Having containers spilling over with bountiful blooms is a great way to dress up your patio or deck or bring some greenery and color to your indoors.
But buying quality potting soil can add up, so you’ll be happy to learn that you don’t necessarily need to change your container soil every year. But this doesn’t mean you can completely neglect it either.
Let’s talk about some factors to consider when looking at the quality of your potting soil and how you can tell whether a refresh or amendment is necessary.
How Often Should I Change Soil in Potted Plants?
When was the last time you changed the soil in your container plants?
If it’s been awhile, and your plants aren’t performing well, maybe it’s time you looked into it.
Typically, changing the soil in your potted plants should happen every 12 to 18 months. There are some exceptions that may change this timing. These include if you’re moving a plant into a bigger pot because it’s outgrown its current pot or if the soil has become very hard.
If your plant hasn't been growing well, has discolored leaves, or wilts one or two days after watering, it may also be a good idea to add fresh soil.
Best Soil for Potted Plants
Plants thrive best in a nutrient-rich environment where they get the water, sun, and air they need. The goals of potting mix are to retain moisture and nutrients around the plant roots and provide enough air for growing roots.
Soil can become depleted and hard over time, holding less water and nutrients.
But how often you change soil in potted plants depends on the plant. Faster growing houseplants may need annual repotting, while slower growers may be able to wait 1.5 to 2 years.
As far as timing goes, spring is a great time because sunshine is plentiful and this will encourage root growth.
The soil you use matters, too.
- Best potting soil for indoor plants - Indoor potting mixes are typically composed of peat, shredded pine bark, and minerals to help aerate the soil like perlite or vermiculite.
- Best soil for succulents in pots - Succulents need soil that drains well. This usually means the soil is composed of at least 50% sand or similar material.
- Best potting soil for outdoor potted plants - Soils best for these plants often contain aged wood fibers, giving plants the same benefits they’d get from growing under forest trees. Some also contain additional fertilizers and moisture control pellets.
To refresh your container soil, you can also add a soil amendment called biochar. This reduces soil density and soil hardening, increasing soil aeration.
Do I Need to Change the Pot?
If you are maintaining the size of your plant, using the same pot is fine when you change the soil.
But if you’re looking to give your plant more room to grow, choose a pot 30-40% larger.
Mistakes to Avoid When Changing Soil in Houseplants
As you are changing soil in your potted plants, you want to ensure you avoid some common mistakes. These are a few mishaps we see happen regularly:
- Not changing the soil at all. Over time, potting soil squeezes together, closing up spaces that would normally fill with air or water, limiting the nutrition your plant receives. This is when the soil gets hard. Ignore this for too long and your plant may begin to suffer.
- Changing the soil too often. Plants get comfortable in their pot -- or home. You don’t want to change the soil too frequently.
- Changing the soil at the wrong time. Taking advantage of good weather conditions, particularly for outdoor potted plants, can help your plant thrive through the transition.
- Changing the soil instead of repotting. You don’t want to eliminate a plant’s soil when a plant is still green and appears healthy with new growth vs. stunted growth or wilting leaves.
FAQs
Sprinkle fertilizer and either compost, or a compost-based amendment, on to the surface of your old potting soil. Then blend with a trowel or cultivator. Now plant! Direct seed, or transplant flowers, herbs, or your favorite edibles.
Can I put new soil on top of old soil? ›
“Another option for gardeners who have larger containers is to remove only the top 6 inches or so of the old potting soil and replace it with new potting soil,” he said. “Since they aren't replacing all the soil, they're saving money while still refreshing the upper area, which will aid in root growth.
How do you freshen plant soil? ›
Sprinkle a few handfuls of perlite over the old potting mix. Perlite is a key ingredient that allows air to move freely through the container. Add a healthy layer of fresh compost. Sprinkle a little slow-release fertilizer over the mix.
How do you rejuvenate potted plants? ›
Using an all-purpose slow-release fertilizer should do the trick for most houseplants. Mark your calendar when you fertilize and follow-up as per each plant's recommendation. Fertilizing your plants is a great way to revive them and give them the essential nutrients they need to thrive.
Can I change the soil in my potted plants? ›
If it's been awhile, and your plants aren't performing well, maybe it's time you looked into it. Typically, changing the soil in your potted plants should happen every 12 to 18 months. There are some exceptions that may change this timing.
How do you bring soil back to life? ›
Simply add organic debris to the soil surface and let your “underground herd” break it down. As it does, it will improve your soil's texture and make nutrients available to your plants. So don't be shy about applying copious amounts of organic residue to your soil.
How do you rejuvenate bad soil? ›
The simplest solution is to add organic matter. No matter what type of soil you inherited, the addition of organic matter is the best way to improve it.
How do you rehydrate old soil? ›
Thankfully, there is one method that will consistently rewet super dry potting soil; wetting and mixing it with very warm or hot water and then hand turning and mixing it (be sure to wear water-impermeable gloves). The heat helps the peat and compost easily take up water again.
How to tell if potting soil is bad? ›
You can determine if your potting soil has gone bad by checking for:
- Compaction. Compaction refers to soil that's heavy or tightly packed. ...
- Foul Odor. A foul, rotten eggs odor indicates that your potting soil bag has gone bad. ...
- Mold. Your soil is bad if it has mold growing on it. ...
- Insects.
Add new potting mix
Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets. If your planter doesn't have a drainage hole, layer the bottom with lava rocks or similar (rocks, gravel, etc.) before adding the potting mix.
It is recommended that potting soil be replaced after each growing season. This is because the organic material in soil breaks down over time, leaving it vulnerable to pests and diseases. Additionally, soil loses nutrients over time, which can cause deficiencies in plants if not replaced.
How do I make old potting soil good again? ›
Add a handful of a slow release fertilizer like manure. Mix in one part compost for every three or four parts of the old potting mix. Apply a liquid fertilizer like compost tea every two weeks. Mix an organic fertilizer like worm castings or coffee grounds to the top few inches of garden soil.
How do I regenerate my soil? ›
The following farming and gardening practices help regenerate the soil: Beginning practices include using cover crops, reducing tilling, rotating crops, spreading compost (as well as super-compost “inoculants”), and moving away from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and factory farming.
How to improve potting soil in pots? ›
Adding compost or garden soil can be beneficial
Two other organic materials that you could add to your potting mix are leaf mold and compost, which offer a wide spectrum of nutrients. Adding some garden soil to a homemade potting mix contributes bulk while buffering against pH changes and nutrient deficiencies.
How do you add fresh soil to potted plants? ›
Remove about one-third or more of the old potting mix surrounding the plant's roots. As it grew, your plant removed some or all of the nutrients in the current mix, so you'll want to give it fresh potting mix or soil. Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets.
How often should you replace soil in potted plants? ›
Houseplants periodically require repotting to keep them healthy and growing. But few houseplants will need repotting more frequently than once a year, and most will only need repotting once every three to five years. The use of some mineral soil in the potting helps reduce the need for frequent repotting.
How do you refresh dead soil? ›
From Dead Dirt to Healthy Soil in 7 Simple Steps
- Stop using NPK fertilizers. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) fertilizers are commonly used for trees, shrubs, and grass. ...
- Stop using herbicides. ...
- Leave the leaves. ...
- Be mindful of disturbing the soil. ...
- Use wood chips. ...
- Use compost. ...
- Stop spraying for mosquitos.
