by Lynn Marie

Created on: August 13, 2008   Last Updated: May 24, 2009

I have reused my potting soil for many years for my outside plants. I usually mix in a little of my own compost (therefore, I do need to take out some of the previous soil, which goes right back into my compost pile). I have had excellent results, as my flowers are blooming profusely right now. Some of the pots sit for several years in my garden shed, and do not get used year to year.

I figure that the severe winters that we experience up here are enough to kill any harmful bacteria, bugs, etc. that might have gotten into the soil. Every three to four years, I will take out most of the soil that has been in the pot, and replace it with new potting soil. However, the past two years, I have been more conscientious about "turning" my compost pile, and I feel that my soil from the compost pile can be used for most of the replacement soil in my pots. So far (and it has been two seasons now) my flowers have not suffered in the three pots that I have put the "composted soil" into.

Something that I do put into my outside pots is the sand and/or pebbles from my boys' old sandbox. I also mix some fertilizer into the pots every spring. This year, I followed my mother's example, and "overwintered" my geraniums. I cut them back when I put them into the house and watered them only about once a week. I did not have any flowers on the beautiful geranium plants (I mean the plants are HUGE) until this past week. I am going to try to overwinter them again this year, but will begin to fertilize them perhaps in mid-March to make sure that they are nice and healthy and ready to bud before I venture to put them out in early May.

One thing that I have done, if I think that the soil does not really "look good", i.e. if there is a discoloration on the top of the soil, is to take this soil out (as I had stated before) and throw it into the compost or along one of my other gardening beds. I will take the pots, into or alongside one of my gardens and spill out the pot and have several shovelfuls of compost that I can mix in with the soil before I plant the flowers. If you are a "real gardener" this is the way to go - why spend all of that money on potting soil? If you have alot of flower pots in your yard, what do you do if you dump the pots in the fall? You would have a very good start for a compost pile from which you can have your very own renewable potting soil every spring!

Learn more about this author, Lynn Marie.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.