Compost help

Kit1

Hi

l am new to growing my own and this year l grow potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots (carrots were not great but l tried ).

So today when l was picking the last of my tomatoes l got to wondering what to do with all the soil l had bought and wondered if l could use it again next year and if so would l need to do anything with it (l don't have a compost area as space is limited and l wouldn't know where to start either).

Compost is so expensive and l just wanted to save some expense next year.

wallbash

l don't have a compost area as space is limited and l wouldn't know where to start either).

but

l grow potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots

You had room to grow potatoes , this takes space...... so you DO have room for a small compost heap. But a compost heap is ugly, I built mine out of decking boards , matches the raised beds and is acceptable.

Think compost bin. your garden is a long term project.

Kit1

Thank you for your reply.

I grow everything in pots on my patio area just outside my back door so l am not sure it is a good spot for a compost bin.

l grew 2 bags of potatoes , 6 tom plants, 2 cucumber plants and a tub of carrots (no room for anymore)

wallbash

Then I think its time just to throw the compost away and get fresh every year.

forgotmyname

I wouldn't grow potatoes or tomatoes in the same compost the following year. They both suffer from blight so its risky reusing it.

UnluckyT

compost, including shop bought as well id imagine only has nutrients in it for long enough for a short while and could build up pests especially if re used for the same type of plant.
is their no way of adding it to a composter to 'mix it in' with anything you can put into it. the local council where i am do 2 reduced rate composters per household i believe and possibly 2 water butts. ive got 2 of the smallest composters a few years back and although still on chunky size take up a small'ish' corner of garden. and find depending on how things are doing i can 'turn or tip' the contents of both out into 1 and start again with the next 1.
it can take a little while but i find what i get helps the garden, garden wildlife esp when i put it back into the composters after turning or aeraiting and having the extra in the food waste bit i can recycle for the garden.
i dont know if itd be a good idea, you could mix it with some fresh compost and some fish blood and bone and use it for something different before puttint it in a composter.
ive heard people rescuing pallets and turning them into composters if it helpfull as you can get smallish 1s.
sorry for long post.

TrixA

I've had reasonable success reusing compost in patio pots. I have a lot of pots and can't afford to replace all the compost every year, plus I'm not sure what I would do with it all! I 'refresh' it with fertiliser granules, chicken manure and castings from my worm farm, or if it's a big pot I remove the top half of the compost and replace it with fresh. Some crops like tomatoes and cucurbits are very hungry, so if you're using recycled compost you'll have to add additional nutrients. As others have said tomatoes and potatoes are quite prone to disease so ideally you shouldn't grow them in the same pots from year to year. If space is limited maybe you could try some different crops next year - salad greens, chillies, courgettes, herbs etc.

judi24

I am just wondering about how to copost and whether I need 1 or 2 bins - my council does the subsidised ones and thinking about getting one but read 2 was better! I haven't got a clue!!!!

Mankysteve

TrixA wrote: »

I've had reasonable success reusing compost in patio pots. I have a lot of pots and can't afford to replace all the compost every year, plus I'm not sure what I would do with it all! I 'refresh' it with fertiliser granules, chicken manure and castings from my worm farm, or if it's a big pot I remove the top half of the compost and replace it with fresh. Some crops like tomatoes and cucurbits are very hungry, so if you're using recycled compost you'll have to add additional nutrients. As others have said tomatoes and potatoes are quite prone to disease so ideally you shouldn't grow them in the same pots from year to year. If space is limited maybe you could try some different crops next year - salad greens, chillies, courgettes, herbs etc.

This is pretty much what I have and would do. I would second the buy about rotating crops.

Mankysteve

judi24 wrote: »

I am just wondering about how to copost and whether I need 1 or 2 bins - my council does the subsidised ones and thinking about getting one but read 2 was better! I haven't got a clue!!!!

It depends on what your composting, your space time and how much energy your planning on putting into it.

Ectophile

I get away with just one plastic "dalek" type compost bin in a small garden. It's in a sunny spot, so it gets reasonably warm. With no opportunity to turn the compost, it will take longer to work, but produces useful compost eventually.