When it comes to planting, you would be forgiven for reusing garden soil in your pots. This rich organic material is readily available – and appears to contain all the nutrients your plants may crave for the best start in life.
However, garden experts have revealed that using soil in pots is a deceivingly dangerous garden idea that will hinder your plant's health in the long term. Here’s what you need to know.
Why using soil in pots will impact your plants' health
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‘Garden soil is soil that is specifically meant for use in outdoor gardens. It is usually a mixture of loam, sand, and clay, and it is often enriched with organic matter such as compost or manure,’ explains the founder of Gardening Boost, Rodger St. Hilaire.
However, while this mixture is beneficial for gardens, says Rodger, it doesn’t cater to the needs of your container plants.
‘Using garden soil in pots is not ideal. The reason is that it tends to dry out more quickly than other types of soil and it can become compacted in pots,’ Rodger says. This makes it harder for plant roots to grow and access the nutrients they need – meaning your container gardening ideas' health will be impacted in a few ways…
1. Using soil in pots will lead to nutrient problems
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Garden expert and founder of Urban Organic Yield, Lindsey Hyland, warns that there are several downsides to using soil from your garden in your pots. However, the most significant problem is that the soil’s pH is not ideal for container plants. This can, therefore, lead to nutrient deficiencies that will negatively impact your plants' health.
2. Using soil in pots can cause bacterial and fungal spread
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Another problem with using soil in your containers is that the soil may contain harmful bacteria or fungi that could infect your plants and cause them to die.
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If you have no choice but to use garden soil, Rodger urges you to sterilize it first by cooking it in the oven. This should limit the bacteria in the container and allow your plant to flourish with less chance of running into problems.
3. Garden soil is too dense for healthy growth
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‘Garden soil is often too dense for pots, which can cause water to pool on the soil's surface and prevent it from draining properly. This can lead to root rot and other plant problems,’ Rodger explains. Therefore, while this natural solution may be good for your flower bed ideas, you should avoid using them in pots and invest in potting soil that is made for the job.
The season of planting with the right soil begins now.
'Garden soil is often too dense for pots, which can cause water to pool on the soil's surface and prevent it from draining properly. This can lead to root rot and other plant problems,' Rodger explains.
Don't use it in containers. Since it doesn't have vermiculite, perlite or pumice, it lacks the drainage required for containers. Garden soil won't let plant roots breathe.
Garden soils are typically intended for use in the ground and contain minerals and organic matter. They are not a good choice for containers because the soil can quickly become compacted and waterlogged, reducing air space around the roots. This can lead to poor or stunted growth.
Garden soil alone is not a good growing medium. Garden soil compacts when placed in a container, resulting in poor water drainage and aeration. Soil also pulls away from the inside of the container when it dries, making it difficult to properly water plants.
Cons: Variable Quality: The nutrient composition can vary significantly depending on the source. Weed Seeds: Often contains weed seeds, which can challenge gardeners. Less Specialized: It may not be ideal for specific types of plants that require more tailored soil conditions.
Soil taken from your yard or a garden bed is too dense to use in a pot or raised bed. Instead, for containers, you'll want to use potting mix (also called potting soil), a lightweight and fluffy alternative. For raised beds, you'll want to use a blend of potting mix and garden soil.
Quality potting mixes will produce happy, healthy and rewarding plants for every type of container and garden situation. They are a worthwhile investment in your gardening success. While garden soil is a great growing medium in garden beds, it's not suitable for use in pots or containers.
Garden soil is also much heavier than potting soil, which is great for moisture retention but could lead to problems like root rot if used with the wrong kinds of plants.
The best soil for potted plants will contain a blend of coconut coir fiber, vermiculite, perlite, organic fertilizer, sand, compost, and peat moss and is rich in basic nutrients required by the plants.
#1: Container Gardens Need to Be Watered More Often
With such a limited soil volume, plants in containers need frequent watering. It is critical to check your soil weekly to determine hydration levels. Keep an eye open for the following telltale signs: Shriveled, brittle, or dead leaves.
It's too expensive for large areas and lacks nutrients to feed plants season after season. Also, potting soil is lighter than garden soil and may not prevent large plants from tipping over in the wind as the soil dries. “I use potting media for starting garden plants from seed,” says Provin.
Topsoil is excellent for landscaping and filling spaces, but potting soil is better if you need a growing medium for container plants. And if you want an Earth-positive soil that's beneficial for any potted plant, you'll love Rosy's Indoor Potting Mix.
In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. These are very real and at times severe issues. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land.
Loam: Loam is an ideal garden soil for many types of plants. It's crumbly, full of organic matter, retains moisture, and drains well. For most plants, this is "healthy" garden soil.
Since garden soil has good organic matter already added to it, it's ready to use in the garden. It's best to use it wherever you need soil in a garden, like in raised beds, an outdoor container, vegetable plots, flower gardens, or around rose bushes and ornamental shrubs.
Start with one gallon of sterilized loam soil, commonly called garden soil and sold at garden centers, and pour it into a clean, empty bushel basket. ...
Add one gallon of moist, coarse sphagnum peat moss, followed by one gallon of coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite.
Potting mix is meant to stand alone, as opposed to being mixed in with existing soils. It is a self-contained product designed to provide potted plants with everything they need to grow and thrive. Garden soil is meant to be spread around. Mix garden soil in with your native dirt to improve it.
Topsoil is best used for outdoor projects where the root systems have space to expand rather than being confined to a container. Using topsoil for plants in pots will mean that your plant won't get the nutrients it needs to grow and will more than likely die sooner than expected.
Clayey soil is used to make pots and toys because water can be held in the tiny gaps between the particles of clay and soil get sticky when it comes in contact with water. Hence, it becomes easy to mould this soil into any shapes like toys, pots and statues.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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