When preparing the garden for winter I always struggle on what to do about my big pots that I plant flowers in. Big pots can get heavy. Where do I put all the soil? And do I really have to buy new soil in the spring for all my big pots?
While listening to a Joe Gardener pod cast about composting. I learned a fantastic tip for how to care for you soil in big pots. I do not have to dump all that soil each autumn during garden clean up. I can leave it in the pots and add compost.
This is a helpful tip for those who garden from an apartment balcony. No one wants to toss out the soil each and every season. It gets costly and difficult.
Here is the good news.
Clean out your plants, turn the soil in the pot add leaves, kitchen compost ( potato peels, egg shells, carrot peels, coffee grounds .. ) during the autumn, winter and early spring the pot soil will break down all that making a new fresh soil for you to plant in spring.
Do you keep your soil in your big pot over winter and reuse in spring?
Are you an apartment balcony gardener?
Please share any tips or tricks.
I usually add a bit of fresh soil on top and add some time released fertilizer and I reuse my pots every year. But your advice is good. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteMy pots are frozen now so I'll try your method next year.
Hugs, Julia
Top tip, Carla! I usually plant cyclamens in my pots during the winter. They add a lot of color and love the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
I do re use my soil but haven't composted besides the leaves that get in. I'm going to try and add more scraps from the kitchen. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good tip. We live in a house, but it faces where there is no sun all day. So nothing we put out front lives, even mums that are just for the season. Out back is better, but then we hardly ever see out there. I DO grow herbs inside. I now have two pots of Basil which I rescued at this late date and nursed them back to health. I even hate to pick and eat them, I just am enjoying them for their pretty leaves and smell.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have to show my husband this post. We just usually leave the soil in the pots and move them into the covered porch for the winter. This year we actually decided to leave the pots on the patio. We'll see how this works out in the spring.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, for sure! I usually just let the leaves stay in the pots during the winter. Since I have mainly Oak leaves, which take years to break down, I usually scoop some of them out. But I also turn the soil in the spring. Some of the debris that collects breaks down and adds fabulous nutrients to the soil. :)
ReplyDeleteI am doing THAT tomorrow. Great tip. I don't know if my next tip works yet.
ReplyDeleteI put my annuals, which I had cut back dramatically, in those plastic lid pans you get when you buy a roasted chicken at your grocer. I covered them up with the tight lid. They are in low light situations on my desk. If they make it great. If not, it only cost 69 cents for the four containers. I needed something the cats don't get into
I've learned that composting is just about the most amazing thing you can do for soil! Because of our climate, I have succulents in pots that I put under a tarp for the winter, and use no other pots, as the freezing/melting cycle here is very hard on pots, and they don't last long. Have a great week Carla!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh what an easy and great tip. I hate to throw out the dirt in pots too. Seems like such a waste and a big mess. This is a great tip Carla. Have a wonderful week sweet friend.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kris
That's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great tip. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip …
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan