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compost use

My Christmas potatoes got blight so have been disposed off fairly quickly.

I grow them in very large pots and bags,. This means I have a large amount of compost that I begrudge throwing away.

Can I use it in the garden, say to re-plant raspberries with.and improve soil for plant growing or is it best to get rid of it?

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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    It will be fine to use as a mulch, except on potatoes or tomatoes or related plants.

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    Thanks, that's what somone else said as well but was looking for a number of opinions to make sure i get it right

    Are raspberries related?image

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    Certainly re-use as a mulch. I always check for vine weevils and other pests first as you do not want to give them fresh food!

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    Thanks both image

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Hey matty, beleive the expert, he does knowimage 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    Raspberries are in no way related to pots or Tom's. Mulch will be good for raspberries.

  • problem is this year have no idea what is actually in the compost - the rumours I am hearing is that next year's crop of compost from the major producers is going to be a lot better than the last two years as the peat stock has been replenished. I have had some bad batches of compost this year which were not even worth using in the first place, let alone re-using. I would suggest for keen gardeners to beware of very cheap compost, or special offers over the next few months, even into early spring, until the new mixes hit the retail market.

  • tinstins Posts: 2

    I agree the compost has been dreadfull. I checked most of them and the highest

    I could find was 40% peat. I hope you are right about next year.

     

  • Last year, because I had newly filled raised beds with new compost, my carrots were a disaster. All tops and no trousers.  This year I upended all my used potato bag compost into one of the beds, sowed a packet of carrots into it and, result, lovely edible carrots so I'll definitely do the same next year.  Oh, and because I had more used compost than carrots I also sowed fennel and that, too, has thrived but since I've never grown it before I don't know if it was better or worse for being in less rich soil.

  • how do you guys grow carrots btw? I had literally none worth eating last year and this. i'm very new to gardening and only fleeced one row of carrots but neither row did anything and what did grow were distorted and diseased. only success were chilis and runner beans

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