How to Recondition Soil with Small Container Gardening

Growing in small containers is great for urban living and makes for easy gardening. But it's important to know that the soil will not last forever. The soil will need to be replenished from time to time to ensure that the soil microbes have plenty of organic materials to feed them. It's the soil microbes that are doing the work to provide the plant with the nutrients it needs to grow.


It's especially important to recondition soil is when replenishing edible plants - such as leafy greens, lettuce and herbs - that are at the end of the life cycle.


In this article we walk through the process of knowing when and how to recondition your soil when growing food in small pots for container gardening.

How do you know when it's time to replace a plant?


When it's time to replant your plants we recommend reconditioning your soil. It's time to swap out your seedlings if your plants are bolting or going to seed.


When a plant is at the end of its life cycle, it will produce flowers which is known as bolting. A bolted plant can change the flavor profile to be a bit more bitter. Some plants' flowers can be trimmed back to extend the harvest period before your next seedling comes.

Trim the flower stock all the way to the base of that stem where you see new growth coming in. Plants that enjoy being trimmed include: arugula, spinach, cilantro, mizuna, and dill. Keep in mind Some plants do not benefit from flower trimming: kale, bok choy, romaine, and leafy lettuce.


Herbs can live for a couple of years if given enough soil space. When flowers are present on herbs such as mint, oregano, and parsley, enjoy their beauty and trim away when finished. It will help to attract pollinators to your garden (always a good thing!).


Those herbs can be transplanted into larger pots after they've been growing a while in the same pot. Otherwise the quality of the seedling will start to deplete. You will notice a yellowing of the leaves and slower growth. These are good indicators that it’s time to transplant the herb to a larger pot or move it into a nearby garden bed. Yellowing and slower growth are due to the limited room for roots that have grown into the space.


Pro tip: do not plant oregano and mint in your ground or garden bed, they are invasive species and can seriously take over your whole garden!

Step 1: Harvest Seedling
Step 1: Harvest Seedling

How do I recondition my soil?

Once you have identified which plants are ready to be replaced, it’s time to gather all of your items for the task ahead. The things you will need include: 

Here are the steps: 

Step 1. Start by collecting the plants that are near the end of their life cycle. Now you can either harvest the greens from the seedling you are taking out by snipping them down all the way to the base of the plant or you can chop those greens off and compost in a worm/compost bin or place them in your yard waste. 


Step 2. With your pot over a tray or bucket, wiggle out the main chunk of roots. Sometimes it helps to just put the pot upside down and empty the entire thing. Where the growth of the plant emerges from the soil is going to be where the largest chunk of roots are. Grab onto those roots and shake off as much excess soil as possible. This soil will be reused for the next seedling so you should save as much of it as you can.  It’s okay if there are roots in your soil because that will all decompose and be eaten up by the microbial life in the soil. The main hub of roots should be composted or thrown into your yard waste.


Step 3. Break up that soil so that you can replant with it. You can either work one plant at a time or you can get a bigger bucket and empty out all of your pots at once. Once your pots are emptied it’s time to plant.


Step 4. Mix 1 tablespoon of worm castings into each pot of soil, each seedling that is being replaced should be getting 1 tablespoon of organic fertilizer and 1 tablespoon of worm castings each. This means you can either mix the correct amount of worm castings and fertilizer into your bucket or you can add it in as you put soil into your pot. 

Emptying a pot of soil on a tray to recondition the soil

Step 5. Next start adding soil into your pots. Fill each pot about 3/4ths of the way full so that you can simply place the seedling in the and fill in the soil the rest of the way. That helps oxygen remain present where the roots are beginning their initial growth. 


Step 6. Before putting your seedling in the pot of soil, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mycorrhizal fungi on the roots of each seedling.


Step. 7. Once that is done you can place the seedling in the pot, fill in the soil the rest of the way, water it in, and place a plant label with the date printed. Add water to the soil a couple times after planting to ensure the plant has a good environment to acclimate in.


Pro Tip: Keep the seedlings in dappled sunlight or shade before placing in the full sun until you see the seedling has acclimated to its new environment.  This is most important during times when the temperatures may be extreme.  This is to prevent transplant shock and loss of foliage. Now you are ready to watch the plant grown in, care for it, and enjoy it. 

Planted Places provides the organic nutrient dense soil rich in the organic materials necessary for a healthy soil biome.  We also provide the organic inputs and amendments - worm castings and casting teas - that help to rebuild and refuel the soil.  Try some of our soil and soil amendments to start growing regeneratively! You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to grow healthy leafy greens, herbs, and veggies. Everything is easier because your plant health is in tip top shape.

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