Old compost

veggies · « **on:** March 02, 2013, 16:18 »

I have been trying to grow veg in compost, when I've pulled up the veg is the compost useless and needs to be replaced, or could I mix with fresh and add some sort of feed. Thanks

Totty · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2013, 16:38 »

Can we assume you are growing in pots and tubs then?
If so I would renew it all if possible. Carrots will grow well in it so long as you refresh it with some grow more or vitax q4.
Totty

veggies · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2013, 16:44 »

Hi there, yes I'm grown in large pots, I must have about 6 large bags spread out in pots etc, I'm planning on buying a greenhouse next wk, where can I buy the vitax q4 ! Is grow more some type of bag like compost.

Totty · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2013, 16:58 »

Growmore and vitax q4 are similar products. Balanced fertiliser. And either could be used to refresh compost. Some garden centres and definitely somewhere online will have q4. And practically every garden centre will have growmore.

Totty

mumofstig · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2013, 17:19 »

Or you could use Blood Fish and Bone - the organic alternative

veggies · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2013, 19:37 »

Thanks. I will look into it.

gavinjconway · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2013, 19:54 »

I grew loads of veg on my roof-top garden for years without changing the compost. I added manure and fertilizer each year before planting.. Here are some pics..

Yorkie · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2013, 19:57 »

Just avoid growing the same crops in the same compost on successive years - hence the suggestion to use old spud or tomato compost to grow carrots the following year.

habanerohead · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2013, 20:21 »

I don't like using soilless compost in my containers because it seems to dry out quite quickly and is very light when it has. Also difficult to re-wet.
Straight John Innes always seems heavy and sticky, a bit like hard work really. Now I've taken to using mainly old compost (both soilless and JI), worm compost, a bit of sand, and a few handfulls of new JI3.
Seems to work fine. The plants do OK, the mixture is heavy enough to keep the pots in one place, and it's nice to handle.

Totty · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2013, 18:49 »

Only reason I suggested vitax or grow more is because stuck in my head from somewhere was the thought that organic fertilisers need breaking down by organisms to become available to plants. No doubt there are lots of organisms in potting compost but I've always stuck with manure, BFB etc etc in the ground and something like vitax or growmore in potting mixes. Try both and let us know what happens!

Totty

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Old compost

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Old compost

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