Last spring I filled my outside plant pots with compost, that bagged up
stuff for a couple of quid per bag.
Nothing spectacular was grown in them.
Will the compost still be okay for next year or should I renew it?
I can't find much on Google about this.
If it will still be okay, do I leave the compost outside in the pots, or do
I put it in a container and store in the garage?

Thanks

On 06/10/2013 19:01, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:51:23 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:


If I have old compost I either put it on the compost heap, of if its
texture is not too bad, mix it with an equal amount of fresh compost
and add a little slow-release fertiliser, either synthetic such as
Osmocote, or organic such as blood, fish and bone.

If you have borders as well as tubs, it's often the case that
perennials will benefit from some winter protection. When I empty my
tubs/planters/baskets at the end of the season, the plants go on the
compost heap and the compost goes on the borders. It'll provide that
bit of protection for the plant stumps and, with the effort of the
worms, will improve the soil structure.

And it's not at all odd that after 20+ years of doing this, my borders
haven't risen a foot or so!


I can't fathom this. When bought compost has been used for a year, what
is it you're left with? Whatever it is, we are told it has no nutrients
to speak of, yet eventually it breaks down into something that occupies
no space.
I re-use the same compost in my containers with no appreciable reduction
in fertility. Yes, I mix in a bit of chicken manure when re-planting in
the spring but sometimes I wonder if even that that is essential. My
impression is that there is plenty of nutrition left in the decomposing
organic matter, but of course I have no scientific justification for
that :-)

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
On 06/10/2013 19:01, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:51:23 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

If I have old compost I either put it on the compost heap, of if its
texture is not too bad, mix it with an equal amount of fresh compost
and add a little slow-release fertiliser, either synthetic such as
Osmocote, or organic such as blood, fish and bone.

If you have borders as well as tubs, it's often the case that
perennials will benefit from some winter protection. When I empty my
tubs/planters/baskets at the end of the season, the plants go on the
compost heap and the compost goes on the borders. It'll provide that
bit of protection for the plant stumps and, with the effort of the
worms, will improve the soil structure.

And it's not at all odd that after 20+ years of doing this, my borders
haven't risen a foot or so!

I can't fathom this. When bought compost has been used for a year, what
is it you're left with? Whatever it is, we are told it has no nutrients
to speak of, yet eventually it breaks down into something that occupies
no space.

Try carbon dioxide and water!

I re-use the same compost in my containers with no appreciable reduction
in fertility. Yes, I mix in a bit of chicken manure when re-planting in
the spring but sometimes I wonder if even that that is essential. My
impression is that there is plenty of nutrition left in the decomposing
organic matter, but of course I have no scientific justification for
that :-)

You have some. As my potting compost is 50% soil (sandy loam) and
50% compost heap (everything, including unwary salesmen), I don't
bother about reusing.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 06/10/2013 21:10, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 19:51:24 +0100, stuart noble
wrote:

On 06/10/2013 19:01, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:51:23 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:


If I have old compost I either put it on the compost heap, of if its
texture is not too bad, mix it with an equal amount of fresh compost
and add a little slow-release fertiliser, either synthetic such as
Osmocote, or organic such as blood, fish and bone.

If you have borders as well as tubs, it's often the case that
perennials will benefit from some winter protection. When I empty my
tubs/planters/baskets at the end of the season, the plants go on the
compost heap and the compost goes on the borders. It'll provide that
bit of protection for the plant stumps and, with the effort of the
worms, will improve the soil structure.

And it's not at all odd that after 20+ years of doing this, my borders
haven't risen a foot or so!


I can't fathom this. When bought compost has been used for a year, what
is it you're left with? Whatever it is, we are told it has no nutrients
to speak of, yet eventually it breaks down into something that occupies
no space.
I re-use the same compost in my containers with no appreciable reduction
in fertility. Yes, I mix in a bit of chicken manure when re-planting in
the spring but sometimes I wonder if even that that is essential. My
impression is that there is plenty of nutrition left in the decomposing
organic matter, but of course I have no scientific justification for
that :-)

And I can't fathom your argument, sorry. When we buy a bag of compost,
it will comprise all sorts of inert stuff with the added bits and
pieces that turn the inter stuff into something that will sustain
growth. Don't forget that peat is essentially a nutrition-free soil
conditioner! If you look on the compost packs you may see "feeds for x
weeks".

