Expired potting soil

[Eeilee]

Just purchased a huge bag of potting soil to start potting up some seedlings. Got it home and noticed the date.
I know soil can get depleted over time.
I wonder though if it’s usable for seedlings that won’t be contained for too long?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Hard to read, is it Aug 2022?
Based on total ignorance I would go ahead and use it. But then based on the same thing I would probably add a little bit of this or a little bit of that depending on what I feel the plants I am potting on might like. So, planting seeds today I put a little bit of manure mixed into the bottom of the container and planted courgette (zucchini) above it in straight potting compost, and the tomatoes got a dash of wood ash mixed in. Almost completely irrational, quite possibly wrong, but plants want to grow, and probably will despite me.
Is the depletion likely to be of organic matter, and are the nutrients in that bag organic? Why not try it and water with dilute tomato fertiliser just in case, so long as it isn't gross a little bit too much of something is unlikely to hurt and tomato fertiliser is good, all round, balanced sort of stuff.

 

[Eeilee]

Hard to read, is it Aug 2022?
Based on total ignorance I would go ahead and use it. But then based on the same thing I would probably add a little bit of this or a little bit of that depending on what I feel the plants I am potting on might like. So, planting seeds today I put a little bit of manure mixed into the bottom of the container and planted courgette (zucchini) above it in straight potting compost, and the tomatoes got a dash of wood ash mixed in. Almost completely irrational, quite possibly wrong, but plants want to grow, and probably will despite me.
Is the depletion likely to be of organic matter, and are the nutrients in that bag organic? Why not try it and water with dilute tomato fertiliser just in case, so long as it isn't gross a little bit too much of something is unlikely to hurt and tomato fertiliser is good, all round, balanced sort of stuff.

Yes August 2022.
It’s 100% organic.
I have a kelp fertilizer on hand I could dilute.
I don’t see any fungus or grossness in the soil.
I’ll mix in some cinnamon for fungal control just in case.
I’m about to start my cucumber seeds today as well and wanted to start them off in a half potting soil and half coir this time instead of just coir; they grow so fast.

No manure on hand but might be able to get some from local farmers.

 

[Chuck]

It is perfectly fine if it is organic. There are no chemicals or substances added that can make it lose its effectiveness. If your potting soil were made by Miracle Grow it could possibly lose some of its effectiveness but since yours is organic there is nothing in it that has a shelf life. It may have dried out somewhat but that is about all that can happen to it.

 

[Eeilee]

Thank you Oliver and Chuck!
All my peppers are happily potted up and now on to starting my cukes!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I hadn't thought of the added chemicals as the cause, only that they would be relatively inert compared to the organics, My feeling was it couldn't matter that much, if you had used it on that date the plants would probably still be in it, but good to hear agreement.

 

[YumYum]

Fine to use. If it had synthetic fertilizers in it, it may have broken down some. No big deal. Dirt breaks down into dirt.