How often to change compost?

ripplyuk

I have 3 big pots in the front garden and I’m not sure when to replace the compost. Does this need to be done every year? If I feed the plants, could I do it less?

Two of the pots have John Innes No3 (after someone recommended it) and the camellia has ericacious compost. The plants are all getting big and the pots are so heavy. It’s very hard to lift them on my own. Also, I think it must not be good for the plants to have their roots disturbed.

-taff

Just feed the plants. You need surprisingly small pots for very big plants depending on what they are.
What's in the pots?

Mojisola

It's worth top-dressing the pots with some fresh compost - bought or home-made.

In addition, add fertilizer each year.

ripplyuk

-taff wrote: »

Just feed the plants. You need surprisingly small pots for very big plants depending on what they are.
What's in the pots?

One’s a small conifer tree, one’s a Holly and the other’s the camellia.

savemoney

You don't need to generally replace compost unless there's a issue like it needs acidic compost. As said just top dress or feed I tend to use feed that is slow release comes in small pellet form

Mojisola

Not vital but I usually add some worms to pots (found when working in the garden) - they keep the compost in the posts aerated by tunneling through it.

Farway

Mojisola wrote: »

Not vital but I usually add some worms to pots (found when working in the garden) - they keep the compost in the posts aerated by tunneling through it.

Somehow worms always seem to find their way into pots as if by magic, even if not wanted in there

savemoney

We often under estimate the work that worms do, they help plants by introducing nutrients and air into the soil. A healthy soil will have an abundance of worms. There natures first recyclist

Mojisola wrote: »

Not vital but I usually add some worms to pots (found when working in the garden) - they keep the compost in the posts aerated by tunneling through it.