Do container gardening pots need to have new soil each year?

You can use the old soil to fill the bottom, add several inches of fresh soil for planting

For the healthiest, most lush plants, the answer is yes. The old soil has lost its nutrients. You can save the old soil by adding it to your compost pile (if you don’t have one, make one!). You can then use it again next year.

I mix the old soil with some new works for me every year with no issue. some may say you need to heat the old soil to kill bad organism. I never have. I just mix soils. I add some of the fertilizer sticks that feed for months to the pot and fertilize every week also :) My day is Sunday to fertilize everything. Works great for me. I also add epsom salt my fertilizer water.

Hi Suzanne, :)

I regularly reuse the growing medium in my containers at home for growing annuals with good success. But it does not last forever. During the course of the growing season, the plants will use up the nutrients in the medium. Peat- and bark-based mixes will naturally decompose and break down into finer particles that will compress down. Peat-based mixtures also can dry out and be difficult to re-moisten, so that water quickly runs down the sides of the pot and out the bottom without getting to the plants' roots.

If you are growing annual flowers in pots, it is important to replenish the medium each year by removing one-third to one-half of the old medium and replacing it with fresh potting mix. This will save some money and should give you good results.

The old medium can be used in garden beds if disease is not a concern. Or put it in a large compost pile that's active enough to generate heat that can kill weed seeds and pathogens.

With herbs and non-edibles, it comes down to your personal preference as to whether or not you want to completely change the medium or replenish. If your pots are small, it may be best to start with new medium. If they are large, it may be sufficient to replenish each year.

Hope we get to see what you plant!

I think yes. Have always heard that the old porting soil holds fungi and bacteria from the previous year's planting.