summer as the wood chips in the bottom 2/3 decomposed, and I wanted to clean out my greenstalk planters, so I sifted the dirt into the raised bed and added some rabbit manure to add some compost material. Today I'll plant the Musik and Italian garlic bulbs I got from your store to see if I can grow my own garlic. We have 3 trees on our property and will soon have plenty of leaves to use as mulch to cover them up.
I reuse potting soil in my garden or other pots. In my garden, I mulch about 6 inches in fall. I'm too cheap to get more compost, I'd rather mulch with leaves and let it break down over winter.
Plant-Based Experiment smart! Thanks for the idea
Thank you for your video!! I’m glad I watched this before trying to figure out how to throw out all of this soil. LOL 😂
I’m getting ready to start a compost pile- do you think I should wait to add all of this soil until I have established compost?
That shirt! Sindy has the best style ❤
At the end of the growing season, we add the soil from the pots to the compost pile which we keep adding to over the non-growing seasons. The next season we add wood chips to the bottom of the pots (makes them easier to move and hold moisture) add a layer of kitchen scraps and then screened compost mixed with soil from the garden beds (which is replaced with the new compost).
Earlier this season, I called my local nursery to see if they made compost and sold it but they didn't. I had a bed that had sandy soil in it. So I asked them if they had potting soil that they had discarded, they did, and I got it for free. I have a 40-gallon horse trough and brought my wheelbarrow and filled it up. It was mums that didn't sell. It was a huge pile in various degrees of breaking down. There were roots and I had to go through it and shake it out, but the big chunks I put in my compost pile. It was some of the lightest, fluffiest potting soil I have ever seen. All it was missing was the Trifecta. I've still got one grey tub and a big round tub cow minerals came in full of the potting soil. I decided not to put it in that bed and just do containers with it. That bed needs some good compost, which I never found.
I have also spread used potting mix on the lawn
I always reuse mine. Its too expensive to just toss it out. After all of the the videos and documentaries about waste why are people STILL so wasteful?? I don’t understand it. Thanks for this video Luke! 👍🏻
Great video Luke😄
If there was no infected or diseased plants you can reuse the soil with healthy plants and mixed with new soil.
Throw it in a clear plastic bag, wet it down and solarize it.
Love your videos; great information!!
I have a question for you:
If you find some insects, like aphids, on your lettuce (or other veggies or flowers) that were in your container, even after removing the crop/flowers and weeds, roots, etc., could you STILL reuse that potting mix or should you first treat it with neem oil (for example), or is it better to just dump it and clean out the container before planting something new so as not to risk another infestation or their eggs in the soil?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!!
So this year I used grow pots. My squash ended up with vine borers and a couple had powdery mildew. My tomatoes have been battling septoria leaf spot (and possibly blight). Can I use the potting mix from those plants in a raised bed for growing garlic?
I religiously reuse my soil.. I've got a lot of sand in my dirt and adding the potting soil to my grass even has really helped make it greener.. for my garden I put the soil in my raised beds on top of leaves and food scraps that I add throughout the year..don't have to add insects bc the decaying produce has attracted them :-) come spring my beds LOVE my soil. haven't needed fertilizers so far bc I'm constantly feeding my plants from under the soil!
Great info as usual. You never disappoint! Is there a way to sterilize the soil to kill any possible diseases bacteria or fungus before reusing? It’s hard to remember or not realize some plants died because of those factors. I’m less than novice which asks questions that most others already know. Ty for all youdo to share your knowledge.
Good suggestions. Thanks!
No more tossing out old potting soil after this video Luke! ;)
All Good tips, never toss it is way too expensive. I reuse my microgreen dirt 3 times a month through a process I have developed. After about 6 months the tray is then sent to the worm bin. I save hundreds of dollars a year this way : ).
I rotate my soil for the flower planters each year. I have a drum composter where i put the old soil from the previous year and put my compostable stuff in it all summer so it's ready to go again the next year
I have used old soils in my compost bin
The natural fence behind you start look good
Yep! We hae just 1 tree to replace but it is really filling out nice.
Thank you!!!
Great video I have several pots of soil that I give to my friend who need it . I like to try different soil every year to see if there's a different and I don't want to make my own. Also I thought if it had disease you throw it away. Thanks for sharing
Or solarize the soil too kill the disease
Thanks for this video!
