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I'm growing almost entirely in containers this year and I've just dug my new potatoes and realised that at the end of the year I'm going to have quite a lot of used compost (sometimes mixed in with straw mulch) and nowhere to put it. I'm a little hesitant offering the compost from the potatoes - I think these ones escaped, but I'm pretty sure the others at least have got blight - but in theory, if I offered it on Freecycle (or if any of you lot who are nearby want it), is it the kind of thing people might be able to find a use for in their garden?

It would be perfectly OK for growing stuff other than potatoes and tomatoes... Why don't you do that yourself?

Would it be okay for growing in containers again though? My book said that too many of the nutrients would be gone and that it would be fine for digging into the garden but that you shouldn't re-use it in containers. I suppose they might be in league with the commercial compost companies and it might actually be fine....

There's also the problem of storing it over the winter and also (fingers crossed) I'm hoping to have an allotment by next year. I suppose I could dig it in there myself, but then I'd have to get it there somehow... sorry, thinking 'out loud' now...

Any soil or compost will leach nutrients or the plants will take up the nutrients over time. This does not mean that there is not use for the compost though, it just means that it needs topping up with nutrients from another source, such as horse manure or if you don't mind it an inorganic fertiliser.

possum wrote:Any soil or compost will leach nutrients or the plants will take up the nutrients over time. This does not mean that there is not use for the compost though, it just means that it needs topping up with nutrients from another source, such as horse manure or if you don't mind it an inorganic fertiliser.

Yep - that's what I do. Manure and seaweed fertiliser; also nettle brew, or comfrey.

comfrey is brilliant. but it stinks. we just put the leaves under plants before planting them out now (in the hole for the seedlings), and around plants as mulch instead of making 'tea' out of it because the smell is too much to bear!

I vote to reuse the compost but just add some fertiliser. You ought to be able to buy a commercial general purpose organic fertiliser. I can now, they have finally arrived in France!

You can buy organic chicken manure, blood fish and bone and general purpose organic fertiliser. Growmore even do one now. If you could find a large dustbin you could use it to set up a large wormery. Add the spent compost gradually50/50 with kitchen scraps and let the worms mix it all up. Just don't re-use for anything in the potato/tomato family.

Alternatively, freecycle but tell the recipient your worries.

Zoe