Plants will find and (cos that's what they do) utilise whatever feed
there is in the compost. But hang on, you reuse the compost with no
appreciable reduction in fertility having added chicken manure which,
of course, replaces the feed that plants took from the compost the
previous year. Doh (sorry)!

But remember plants have different feed requirements, plants like
petunias are greedy feeders whilst heathers don't like feed, they thrive
on very poor soil.
The answer to your question is in part dictated by what you grew this
year, did you use liquid feed or additional feeding during the season.
What do you want to grow in it next year.
You could plant it up for the winter with bulbs as they have their own
food store, you could replant with winter flowering pansies as long as
you add feed or use a liquid feed over the winter.
But really it's like asking "How long is a piece of string?"

On 2013-10-06 17:50:53 +0100, Bolt Upright said:

Last spring I filled my outside plant pots with compost, that bagged up
stuff for a couple of quid per bag.
Nothing spectacular was grown in them.
Will the compost still be okay for next year or should I renew it?
I can't find much on Google about this.
If it will still be okay, do I leave the compost outside in the pots,
or do I put it in a container and store in the garage?

Thanks

It's unlikely to come to any harm left outside but it will need some
beefing up for next year's plants before you plant up again. Empty all
your compost into a wheelbarrow, throw half of it onto the garden, mix
the remaining half up with some new compost, homegrown, or bought and
re-fill your containers. Do not be tempted to plant any bedding or
anything else into containers until all danger of frost is gone.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Bolt Upright" wrote in message
...
Last spring I filled my outside plant pots with compost, that bagged up
stuff for a couple of quid per bag.
Nothing spectacular was grown in them.
Will the compost still be okay for next year or should I renew it?
I can't find much on Google about this.
If it will still be okay, do I leave the compost outside in the pots, or
do I put it in a container and store in the garage?

Thanks

I often reuse it, adding blood, fish and bone, and a tad of chicken manure
from my own birds as I assume the previous crop has used all the nutrients
in it.
Works OK for me.

On 06/10/2013 21:10, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 19:51:24 +0100, stuart noble
wrote:

On 06/10/2013 19:01, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:51:23 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:


If I have old compost I either put it on the compost heap, of if its
texture is not too bad, mix it with an equal amount of fresh compost
and add a little slow-release fertiliser, either synthetic such as
Osmocote, or organic such as blood, fish and bone.

If you have borders as well as tubs, it's often the case that
perennials will benefit from some winter protection. When I empty my
tubs/planters/baskets at the end of the season, the plants go on the
compost heap and the compost goes on the borders. It'll provide that
bit of protection for the plant stumps and, with the effort of the
worms, will improve the soil structure.

And it's not at all odd that after 20+ years of doing this, my borders
haven't risen a foot or so!


I can't fathom this. When bought compost has been used for a year, what
is it you're left with? Whatever it is, we are told it has no nutrients
to speak of, yet eventually it breaks down into something that occupies
no space.
I re-use the same compost in my containers with no appreciable reduction
in fertility. Yes, I mix in a bit of chicken manure when re-planting in
the spring but sometimes I wonder if even that that is essential. My
impression is that there is plenty of nutrition left in the decomposing
organic matter, but of course I have no scientific justification for
that :-)

And I can't fathom your argument, sorry. When we buy a bag of compost,
it will comprise all sorts of inert stuff with the added bits and
pieces that turn the inter stuff into something that will sustain
growth. Don't forget that peat is essentially a nutrition-free soil
conditioner! If you look on the compost packs you may see "feeds for x
weeks".

Plants will find and (cos that's what they do) utilise whatever feed
there is in the compost. But hang on, you reuse the compost with no
appreciable reduction in fertility having added chicken manure which,
of course, replaces the feed that plants took from the compost the
previous year. Doh (sorry)!

No need to apologise! I'm far from consistent with the chicken manure,
and I can recall plenty of instances where supposedly nutrition free
material has turned out to be very productive. I even remember a bumper
crop of King Edwards that were grown in supposedly spent B&Q compost
from the previous year's troughs.
I wonder what the "inert" stuff in peat free compost might be, and what
the "bits and pieces" are that turn it into something that "sustains
growth". I would have thought inert material wouldn't decompose or
sustain the plants.

