Stagnant compost - Can it be used?

[vikkib]

I've been very bad.

For various personal reasons I have had pretty much no motivation whatsoever over the last few months to do anything at all in the garden (it's been a struggle to do anything at all honestly, apart from curl up and hide!).

I only got up enough motivation last week to finally sow some seeds but it really seems to have helped and seeing the little green shoots coming up has finally persuaded me to get out into the garden again this morning (must say, after only an hour I'm feeling SO much better! )

I grew pretty much everything in tubs last year and I've got loads of flower buckets full of compost and twiggy bits of old plants!

Some of them have been on the ground and so have been free draining. I've pulled out the old plants (toms, peppers, aubergines etc.) and I'm chucking all the compost into a plastic rubbish bin as I think, with a bit of manure added, it will be fine to use for potting things on later.

Some of the tubs have been sitting in plastic trays and are sodden with rain water, some of which is pretty stagnant now. Is there anything at all I can do with this stuff? Is it okay to put in the compost bin?

[pipscariad]

Sorry to read you've had a bit of grim time Vikki (((hugs))). Good to hear the gardening is helping though, you can't beat a bit of potching around with seeds and the like!

I would have thought the stagnant compost would be fine to put in the compost bin, but I'm no expert. I'm sure one will be along in a minute...

Hope things continue to look up for you

[Capsid]

Yes it will be fine in the compost bin, although I'd chuck it straight on the beds as it is really useful as a soil conditioner.

[vicky]

I'd do the same and chuck it on the beds too.
Hope you're feeling better - it WILL be spring soon and the sun WILL be shining!!!

[rustylady]

My used potting compost goes on the borders. It will be fine.

[Alison]

Most of mine goes on the borders too.

[smallfrog]

I put mine on me beds. I also use some to put at the bottom of deep post so the plants get a good few inches fresh compost and then the rest is year old. It seems to work. Keep your eyes out for slug eggs and other bugs that might have moved in.

[sarraceniac]

I've got a very sandy strip where I pulled up an old path that had been laid on a thick layer of sand. I just throw my old used compost on that. 2 years so far and the soil is now near normal. I can grow anything on it now.

[vikkib]

Thanks so much everyone. People here always manage to cheers me up!

I stuck some on one of the beds yesterday, just checked and it's not smelly any more.

Tonnes to do still but at least I'm feeling more like tackling it all now! Yay for sprng!

[BUFFS]

Thanks so much everyone. People here always manage to cheers me up!

I stuck some on one of the beds yesterday, just checked and it's not smelly any more.

Tonnes to do still but at least I'm feeling more like tackling it all now! Yay for sprng!

put the compost into well drained tub,add tatty fertiliser,leavea few weeks and then plant it up with spuds....then ,when you have them,then you can put it on beds,max use then recycle whats left..

[Topcat36]

I've always thrown mine on the beds as well, my last garden had the most awful soil (this new one had no soil unless you call bricks and clay, soil) was very heavy clay. I have been throwing all my tub compost onto garden, soil is looking good now . I did remove all the bricks and metal pipes and lots of clay from it first tho, have been topping up with topsoil and compost the last 3 years .