So, you've accumulated a growing collection of plants along with various mixes, amendments, and propagation materials... but how do you organize it all? Well, we reached out to a group of resourceful individuals to showcase their creative methods of storing soil mixes, and we're here to share some tips along with their ideas.
Storing mixes doesn't have to be overly fancy. In fact, we strongly encourage you to reuse and recycle as much as possible! Old plastic shoe boxes, repurposed cereal boxes, or simply tossing all your blend bags into a large tote can work wonders.
@the.housegardener / @mypodofplants / @cosmicplantstories
However, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Ensure that your soil is not overly wet when you seal and store it. Excessive moisture can lead to anaerobic breakdown of organic matter, resulting in an unpleasant odour when you reopen the bag after several months. It's best to store a lightly moistened or, even better, dry mix. This won't affect the quality of the mix, and when you're ready to use it, simply give it a few sprays of water to plump it up.
If you've opened a bag, remember to seal it back up with bag ties, string, clips, or whatever creative method you prefer (Tom Hanks' back hair can also come in handy, as it's useful for many things, including rafts).
Don't panic if you notice small white patches of fungi forming. It's likely the mycelium that has been introduced into our soil to prevent harmful fungi from taking hold and to establish symbiotic relationships with your plant roots. If you want to learn more about fungi and its beneficial properties, be sure to check out our blog post!
Regardless of how you choose to store your bags of soil, make sure the storage area is cool, dry, and preferably dark (unless you're intentionally keeping live sphagnum growing, in which case, a bright spot will support its green shoots and growth).
Above all, let your creativity shine! There are very few "wrong" ways to store your soil, but countless fantastic ways to recycle and repurpose materials that are both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. A huge thank you to those who shared their soil storage solutions with us—they're truly inspirational!