What to do with used compost?

[chilliking]

I grow a lot of veg in pots (spuds, toms, chillies, carrots etc etc) of varying sizes. As a result i always have large amounts of used compost rootballs left over once i've harvested the crops.

Up until now i've been seperating it from the root balls and throwing it in my darlek composter (which is now full). Is this compost any good for re-using straight away or should it be re-energised with fresh compost or simply chucked away (i.e sprinkled onto flower beds)???

What should i do with it all?

[klf_1956]

I re-use multipurpose compost mixed with sand or grit as potting compost, seems to work ok. If you have plenty digging it into the ground won't hurt anything, it should help improve soil structure/drainage. I break up rootballs and dig them in as well. I haven't noticed any problems with this as long as the rootball is from a healthy plant.

[chris]

Here's a couple of threads that may be useful for you:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_58738.html
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_57354.html

[Florence Fennel]

Last year when my tomatoes were done, as I was not too well at the time, my family all pitched in and emptied the containers into a huge pile by the side of the daleks. They threw some weighted down empty compost bags over the top and by this Spring I had a lovely pile of compost to reuse.

[Aberdeenplotter]

It's a great soil improver so using it in the flowerbeds will be beneficial.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not having flowers beds or any other ground to throw mine on and being ever so slightly tight I like to reuse as much as mine as possible.

Providing there as been no sign of disease I riddle it to remove roots etc (these go in the daleks). The rest is stored in my dustbins over winter, then I mix in some BFB or growmore and reuse it.

I do use fresh MPC for setting seed but apart from that I find the old stuff works well.

Colin

[Sarico]

Not having flowers beds or any other ground to throw mine on and being ever so slightly tight I like to reuse as much as mine as possible.

Providing there as been no sign of disease I riddle it to remove roots etc (these go in the daleks). The rest is stored in my dustbins over winter, then I mix in some BFB or growmore and reuse it.

I do use fresh MPC for setting seed but apart from that I find the old stuff works well.

Colin

i have a lot of pots this year and i put a number on each one and note what goes in each pot.. do you think doing like a crop rotation with the pot will work? if i put the pots in a bin bag is ok or slugs will go inside? i have a wormery and i thought that next year i will mix some of the worm casting with my old compost so i save a bit of money ( i've already spent 40£ only for the compost).of course if the plant that wasgrowing in a pot has some disease i will throw away.... thank for the advice

[Potstubsdustbins]

Its very difficult to get true crop rotation and to be honest In my opinion there is sometimes to much stress placed on it when you are growing in pots. I do try and keep potato and tomato compost seperate from the others stuff which should give some form of rotation but to be honest it gets mixed up more often than not.

Like you yourself have suggested if I get any problems I bin it. It goes in the council bin who are able to compost at far higher temperatures than me thereby making it safe.

Colin