[jaws]

I have a few plastic compost bins and when it is well rotted down I riddle the compost, bag it  and put any larger bits into the current compost bin to continue composting.

I have some fruit trees to plant and it recommends well rotted manure in the base of the hole. i do not have any rotted manure at the moment - would my compost be OK instead?

I have noticed if I have used my own compost instead of a propriatory brand in pots and planters my plants have not do well - why is this?
Thanks

[gillie]

There are two uses of the word 'compost'.

One is for the stuff that comes out of your bin and yes, this would be fine for planting your trees because it will get mixed with soil.

The other is 'potting compost', which will be a carefully balanced and hopefully sterilised mix of ingredients to encourage healthy growth, so it will do better than the haphazard mix that comes from a home bin.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Clover]

Jaws - perhaps it's not a good idea to bag it.  I don't know how long you're keeping it like that or whether it's in something air tight, but you may be killing off the positive bacteria and fungi doing that.

My outside experience is that home-made compost is way superior to shop bought in terms of results, but I admit I don't know much about pot plants and why they would need sterilised stuff.

[noshed]

You are a composting saint for riddling it all. I must admit I spread mine on my beds as soon as it is ready - all over in the winter and as a mulch around brassicas, fruit etc in the summer.
I use bagged multipurpose for everything else and it seems fine. The home made stuff may be too rich/not rich enough for seeds and small plants. I sometimes use old grow bag compost again, adding a bit of blood,fish and bone and sand - that seems OK for seed sowing. But really the multipurpose we get in our lotty shop is fine.

[gillie]

"why they would need sterilised stuff"

Among other reasons to kill off any weed seeds.  Otherwise they will germinate and compete with your sown seeds - or worse still, you will carefully cultivate a pot full of weeds by accident!

Cheers,

Gillie

[MoreWhisky]

Noshed, u say u spread yours as soon as its ready. Ive got  2 bins full ready now  was going to spread it few weeks before i plant anything in spring.

Is it best to spread it now then?

Cheers MW.

[crh75]

If you spread the compost now it will protect the soil from winter rain and encorage earthworms.  You just give it a quick dig over in spring and you're ready to plant.

[noshed]

Yes, I would do it now, in between the monsoons. It's amazing how fast it gets incorporated by the worms etc.

[JayG]

Mostly agree with all the advice; you would have to be an exceptionally careful composter to keep all weed seeds out of your compost (and not just weeds; tomato and squash seeds germinate brilliantly after normal garden composting!).

If you have very light, sandy soil like mine I would leave spreading the compost until spring because it really does get washed through very quickly.

[sunshineband]

JayG you are so right about thois tomato seeds    They can come up like a forest.. I have a clump in the greenhouse at the moment 

Compost bin contents spread now make a good blanket for winter for the soil IMHO and I have emptied one and a half bins, half to go. (The other one s not ready )

Great stuff to put in when you plant something perennial too  :happy:

[barbarella]

I have some fruit trees to plant and it recommends well rotted manure in the base of the hole.

You don't have to rot your own manure.  You can buy bags of farmyard manure at any garden centre including  Homebase and B&Q (although it might not be so widely available now as it is in spring and summer).  This is the stuff they mean on the label.  I am a big garden compost fan but you can't beat a spadeful of this bagged stuff in the hole when you are planting shrubs and trees.