Can you use potting soil in a vegetable garden

Instead, the ideal medium for containers is three-quarters soil-free mix and one-quarter compost. Some packagers substitute coir shredded coconut fiber for the peat; and some companies add nutrients to the mix which is bad if the nutrients are man-made chemicals, but wonderful if they're natural things like worm castings. Mix one of those mixes up with some high-quality compost , and you'll have a growing medium that retains moisture and drains well, contains a nice amount of organic matter, and is light enough for you to move the containers around fairly easily.

So—what do you then do with this wonderful stuff at the end of its first season? Because the soil will expand and contract greatly over a harsh winter, those who grow where the ground freezes hard should empty out plastic, ceramic and clay pots to protect them from cracking.

Or you can just bring the whole schmageggie inside to a place that will remain above freezing. If you do empty them out in the fall, remove any roots or weeds and add them to your compost pile. If you store the pots full, plan to remove this debris when you freshen up the mix the following Spring.

In my opinion and physical reality, the only hard-core issue of re-use here is The Tomato Rule. Potting soil that was used to grow tomatoes should not be used to grow tomatoes the following two years.

BUT that soil can be used to grow flowers , bush beans , peppers , salad greens —whatever you want, as long as it's not tamatas.

Conversely like the sneakers , soil that hasn't ever been used for tomatoes or that hasn't seen their roots for a few seasons can be used to grow this year's love apples. One way to achieve this noble end is to have two big galvanized or hard plastic trash cans, label one with a T and one without, and use these to store your soils over winter.

Don't worry about otherwise mixing the soil from different pots; I actually prefer to combine mine to mitigate any potential nutrient imbalances and such. The following season, buy some fresh soil-free mix and use it to freshen up every pot that gets filled with old soil. How much? Up to a third new mix if your old soil is really old or if it seems to be bulking up on you; less if your old stuff is still light and fluffy.

What is topsoil made of? There are different types of topsoil, but it can best be described as a mixture of soil and materials such as sand, manure, and wood fines. Potting soil is mostly made up of perlite, aged compost, peat, and vermiculite.

Potting soil is also used to help prevent compaction, which can prevent plants from filtering out carbon dioxide and other toxic gasses that can kill the roots.

The ingredients in potting soil are more specific to your intended growing environment because its contents are more consistent than topsoil. For large pots that may need to be moved, choose soilless mixes since they are light. Because potting mixes have been heated during processing, they are free of weed seeds, pests and disease. Even if you have healthy garden soil, it is not a good option for your containers. Placed in a pot, garden soil compacts, leading to poor drainage and air flow within the soil.

Even though the top of the soil appears dry, the soil a few inches down gets waterlogged, which can prevent your plants from taking up nutrients. Unless you test the soil's pH, it may be too acidic or too basic for growing vegetables. Garden soil also contains weed seeds, fungal spores and pests that can be detrimental to your vegetable plants. If you do use your own garden soil, amend it first.

Adding peat moss will improve the soil texture and adds organic matter. Working in perlite or coarse sand improves drainage.