Old Compost

[Deleted]

Sorry sorry sorry

I know I've asked this before but what do you do with old compost ? I always have loads of hanging baskets and grow-bags that have been used through the summer. What do you do with the horrible root-y lump of compost that is left when everything's gone over. I don't want to chuck it into landfill but do you dig it in to your borders or what ? Even the roots and stuff ? What about grow-bags that have had tomatoes in ? Do you still dig that lot in as well ?

Thanks

FA x

[carolann]

Hi Andy, I just put it all on the borders and pull the roots out when they come loose. Or you could riddle the roots off, I've done that as well with the gro-bags and added some growmore and given it a good mix up and used it to pot some tree saplings up for the winter. Hope that helps you.
Carol.

[Weeterrier]

I just put it in the borders FA

[Shrubrose]

Hi FA, I do a number of things depending on how 'root bound' it is

if fairly loose, throw it on my veg patch
if lumpy, dig it into the borders
if really bound, stick it in the compost bin

If it's in my big tubs, I leave it and put chicken manure in, over winter, and re-use it the following year. Not too sure about the wisdom of this but haven't had any disasters as yet.

[Spruance]

Any roots showing signs of disease, and as a matter of course all of the tomato roots, go into the wheelie bin.

The used compost is mixed into the compost heap, and any surplus goes on the veg plot and borders. I suppose that eventually there will be no more room in the various parts of the garden but even after almost 14 years of constant composting at my present address, that moment hasn't arrived yet! ;D

[Juliet]

Used but not root-y compost goes onto my borders - root-y bits & anything I'm dubious about goes into the green bin which the council collect for making into compost - I'm pretty sure they sterilise everything they get, so I send them everything I don't want except really nasty perennial weeds & badly diseased stuff.

[Barbara]

beds and borders get it all.
i dont know how the soil is'nt up to my window sills ;D
but i do check for vine weevil grubs first.

[snowowl]

I plonk it on my beds and boarders to but if theres a lot of solid root ball i put it in our coucill garden waste bin.

[Chuckles]

I do similar to everyone else with mine.

Some gets saved an reused, I keep it in tubs or buckets in the GH or shed.

Some goes on the garden.

Some of the more root congested goes in the compost bin.

Non is wasted ;D

[Deleted]

I too check for vine weevils, then chop it all up into the compost heap. It is always well mixed in by the time I fill pots again.

[Deleted]

Thank you all. Some of my baskets are looking a bit ropey so it might be nearly time to take them down. I'll give the compost a good whack to get the main roots out which can go in the compost bins and then I'll chuck the rest on the borders.

FA x

[jean]

carolann52 said:

Hi Andy, I just put it all on the borders and pull the roots out when they come loose. Or you could riddle the roots off, I've done that as well with the gro-bags and added some growmore and given it a good mix up and used it to pot some tree saplings up for the winter. Hope that helps you.
Carol.

I love the word riddle, Carol ;D

My summer bedding pots get emptied over the borders and any roots put in the compost bin. I also use quite a bit of vermiculite in the compost, so year by year the soil in my original clay borders is improving

[Biggles]

I do the same as everyone else who have replied and repeat what Barbara has said "Check for Vine Weevil grubs first- so dont put this compost anywhere in the garden--Just 'Bin It' (Wheelie Bin)