Crop rotation & compost

[Doggler]

I'm growing all my veg in pots and seem to have spent a fortune on compost (using John Innes No 3, as recommended by Gay Search). Was just wondering if I could use the same compost next year, provided I follow the rules of crop rotation?

[Nicos]

I suppose in theory you could,but remember that the seedlings will have used up a substantial amount of the nutrients.
If you find it cheaper,you would need to add food ,but it may be better to mix it 50/50 with new compost aswell.
The other thing to bear in mind is that any fungal/viral/pests may be lingering in the used compost. The best way to sort that out would be to heat treat the soil and make it sterile before adding nutrients.
I use new compost every year for seedlings as a precaution. (I don't grow veg in pots though as I have an allotment!)
You could try a control and let us know how you get on!!

[Doggler]

Mmm, I thought as much. I think I'm going to try and get an allotment!

[Mel]

Hi Doggler,

I have a small garden so have grown my veg this year in a mixture of pots and a couple of raised beds. I've gone through a mountain of compost making my beds and growing potatoes and other veggies in pots and am wondering whether I can cut the cost down for next year.

I am making compost in a compost bin but as I said my garden is small so it will only make 200 litres. I've gone through nearly that amount this weekend alone just earthing up potatoes and planting up three pots. I was also thinking of throwing the compost from the pots and potato bags onto my raised beds for next year, but am concerned about lack of nutrients and poss of disease. However, I will be re-using the compost and soil in my raised beds when I rotate so I was wondering if it might be fine as long as you don't use the compost to grow the same veg you grew this year?

The cost isn't enormous as I can get 3 x 60 litres of organic peat-free compost for a tenner but it's all the trips to the garden centre and lugging compost bags around that's the pain. Also, if I can't re-use the compost, I have to find a way to get rid of the bloody stuff - not an easy task in London, where you get charged to dispose of soil at the tip.

So, I'm also interested in the possibilities of re-using the compost to grow different veggies.

[Geordie]

Why not try getting some topsoil delivered....its generally advertised at nominal cost.

[hils]

Mel, I'm in the same situation as you. However it is worth contacting your local council to see if they run a 'brown bin' scheme. Very useful for disposing of old potting compost

[Nicos]

I wonder if there are any allotments with heavy soil who might be pleased to take it off your hands? They may be happy to collect it too. We allotmenters will travel miles for freebees!!!! Worth looking in to?

[Squirrel]

Have been hunting around our local council website as I wanted to get rid of some junk.

Spotted that green waste collected at their sites is available as compost and soil improvers by the bag! Am off to go and find out how much and if it is true!

[GardenFan]

If you hail from the Cheshire\Greater Manchester area then check this page for details on buying it by the bag load. To be honest it's not that cheap and peat free general compost from the garden center would cost you less, if it was cheaper and more freely available it would go a lot further.

[nick the grief]

Doggler, Try looking on NA KAys Website to see if they still do a stuff called "Revive" it is supposed to put back nutrients to your compost that have been taken out.. If you've grown Beans in tubs (or any of the Legumes for that) cut the tops off & let the roots compost into the soil (well JI no3) and this will release the nitrogen that they store in the nodules in the roots. You could grow something like winter lettuce in there then.

The main problem you'll have is that you won't know what quantities of nutrients you will have lost from the compost over the course of the year through the growing of plants & the leaching when you water/it rains.

If you stack it up somewhere to weather completely I suppose you could treat it as top soil & use it to mix you own JI compost. I've posted the mixture in another thread somwhere on here.

Hope this helps

[Doggler]

Thanks Nick. I found NA Kays website (www.kayshorticulture.com) and they do stock a compost reviver. I think I am going to try this with half of my pots for next year and compare it against the brand new stuff (assuming I haven't struck lucky with an allotment by then).

Will keep you posted.