reusing potting soil

by Bill
(St.Louis, Mo)

Can I re use my potting soil next year?

Doug says he reuses his peat-based potting soil from year to year. All I do is dig it up and loosen it up and add about 10% by volume - compost. So if the pot holds 10 shovels of soil - one of those will be compost.

Loosen it up - add some compost and your potting soil should be fine for another year. You will likely see some weed seed germinating (from the compost depending on how hot it was) or from blown-in seeds from previous year's growing. So you do have to weed more in containers when you reuse the soil.