But remember plants have different feed requirements, plants like
petunias are greedy feeders whilst heathers don't like feed, they thrive
on very poor soil.
The answer to your question is in part dictated by what you grew this
year, did you use liquid feed or additional feeding during the season.
What do you want to grow in it next year.
You could plant it up for the winter with bulbs as they have their own
food store, you could replant with winter flowering pansies as long as
you add feed or use a liquid feed over the winter.
But really it's like asking "How long is a piece of string?"

Would you say all annual bedding plants are greedy feeders? That's all I
normally grow, so it would be good to know if some of them prefer poor
soil.

In article ,
says...

Would you say all annual bedding plants are greedy feeders? That's all I
normally grow, so it would be good to know if some of them prefer poor
soil.

Some like nasturtiums and california poppies, flower best in
poor/hungry soil. If you give nasturtiums a rich one they produce
mountains of stems and leaves; starved they produce fewer leaves and
more flowers.

Janet.

On 07/10/2013 12:22, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

Would you say all annual bedding plants are greedy feeders? That's all I
normally grow, so it would be good to know if some of them prefer poor
soil.

Some like nasturtiums and california poppies, flower best in
poor/hungry soil. If you give nasturtiums a rich one they produce
mountains of stems and leaves; starved they produce fewer leaves and
more flowers.

Janet.


Funnily enough, I was looking at nasturtiums in Regents Park today. Huge
leaves, but not a bloom in sight.

"Bolt Upright" wrote in
:

Last spring I filled my outside plant pots with compost, that bagged
up stuff for a couple of quid per bag.
Nothing spectacular was grown in them.
Will the compost still be okay for next year or should I renew it?
I can't find much on Google about this.
If it will still be okay, do I leave the compost outside in the pots,
or do I put it in a container and store in the garage?

Thanks



You don't have to google. This group is here to help you, from real
gardeners experiences.
I always put last years compost into my compost heap along with all kitchen
waste(not cooked food or meat), weeds(no seeds) newspapers, cardboard, tea
bags, coffee filters and all the foliage from spent plants, in fact all
garden waste. It lets nature take its course. I don't understand just how
this works.... but it does, and there are posters here who DO understand
how it works.
It all rots down to make the most rich compost over time. Money can't buy
that IMO.

Baz

On 09/10/2013 13:42, Baz wrote:
"Bolt Upright" wrote in
:

Last spring I filled my outside plant pots with compost, that bagged
up stuff for a couple of quid per bag.
Nothing spectacular was grown in them.
Will the compost still be okay for next year or should I renew it?
I can't find much on Google about this.
If it will still be okay, do I leave the compost outside in the pots,
or do I put it in a container and store in the garage?

Thanks



You don't have to google. This group is here to help you, from real
gardeners experiences.
I always put last years compost into my compost heap along with all kitchen
waste(not cooked food or meat), weeds(no seeds) newspapers, cardboard, tea
bags, coffee filters and all the foliage from spent plants, in fact all
garden waste. It lets nature take its course. I don't understand just how
this works.... but it does, and there are posters here who DO understand
how it works.
It all rots down to make the most rich compost over time. Money can't buy
that IMO.

Baz

Oh Please Baz don't discourage people from Googling first.
Then when they get a lot of conflicting answers come to us to get
probably as many again.
It's like "When do I prune my roses"?
There are so many books written on that subject that you will miss the
right time as you will still be reading them

On Wed, 09 Oct 2013 14:09:57 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

Oh Please Baz don't discourage people from Googling first.

We Usenet relics don't even use the WEB unless desperation sets in


Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

Stephen Wolstenholme wrote in
:

On Wed, 09 Oct 2013 14:09:57 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

Oh Please Baz don't discourage people from Googling first.

We Usenet relics don't even use the WEB unless desperation sets in


Steve


Relics? Antique, but not relics yet. I think we have a few days left.
I get your point though

Baz

In article , Baz wrote:
Stephen Wolstenholme wrote in
:
On Wed, 09 Oct 2013 14:09:57 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

Oh Please Baz don't discourage people from Googling first.

We Usenet relics don't even use the WEB unless desperation sets in

Relics? Antique, but not relics yet. I think we have a few days left.
I get your point though

Well, as a relic from long before the Usenet days, I use the Web a
lot. But, whenever I refer to it in my courses, I say that The Web
Of A Million Lies is a gross underestimate!

I have never understood why so many people think there is a conflict
between being a bleeding-edge IT professional and a computer Luddite.
Some of us are the latter because we know too much about how computer
systems are implemented and used :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.