Tomato Plants- Re-using Soil

Q: Because our yard is shady I have been growing tomatoes in large pots on our sunny deck. At one point I had almost one hundred tomatoes in different stages of growth in my nine pots. Will it be necessary to dump out all the soil and re-fill these pots or can I re-use it and add some amendments?

A: If your tomatoes plants were relatively disease-free you can certainly re-use the soil. The only amendment it needs is some coarse material to re-establish good drainage. Empty the pots onto a tarp and mix in ground pine bark (Nature’s Helper, etc) at a bark:soil ratio of 1:10. You’ll enjoy lots of tomato sandwiches this summer!