Can Garden soil be used in Pots and Planters, the best answer is yes but I highly recommend against this for many reasons. I will go into detail about why using garden dirt will not benefit your potted plants and organic products vs non-organic potting soils and what products I recommend using.
Pros of using garden soil in pots and planters
The only reason for using your garden soil is that it is available and at no cost to you, other than that there is no good reason to use this soil in your pots and planters.
Cons of using garden soil in pots and planters
The soil you have in your garden might be compacted and adding it to your planters will add too much weight to the planters. If you are going to hang the pots the soil will make it too heavy to hang them possibly breaking the hangers.
The soil from your garden can introduce pests to your plants in these containers.
The dense and heavy soil will make it difficult for the water to drain through to provide water to the roots and cause the soil to dry out since the soil may not retain moisture.
The soil from the garden does not have the correct nutrients and ph balance for most potted plants.
The roots will not be able to grow as well as if they were planted in soil specific for pots and planters since they need light and airy soil to grow.
What kind of soil is best for use in pots and planters
There are two specific kinds of potting mix that can be used for pots and planters depending on their use, one is for indoor plants and the other is for outdoor plants.
Indoor potting mix can be used either indoors or outdoors but is more expensive typically so I would recommend this only be used for pots and planters to live indoors or for starting seeds and seedlings in greenhouses to reduce the chance of any bugs being brought indoors.
An outdoor potting mix should only be used for outdoor use since it can contain bugs that you do not want to introduce inside your house or greenhouse.
Beyond Indoor and Outdoor potting mix, there are several choices
Organic or non-organic potting mix.
Organic potting soil
Organic soil is made of natural matter like bat guano, worm castings, manure, and compost that does not contain chemicals.
Non-organic potting soil
This potting soil contains perlite, and peat moss and has chemicals added. They also lack organic matter that will support the plants as they grow and the processes used to make perlite and peat moss have a negative impact on the environment that organic products don’t have.
Looking even deeper into the best-made potting mixes
What you want from the potting mix for the best results in growing your garden.
Understand if the potting soil you are selecting retains moisture and nutrients for your plants.
Does it have airflow, in other words, is it light to allow roots to grow freely?
The density of the product is important to know, if it is too heavy when you lift the product up it may be too heavy and not good for your plants to grow in since they need light and airy soil.
the organic nutrients should be a blend of organic matter and not just one to provide the best potting soil.
Here are some of the best products I would recommend using for indoor potting
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B08MHMNLZ8″ apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MHMNLZ8?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”422:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41tN2Agdy9L._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Promotes seed and root growth.~~~Feeds plants for 3 months.~~~Retains moisture through coconut coir.~~~Sustainable resource~~~Guarant” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]Burpee, 9 Quarts | Premium Organic Potting Natural Soil Mix, for Indoor Outdoor Plant[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B08W2CB7GV” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W2CB7GV?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”500:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51stLqFd7mL._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”One bag gives your plants everything they need~~~PH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 for optimum fertilizer uptake~~~Light, aerated texture thats perfect for indoor and outdoor plants” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix Indoor/ Outdoor for Garden and Plants[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B002Y04TK6″ apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y04TK6?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”500:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CwQ-5zk+L._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”~~~CONTAINS-sphagnum peat moss, humus & perlite enriched with earthworm castings, alfalfa meal, kelp meal & feather meal~~~~~~Used for optimum growth~~~No synthetic plant foods or chemicals are us” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]Espoma Organic Potting Soil For Indoor & Outdoor use[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B08DBYF64J” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DBYF64J?tag=gardeningtidbits-2[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B08DBYF64J” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DBYF64J?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”403:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jWjR2mwFL._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”INDOOR/OUTDOOR FAST GERMINATION~~~Compressed indoor potting soil expands to 4 TIMES THE SIZE when mixed with water; saves vital shed space.~~~Mixed and ready to go.~~~Contains Coco coir for great water drainage~~~RESEALABLE ” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]WONDER SOIL Organic Potting Mix, 9 quarts[/amalinkspro]
Here are some of the best products that I would recommend for potting outdoor plants
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B08MHMNLZ8″ apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MHMNLZ8?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”422:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41tN2Agdy9L._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Promotes seed and root growth.~~~Feeds plants for 3 months.~~~Retains moisture through coconut coir.~~~Sustainable resource” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]Burpee, 9 Quarts | Premium Organic Potting Natural Soil Mix, for Indoor Outdoor Plant[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B004OVUM40″ apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OVUM40?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”500:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51w68u+DD1L._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Proven track performance~~~Premium quality and pricing~~~Made in United States~~~~~~~~~Perlite and pumice added to ensure optimum growing soil~~~Great for hanging baskets” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]SUNGRO Black Gold 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B07B6C4ZDC” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B6C4ZDC?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”448:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5108iHI+zhL._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”~~~Ideal for any potting needs~~~Great for hanging baskets house plants and patio planters~~~” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose Organic Potting Soil 8 qt[/amalinkspro]
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B086DX658H” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086DX658H?tag=gardeningtidbits-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ img-sizes=”500:500″ imgs=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Yg9fSUCAL._SL500_.jpg” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Mix contains responsibly sourced peat moss, vermiculite and lime.~~~Holds up to 2 times weight in water~~~Improves aeration~~~Healthy pH balance ” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Check Today’s Price” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″ banner=””]Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix, 10 QT, 2-Pack[/amalinkspro]
Now that we have answered the question can you use garden soil in pots and containers?
Have fun planting your pots and containers for beautiful pots and planters.
Now that you know that you should not use garden soil for your pots and planters you now have all the information to buy the best organic potting soil to grow the best plants depending on indoor and outdoor pots.
It’s time for you to get started potting your plants to enjoy everything they can produce for you using the best products possible.
