Sometimes, when growing potted plants at home, it seems like the soil gets depleted. One urban gardening expert shared how to revive old soil so you can keep on growing. 

The scoop

Thefrenchiegardener (@thefrenchiegardener) is a gardening expert who shows followers on TikTok how to tend their garden and grow their own food. He has shown how to use cardboard in your garden and how to grow unlimited strawberries. In one video, he demonstrates an easy way to get nutrients back into your used soil. 

@thefrenchiegardener How to reuse old soil to save money & plant new varieties 💚🙌🏼 #reuse #soil #zerowaste #gardening101 ♬ Interstellar (Main Theme Piano) – Cover – Gacabe & Jecabe

To start, remove your old plant from the pot by digging out the roots. Next, loosen up the soil and remove any very compact pieces. Once you’ve mixed your soil, dig a hole in the center of the pot and toss in some organic matter such as compost and coffee grounds. Top your pot off with new soil and water, and “your pot is ready for new babies.”

How it’s working

Growing food at home is a great way to save money at the grocery store, but the cost of soil and new plants can add up. Tips such as this and checking for ripped bags in the garden center can help stretch your gardening budget. 

People with large gardens can save hundreds of dollars during the growing season. If you only have a patio, your savings won’t be quite as great, but they can still add up. In addition to cost-saving measures, there is a lot of evidence that working with plants has many health benefits. 

“Viewing plants altered EEG recordings and reduced stress, fear, anger and sadness, as well as reducing blood pressure, pulse rate and muscle tension,” the National Health Service reported.

Gardening has also experienced an uptick in popularity in recent years. Today’s Homeowner reported, “Globally, the sale of gardening supplies is projected to be $120.5 billion in 2023.” 

What people are saying

Folks in the comments were loving this hack.

🗣️ Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening?

🔘 Getting outside more 🌱

🔘 Growing healthy food 🥕

🔘 Making my yard beautiful 🏡

🔘 I don’t garden 🚫

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

“Thank you for posting!” one person wrote. “I have a backyard patio, so only potted plants. I am going to do this today.” 

“I have a balcony garden so I HAVE to reuse soil,” someone else added.

Another person simply said, “Thank you.”

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