reusing Potting soil

I have several plants that have given up the ghost as well as several veggies that are done with a season, can I use this potting soil again? Should it be cleaned? DH says at home they use metal bromid in a big barrel but I kinda think they don't allow just ANYONE to buy that here in the US. So how should I "clean" my soil? And ideas?

If the plants had any sort of disease, you probably won't want to reuse the soil for any plants that are susceptible to that same disease. I wouldn't recommend trying to clean soil by sterilizing it with chemicals, etc. as that will kill a lot of beneficial microbes in the process.

And if you were using tap water to water the plants or a lot of fertilizer there is a good chance that the soil has become rather salty. Some plants are 'allelopathic', meaning that they leave chemicals in the soil that keep other plants from growing. If either of those is the case, don't reuse the soil.

However, if you didn't have disease problems and if the soil isn't contaminated with salts or other chemicals, then you might be able to reuse it. 'Cleaning' it would perhaps involve removing larger roots and leaves and throwing them on the compost heap.

Nope no yuckies...just had radishes in it that I didn't realize I shouldn't have planted this late. I just didn't know if I could reuse it or did I need to toss it out. Since all my stuff is in containers that's my main cost (I swear I have to have like 150 bucks in potting soil in all this stuff)

I reuse it all the time. I figure since I reuse my garden soil, why not my potting soil. I do amend it before use and also if I have grown something in it that should be rotated (like tomatoes) I don't grow them in that soil again.

Thanks now I have soil for my new coleus seeds!