soil Container Growing - Reusing soil?

[Trini]

For me in South Florida where my plants are never winterized, what would you suggest I do? I would normally add manure, compost, ferts, bone meal during the year. Would it be a problem with the same soil for 2 or even 3 years or should I change them out after some amount of time?

I would appreciate some help and I am curious what some of the other South Florida folks do.

Thanks

 

[Prehensile]

you need to give em food and change out their soil every now and then, I have some 3 year old Scorpions atm.

 

[Helldozer]

Thanks all for your suggestions. This all leads me to another question, to throw a wrench in here. I've read a little about doing cover crops also. So, do you usually do a cover crop AND compost, or do you do just a cover crop OR compost?

Additional question. When I make a compost pile, does the old soil count as "brown" material? Or, do I still need leaves, twigs, etc.?

Thanks.

 

[Prehensile]

I have 2 bins one for yard waste the other is food scraps, I add sand and potting soil every week or so.

 

[Dave2000]

Thanks all for your suggestions. This all leads me to another question, to throw a wrench in here. I've read a little about doing cover crops also. So, do you usually do a cover crop AND compost, or do you do just a cover crop OR compost?

Additional question. When I make a compost pile, does the old soil count as "brown" material? Or, do I still need leaves, twigs, etc.?

Thanks.

The cover crop acts as a high cellulose soil loosener once tilled under. If you aren't adding any high cellulose compost, containing things like shredded wood or plant stem, moss, leaves, grass, etc, then a cover crop would help. Otherwise it isn't needed. Cover crops are more suited to large area gardening or farming than to sub~200 sq ft plots or pot growers who can usually find a sufficient quantity of organic matter so they don't need to make an extra effort to grow it for this purpose.