HMMM...where can I find people throwing out their potting soil on the road?
Make friends with the people who run/take care of your local cemetery (favorite instate son in law is on the board), you wouldn't believe how much soil and pots are tossed weekly. I add the soil to the compost pile, clean, and recycle the pots.
I see it all the time. The side of the road is where I get about 90% of my composting stuff, as well as all the livestock wire I use for my vertical trellises. In fact, the flat screen TV I'm using as the monitor on this computer was found on the side of the road as well. I just sold a mountain bike I got on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it for fifty bucks. There's a ton of gold on the side of the road if you want it, but it takes a little time. I get all my stuff while I'm delivering papers. I'm actually getting paid to scout for all of this stuff.
I used to drive school bus for special needs children and drove into many neighborhoods. I saw so many things put out for trash pick up you would not believe!! Whole patio table and chair sets, big child play sets, pools, large plant containers. A - Z
I often pick that up during fall clean up !!
It baffles me when I see people throw out good potting soil.
Appreciate the info!
Yo, that shirt is absolute fire, bro! Loving the 'aloha' vibes...
Me too!
I Luke can I reuse potting soil that I had a house plant in and use it for my vegetable garden?
Thank you
Valerie
Great info!
I've used old potting mix to level out some low spots where water collects into miniature swimming pools and the only problem I've encountered is the perlite will tend to float up to the top and collect near and over a french drain opening. Not a big deal but something to be aware of.
That's cute you let her pick your shirts out lol
We add all the soil from indoor grow room to outdoor garden. I usually add to the closest area from the grow room basically the southeast 20 foot area ( 28x54 garden). The outdoor plants grow best in this area almost all the time. Probably because of all the good soil, vermiculite, coco coir in the mix.
The shirt is cool, but it took a while for my eyes to adjust😁. Just kidding.
Great ideas! I always throw my potting mix in my garden. I have pine trees that we rake the needles around. Over the years they layers have broken down and now I'm digging it out and using the pine needle compost in the garden. Is this ok to use in the garden? I heard it's too acidic and I heard once it breaks down it's not acidic.
We have raised beds and containers. Some containers have flowers, some veggies. So since I will use some chemicals on flowers and I grow veggies organically, I don't want to put both types of potting mix/soil together. I use galvanized cans with lids to hold what ever I can not incorporate back into pots or raised beds, separate can for flower soil and another for the veggies. I will add nutrients, fertilizers etc. when adding either of these back into growing flowers or produce.
Kudos Miss MIgardener! Fun shirt!
Last year we grew a shishito pepper plant from Back To The Roots. It had some good stuff such as pieces of biochar, compost/vermicompost. After our harvest it started dying, for it had used most, if not all the nutrients. I left it outside for its final days and sawed it off with scissors (didn’t realize it would be so hard if a stem!). I composter the plant matter and buried the jar along with what was left of the stem. Today, after all the radishes that sprouted the day I buried it have made seeds for the next generation, I dug it up, and was able to get the roots and potting soil out. I then dumped the mix into the compost, which seems to be mostly roots, a lot of roots. Hopefully all the stuff in there will benefit the compost pile. And that is the story of a shishito pepper and it’s growing medium.
Honestly just wanted to tell the entire story instead of saying I did the same thing as Method #2
Urban balcony gardener here. Those tips totally make sense if you have a garden. What about when only using containers? I think I might keep 1/3 and mix it with some form of compost. The rest really needs to be thrown out ....
just reuse the same soil from year to year just mix in some fresh soil and some fertilizer and give it a little fluff.
MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living Really?! Awesome, thanks!
First comment?? Great info and really enjoyed it !! :o)
I kept using the same soil with fine results for six years without switching it, well kinda. I was living in a apartment and growing indoors. I had two bins just plastic ones i bought from a store. I filled the two bins with soil and would add my scraps to just one of them per year. The next year i used the other bin so that i was adding scraps to one or the other. I'd add worms but they normally didnt propagate good, the fungus gnats did though in the containers. Anyway i recycled for years in a row. I did finally replace the soil this year but only cause i effed it up. I started drinking coffee again recently and i added way to many grinds. Something i only added once a week or so before. Kitchen scraps included any green material include eggs and bone along with garden waste. The bone(making bonemeal) and the eggs were prepared though. Either from: slow cooking then pulping and drying, or Oven drying and pulping. The eggs get oven cooked then pulverized.(I did repurpose the soil, i now rent a house so i used it in the garden and to level a few areas. Let natural fix what i messed up naturally, which i've done before, a forest never has to change its soil to survive.)
