Worthless Dirt Vs Good Rich Soil
 (Read 50+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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Every single year I see a multitude of people, and usually the same ones, at the garden center buying huge, heavy bags of potting soil and I wonder why they need so much of it every year. Don’t they have a yard where there is plenty of soil to use for their gardens? It seems they don’t, possibly because they think the “used” soil from last year is exactly that “used” and therefore no good. I’ve got news for you. All soil on the planet is used even that fresh new stuff you’re paying the big bucks for. It’s just been repackaged, revitalized and revamped.
So, you have a pot full of soil in which you had Petunias, Larkspurs and Marigolds growing nicely the previous year and you wonder if it is a good idea to use it again. My question to you is why are you wondering? You had no problems last year, did you? You grew your plants well with no diseases and no insect infestations so, of course it’s perfectly fine to reuse.
But perhaps you are worried it doesn’t have the vital nutrients required for good growth. Perhaps you think the plants that grew there in the pot last time stole all the good organic material, minerals and vitamins. You think that soil has nothing in it any longer to feed this year’s plants. You say no plants will thrive in such an empty environment. I’d have to agree with that but it is highly unlikely that your soil is that depleted. In nature plants grow in exactly the same soil year after year after year with no one whining needlessly about the necessity of changing the soil. So, why should you?
But let us not take your concerns lightly. Let us suppose that it is possible for last year’s plants to have completely taken every vital nutrient out of that soil but does that mean we should dump it at the side of the road? Well, I would hope you would at least toss it into your compost pile if you must toss it somewhere but that’s totally up to you. If you think it’s completely worthless dirt there’s not much I can do to change your mind except to say it is salvageable.
There’s an easy fix for revitalizing worthless dirt. Yes, I said dirt because soil is never worthless but dirt is unless you fix it. Grab some compost and mix it into the pot of last year’s soil and instantly you will change what you call dirt into good rich soil, vibrant with nutrients, micro-organisms and hopefully a wiggly worm or two. Compost is the fixer of all evils within the garden or in your case within the pot. Didn’t you know that? Well, you do now.
So, now you have a tub full of good rich soil. You are now allowed to use it. Happy gardening.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 For more amazing garden facts, a glimpse at an unfinished novel and amusing short stories come visit me at http://www.helium.com/user/32782
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