Reusing last year's pot compost

descartesmum

I can't seem to get an answer to this question. Can I use last year's pot's compost this year?

I asked the BBC Dig in team and they said thanks but I would have to wait until they start asking their experts. I need an answer now.

I have started using the old compost from the pots. I only garden in pots due to disability. I have added slow release fertilizer to the pots. I planted lily bulbs in the old compost.

I found some protective cloth to go over the corn when it grows so I won't, hopefully, find worms, in this year's crop.

Poundland has some great gardening items this year.:j

conradmum

Generally the advice is no, and also not to use old compost from garden centres. It goes stale, apparently and builds up in chemicals harmful to seedlings. I have used it to grow potatoes in, though, with no apparent ill effects.

evie451

well i was told that you can use it as a soil conditioner to improve structure as long as it hasnt been used to grow toms or potatoes in and that if you want to reuse it in the pots although its not got a lot of nutrients left in it lettuces would be ok as they arent a very hungry crop....for my flowers i just scrape off some of the old compost add some new stuff and feed them well....

mi_jardin

I tend to remove half then mix up the old with new, then I add a bit of chicken manure pellets in for good measure (depending on what is going in there). However, as evie451 says, NOT if you've had toms in there because of blight. Any left overs are put on the flower beds to bulk them up.

Mortal

I tend to do the same, scrape off about half the old, and mix in some new.

Jack's_mummy

I'm a remove half and top it up person too. With a handful of slow release fertiliser thrown in for good measure LOL

misskool

I dig mine into the ground. I've always been told not to reuse old compost as it has no nutrients.

valk_scot

I use it as a top dressing for the flower beds.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i think after about 6 weeks the goodness goes out of the compost, as this is when they tell you to start feeding plants,( i might be wrong though)

i tend to put the old compost in bins i grow my potatoes in, and top up with the old compost from plants being transplanted to bigger pots etc..

never had any problems,,, and allways had loads of lovely new potatoes...mmmmmmmm

Lotus-eater

Treat old compost like the soil in your garden.

You wouldn't expect a patch in a veg patch to grow the same thing year after year, without you replenishing the nutrients that particular crop used. Also you wouldn't want to grow the same crop year after year because of pest and disease build up.

Because the soil in your garden is a living ecosystem of life it does do better than compost in pots, but theres no reason compost left for a year won't develop a little microsystem of it's own. Worms will move in and so will other bugs.

It will need feeding with something like fish. blood and bone, or chicken manure pellets and will also need some organic matter added to it, garden compost, well rotted manure, or leaf mulch.

Treat it well and try not to grow the same families year after year and there is no reason you can't be using it for years.