I used to throw my potting mix out each year [ I grow in pots ] . But I reuse it now . thanks
This was an unsightly excellent video😊😋😂
I have a question on potting soil , this is my first year container gardening so because I'm growing in containers I have to use new soil every year. Or just Rejuvenate the soil. By dumping the soul out adding compost and putting it back into the pot. Help
Would you guys re-use synthetic fertilized soil like miracle grow?
I’m assuming when you add it to a bed, whether flower or vegetable, you add nutrients? These are really all that’s diminished in used potting soil. Tfs. 👏🏻💕👏🏻
We were hoping to dump all of our containers (we have over 40!) into a big pile and amend it with something next year for reuse. Do you have any thoughts on that? Or even a recipe?
Hi Luke!
I’ve been wondering... how are your columnar trees doing?
GOOD VIDEO!!! IV'E NEVER THREW OUT POTTING MIX!!! YOU CAN DUMP IT IN A HOLE,FLOWER BED,GARDEN OR SOMETHING!!!
I use my old dirt to slowly build my landscaping mounds which is a lot cheaper using our used dirt than buying a couple tons of filldirt
I always use mine to cover food scraps in my wormery and also as a bedding for my worms.
Just An Average Unicorn that’s what I do to, works great for me
Do you add the soil to your working or finished compost pile?
Luke, is it ok to use old potting mix as seed starters?
I have had the same pot with chives in it for 18yrs 🤣 never changed the soil, I started them in middle school and they have just been sitting at my mother's house since then coming back every spring no issues
I have rooftop garden and I wanted to know how to preserve the soil for next year
i store mine over the winter in big bin type containers ( i grow in containers on my patio ) each yr i will fill the container put into the wheelbarrow and refirtalise it before i plant anything in there
What about old roots in the soil is that good or bad???
I like the intro, makes me hungry ‼️
Could you reuse potting soil as potting soil if you added Trifecta or something similar?
I have pet ducks and when it rains they love digging holes so I've always used potting soil to fill those ankle suckers up☺
I have an 8 ft mountain of aged horse manure to work through from when I moved in a year ago. It will be awhile before I need more volume.
I picked up potting soil bags that were left on the ground & now it's full of grass & weed roots . How do it get rid of the roots without harming soil or plants I want put in the potting soil?
throw some fertilizer in maybe some compost for microbes and good 2 go for another season
i put my used stuff in a big 20ish gallon container with a bunch of red worms and food scraps. works great and the worms love it
Do you know how I could revitalise my potting mix so I can keep using it as a potting mix please ?
Shred the annuals you weed out before winter and toss that into the mix.
I understand what your saying I don.t understand it but of course there has been times when I have had problems with root bound plants that have completely compacted the soil to the point that all the roots from the plant have completely swallowed up the soil to where all you see Is roots and not much soil so when you go to shake out as much soil as you can you don't get much
Love its!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are actually a lot of Gardner's here on UA-cam not to reuse soil to plant the next year. I've also saw a lot of pots with soil at the curb. I guess some people just have the extra money to waste.
Somewhat jealous seeing those big beautiful leaves for your pumpkins. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I keep getting a white mildew on the leaves which makes them brittle and then they die. Now I still get 8 to 10 good sized pumpkins, but do you get that mildew and what do you do to stop it from happening? I have tried fungicides, and some other things but nothing stops it. Also, when I was growing zucchini that same white mildew showed up on those plants too. And yes I reuse my potting soil, I just got rid of two really old (almost 9 years) wooden planters and after getting rid of the massive root balls I used that soil to fill the new ceramic pots for the new flowering perennials I put in.
