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How long can the same Potting Soil used in the container? Does the garden soil or potting mix we use in our containers has an expiry? Does it need to be changed often? In Today’s post, let’s learn how to restore or rejuvenate your old potting mix in 5 simple steps.
Let’s start this episode with few simple questions related to container gardening – How long can the same Potting Soil used in the container? Does the garden soil or potting mix we use in our containers has an expiry? Does it need to be changed often?
Well, Let’s learn more about this.
The soil, moisture and sunlight are the most important growth influencers for plants. The soil is most important and provides them the necessary major nutrients like the NPK – that’s Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium, as well as the minor nutrients like the trace elements including iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron and so on.
The useful life of a potting soil mixture depends on whether or not it is currently in use. Today’s focus is mainly on unused potting soil and how to restore it’s life with few simple steps. The regular or the used potting soil with plants growing in it has all the necessary activities in it like the beneficial microbial activity and nutrient content in it, because you feed the plants regularly with fertilizers and so on. So what happens with Unused potting soil with no plant growing in it – like you have purchased some bags of potting soil and its lying there in store room from a long time. Yes, It actually has an expiry and lasts roughly about six months before it degrades in quality with depletion of nutrients and the beneficial microorganisms go into dormancy that is a state of inactivity.
So, now lets answer a simple question related to container gardening. Do I need to replace the soil in a container with plant growing in it during repotting procedure. The answer is: Yes, its always better to either replace or rejuvenate the old soil with plants growing in it occasionally like once in two or three years for best results in container gardening.
Now the 5 Simple Steps for Restoration of old potting soil and revitalize it:
- Remove old plant matter like the roots, twigs or leaves from the soil. Pull out any dead plants and weeds and other garden debris.
- Fluff and till the soil, make a layer of about 3 to 4 inches. Break up any large clods as you loosen the soil. And sprinkle some water on the top and Dry it in sunlight for atleast a week. You can cover with a polythene sheet after 2 days so that weeds do not invade this layer and also this protects from rains if any.
One Simple Hack here to check whether the soil is ready for further processing. Squeeze a handful of the soil into a tight ball. Flick the ball with your fingers. If it falls apart, the soil is dry enough to work. If the ball retains its shape or only develops a slight dent, the soil is too wet and must dry for some more time before you can proceed to revitalize it. - Soil PH Test – This step is Optional. You can do a soil ph test before and after the process of adding nutrients. Based on this you can adjust the nutrients to properly adjust the soil ph to your desired level. You can check related posts on this like wood ash in gardening, and also Vinegar or Alum in gardening to make it more acidic or alkaline.
- Adding nutrients to the soil – Mix it with fresh compost like decomposed cowdung powder or any Compost at a 1 :1 ratio or atleast 30 percent. To combat fungus and other harmful pathogens organically you can add about 10 percent Neem cake powder if available. Optionally you can add some gypsum and lime dust and other nutrients or components like bone meal powder, little Epsom salt, and other stuff, like how we make our all purpose or the universal potting soil mix.
- Mixing: Mix it thoroughly – this is also an important step so that your containers get everything right in proper proportions – neither too less nor too much.
- Then lastly, If you do not plan to use it right away, Always store the soil covered and in dry areas with low humidity and away from dampness.
