using 1 year old compost for pots of sweet peas - OK or not?

[Briony]

I am planting some sweet pea plants out in pots as I will be having building work done where they would be grown otherwise this year. I know it's not great but better than nothing.

I have some bags of compost that I bought last year and left outside, unopened. I went to look at it yesterday and noticed that even though I hadn't opened the bags, the compost is waterlogged due to small perforated holes in them. As the compost is not sealed as I had thought, is this now OK to use or will it breed diseases etc.? I would rather not order in more as it's so expensive, but then again, so were the plants.

Thanks for any tips

[flynch]

Should be fine, just mix in a little fertilizer. I do it all the time with compost much older no problems

[Jungle Jane]

I'd let it dry out a bit or mix it with a lump of garden soil to give it a nice texture.

[MarkPelican]

As JJ says, try to dry it out a bit or mix it with some other compost then it should be fine. I use old growbags or other compost, just add some BFB to improve the nutrients but your problem is that it is waterlogged, not just old.

[jonny the plant pot]

Im currentley using compost that ive been doing myself for the last 3 years and thats out in all weathers so there should be no trouble with yours just try dry it a bit first though.

[Bren In Pots]

Have a read at this post by Potty about re-using compost he does it every year so long as there's no disease present.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1244963

[Muddy_Boots]

I always re-use old compost mainly 'cos I'm a skin-flint as they say in Derbyshire and don't like to waste stuff. I've even top dressed by Asparagus on the lottie with old used grow bags adding some growmore and Fish Blood & Bone, but as said by others in this thread only use it if there is no obvious chance of any desease being transferred.

I always put old compost into an old black dustbin for a time so that any weed seeds that try and germinate thats found their way into the mix will die through lack of light.

[Briony]

Sorry, I just want to check on something. Shouldn't the compost still have its nutrients as it has just been in bags and not actually used?

[Martin H]

Sorry, I just want to check on something. Shouldn't the compost still have its nutrients as it has just been in bags and not actually used?

Yes, it should have most of them, although I understand some of them degrade over time. Luckily sweet peas are not at all fussy once you've persuaded them to germinate, so if the compost is low in nutrients they will just make more roots to try and find what there is.

I'd fluff it up and use it as it is.

[Kirk]

Depending on the intended use I would add some slow release stuff - £land do some as does Wilkinsons, and no doubt many others. Or a water with a soluble one once if is in pots (assumong it is going into pots.

Another is add a handful or whatever of pelleted chicken stuff.

I actually find the "old" stuff looks richer and is finer then the "new" stuff. Have said previously that I am sure the compost these days needs additiopnal time to compost down more.

[Teabag]

yeah use it stand/prop the bag up and the water tends to drain out/pool at the bottom

[Jay22]

Read Alan Titchmarsh over the weekend saying that you can use last years pots...just remove old plants and scrape earth with a fork and sow nasturtiums...seemly they flower better in used compost, you get mostly great looking leaves in new compost. Going to give it a try as I love them and have plenty pots to fill. Sorry for hijacking the thread!