Typically the white fungus or mildew that develops on the leaves is normal in most areas. This happens when the plant is stressed or it is done growing. So now it is putting all of its energy into the fruit. I wouldn't worry about it unless it is from stress. Make sure you are watering enough, preferably with drip lines on the ground. Most cucurbita prefer a very rich sandy well drained loam. But if you have clay like soil just make sure you add plenty of carbonous organic matter to help the soil absorb any extra water. I live in a very dry arid region and we still get that white powdery mildew on our plants leaves, but I believe that it is mostly from the plants putting all of its energy into the fruit, and is basically starting to die back.
Rodney Baker I installed a drip irrigation system about three years ago with emitters and adjustable bubblers, with the bubblers for the plants that needed more water. The white powdery mildew still comes back every year. I stopped growing zucchini, mostly because I was giving away more than we ate, but I still got it on the pumpkin plants, but not the cantaloupe plants. Maybe I will try the Funginol I got for my Peach tree next year. To be more specific the leaf starts to get white spots that seem to spread and then the leaf gets brittle and breaks at the slightest touch, even the wind can cause damage to those leaves. The base soil is very rich in clay, I try to put potting or garden soil in the raised beds to give the plants more soil less clay. I do have to go out and dig more the clay and rock out to give the plants more depth for roots (with my carrots I tried this year I could tell where they hit the clay), just more fun in the garden.
To stop powdery mildew, heavily spray top and bottom of leaves on a cool day or in early evening with water/peroxide (12 tbsp peroxide/1 gallon water, TEST SPRAY 1 LEAF AND WAIT 2 DAYS). The peroxide will kill the fungus. Then spray leaves with a baking soda/water mix (2 tbsp/gallon water) to prevent fungus/mildew from taking hold.
This helps a lot with my plants but I have to remember to repeat the process a couple times/summer.
Dave Sterchele Thanks I will try that next year.
Shhhh Luke.
When they start kicking the soil to the road, it's free.
Hear that??? *FREE*
More soil for me 😉🙂🙃😁
🤫🤫🤫
Should I put a layer of compost on the top of my beds now or in the spring? Thanks!
I put used potting soil, shredded leaves and broken down straw from this year's strawbale garden on top of my raised beds in the fall to protect the worms and prevent weeds. Whatever isn't broken down in the spring I remove and throw into a compost pile for further decomposition. Then I add rich material in the spring.
Now, so it breaks down over winter.
I toss it in the compost bin and mix it up with the end of the year green stuff. Blight covered leaves go to the garbage. The soil will cook (at my house) 1.5 to 2 years before I use it.
What about container soil 2-3 years old? Still reusable?
come acrost it... Yessah! Do you never use it in another pot the next year?
I keep all my dirt.
If my garden don't like it, my trees will.
I also don't rake my leaves and throw it away.
I mow it to pieces, for food for my yard.
Is why my yard is green, and the people next doors yard is brown.
I planted a few of those full trees you have in your yard as privacy in my yard.
Its a growing privacy fence.
A bit of compost and BFB and the toms soil then gets used for the cucumbers.
Great vid. Lol, I am blessed with 6 or 7 56 to 60 gallon grow bags full Full of top shelf growing medium after the boys Oct harvest. Because of this gift every year my garden grows in space and depth. They toss, I retreive.
Man, I wish that I could have a compost heap/composter. But I just cant, because I live in a rented property, with a shared garden, and no one else is using the garden to grow fruits and veg (or using it to do ANYTHING lol...they don't even go out there). But I know, that if I add a compost section, then I will mess up the mix, and it will start to smell, (until I learn how to get the mix ratio just right) and BANG, I'll get complaints... and sadly, those complaints wont come directly to me, they will, instead go anonymously, to my Landlord (a housing association) and then I worry that my landlord will tell me to not only get rid of my composter/heap, but my vegetable planters, tubs, and pots too, and that would just be DEVISTATING for me, because I am enjoying gardening soooo much (even though I'm very new, and not very good at it yet lol). I really wish that other people in my block would also start growing fruits and Veg (I hoped that this would happen, when they saw me doing it... but nothing so far... booooooo) because then we could start more of a Veggie patch community, and share a composter, and then there would be less chance of complaints... But I'm starting to think that that is just a pipe-dream... my neighbours are just not that sort... =C