i have a lot of compost i emptied out of tubs, baskets tomatoes etc, is it ok to mix with fertiliser or manure and reuse it again.come on you gardeners, help me out:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I don't see why not. Maybe add a bit of these 'feed' things to liven it up...

Yeah fine - I do it year on year - just make sure some new stuff mixed in with it and take out large roots/dead plants so the new plants have space for their roots to grow! If compost has hardened may need to break up/crush with a spade first!

Only one thing to worry about though, don't use any that has had a diseased or mouldy plant in it as it may contain disease and fungi spores. If you get any problems with diseases and fungi always throw it all out, even the pots if you can't sterilise them. A common problem to persist in old compost is nematodes, they are tiny weeny little wormy things you can't really see and they eat your roots (well your plants actually). You will know if they are there as the plant will not thrive and have hardly any roots.

Otherwise you can re-use it, but its a good idea to dry it first and as suggested mix it with something new and/or add nutrients. I'd be inclined to suggest you start a proper compost heap or worm bucket if your into recycling. Teabags and peelings are enough to make a really good compost and you could mix that with your old potting stuff.

You can sterilise it in various ways, but jeyes fluid isn't very nice stuff really and the cost of heating it thoroughly in your domestic oven defeats the purpose. Make sure you do add nutrients or it will give you crap results, I always used the slow release pellets as I'm too lazy to faff about with liquids every time I water.

Sorry just noticed you included tomatoes in your list of plants. If you ever get brown rot patches on the plants or fruits don't re-use this compost as this is a fungal infection that is hard to get rid of and it persists in soil and compost. In fact for any fruit or veg stuff best to use fresh compost and try to move them around the garden too.

thanks for that grace i did have some tomatoes with brown bottoms,i would always use new compost for tomatoes anyway ,it was just to put bedding plants in,i have noticed though it is in my greenhouse and is covered in a lovely lime green type moss.

Go on, you know you just want to.... start yourself a proper compost bin, go for a square metre base. Pallets are a good source of slats to make the sides with, as you need to let air in. If you have space do two next to each other, fill one, then start the next. Then turn the first, then when its ready to use you are turning the next, then you restart the first.

ITs really exciting honest, if your a saddo like me anyway, you get a real feeling of fulfillment from re-using all those teabags and peelings. Don't put cooked food in its sweet and attracts rats.

Then all that loverly moss could go in too. Altho' ... if you do hanging baskets you might manage to use it as a liner... if it stays wet enough. Is it me or is my pennypinching streak showing through just a bit...?

grace i do have a composter,one of those with a lid and a hatch at the bottom,but it seems to take forever,could i have put the old compost in the composter with all my other rubish,and would it work any quicker.

id riddle/sift it take out any bits of plants etc in it then re use it :D

Originally posted by roughy101
grace i do have a composter,one of those with a lid and a hatch at the bottom,but it seems to take forever,could i have put the old compost in the composter with all my other rubish,and would it work any quicker.

You need some worms. The ones you get in pig poo. My dad had a bucket of them when he got into composting. They're brill :thumbsup: (Dunno where you get them though, coz he knew somebody who had a pig)

Originally posted by Strix
You need some worms. The ones you get in pig poo. My dad had a bucket of them when he got into composting. They're brill :thumbsup: (Dunno where you get them though, coz he knew somebody who had a pig) not get those at b&q then:D :D

No, but this may help (http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/) I didn't read it myself though, so let me know if you find anything interesting in there :thumbsup:

self build (http://www.mastercomposter.com/worm/wormcomp.html)

just worms (http://www.wormsdirectuk.co.uk/default.php?cPath=21_47)

Originally posted by Strix
No, but this may help (http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/) I didn't read it myself though, so let me know if you find anything interesting in there :thumbsup: good site strix,very interesting about the slug repellent may get some of those, absolutly overrun with slugs last yr,i had a small orange tree in a pot outside,fetched it in over winter, went to water it a couple of months ago and noticed all the leaves were eaten,when i looked closer i took off 18 tiny baby snails.:gag:

Did you find anything on the other sites too?

I drowned all my slugs in beer a couple of years ago :D