SENECALIBRARY – AssociationI create a home that is a safe and nurturing place for me, where I am free to gather myself.
post image

Can I Reuse the Soil From a Topsy Turvy?

Since the Topsy Turvy uses the upside-down gardening method, it is likely that you can soften the dirt in the container than from containers which sit on the ground. The planter hangs above most of the issues that contaminate soil, like fungus, weeds and pests. It is not entirely immune to those problems, however, so soften the dirt with caution.

Topsy Turvy Soil

When you buy the Topsy Turvy planter, it doesn’t include dirt. You buy the potting soil of your selection. Gardener’s Supply Company suggests a combination of sphagnum moss, peat, perlite and vermiculite. Deciding on a sterile potting mix initially gives you a much better chance of being able to reuse the soil the next year.

Reusing Soil

When the growing season ends, examine the plants and dirt in the Topsy Turvy carefully for signs of pests or disease. If you notice pests on your Topsy Turvy plants, discard the dirt because it likely harbors eggs. Do not reuse the dirt if the plant was not healthy at the end of the season; even after you remove the plant, the pathogens likely remain in the soil and can infect next year’s plants. One exception is blossom end rot. Topsy Turvy tomatoes tend to suffer from it if the dirt isn’t watered often enough, and it seems as a dark circle of decay at the bottom of the tomato. It is brought on by a calcium deficiency in the plant, not a fungus or other pathogen, so it doesn’t contaminate the soil. If you’re not positive a predicament is blossom end rot, throw away the dirt to be safe.

Reinvigorating the Soil

Many of the nutrients in potting soil either have absorbed by the plants or leached out as water drains out of the planter. Because of the upside-down design, water drains quickly and easily from a Topsy Turvy, so it may wash out a significant amount of nutrients. Prior to reuse soil in the Topsy Turvy, refresh it by mixing it with compost, using 1 part compost and 3 parts potting soil. Turn 1/2 cup of water-soluble, time-release vegetable fertilizer, such as a 5-10-10, into the dirt to finish preparing it to your next round of plants.

Cleaning the Container

The dirt from the Topsy Turvy isn’t the one thing you’ll be able to reuse. Before you put away your Topsy Turvy, clean it thoroughly so you can use it again. Mix a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, then spray it on the inside of the planter, wipe it with a clean cloth and rinse it with water. If any debris doesn’t remove easily, rub it gently using a scouring pad. The bleach kills any pathogens which may infect the next round of plants.

See related

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • July 2016

Calendar

December 2019
M T W T F S S
« Nov   Jan »
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

Categories

  • Bathroom
  • Bathroom Guides
  • Bedrooms
  • Budgeting Your Project
  • Coastal Style
  • Color
  • Concrete
  • Decorating Guides
  • Dining Room
  • Doors
  • Eclectic
  • Eclectic Homes
  • Electrical
  • Fireplaces
  • Floors
  • Flowers and Plants
  • Furnishings
  • Furniture
  • Garden
  • Gardening and Landscaping
  • Global Style
  • Halloween
  • Handyman
  • Home
  • Home Cleaning
  • Home Offices
  • Home Painting
  • Hvac
  • Kitchen
  • Kitchen Guides
  • Life
  • Lighting
  • More Room Guides
  • Organizing
  • Patios
  • Remodeling
  • Renting and Tenant Rights
  • Roofs
  • Saving Water
  • Small Bathroom
  • Stone
  • Tile
  • Traditional Architecture
  • Trim
  • Tropical Style
  • Uncategorized
  • Wall Treatments
  • Water Damage
  • Windows
  • Wine Cellars
  • Yellow

Copyright SENECALIBRARY - Association 2025 | Theme by Theme in Progress | Proudly powered by WordPress