Garden compost as potting compost

[hilary12]

Having had a large builders 'dumpy' bag of 5 year old compost given as a present! I was wondering how best to use some of it as a general potting compost - should I mix with soil/leaf mould or would it be OK to use on its own? Would appreciate some ideas.
Thanks
Hilary

[Tigger]

What's it like? If it's soft and fibrous, just use it as you would a general fertiliser. If not, mix it with leaf mould, mole hill soil, anything you've got to break it down. Then top dress with it.

M.

[hilary12]

Thanks - was hoping to use it instead of having to buy bags of compost for seeds, potting on etc. It really is lovely and crumbly. Will take a ph test as well.

[fen not fen]

For growing seeds I would add some grit, sharp asnd or perlite/vermiculite to improve the drainage and air movement. I'm not sure about proportions but it should feel noticeably gritty not claggy.

[Johnboy]

Hi Hilary,
I would buy just half the amount of potting compost you normally do and seive your acquired 'gold dust'
and mix 50:50 adding some sharp sands as Fen suggests. On it's own I feel that you would produce plants that are far too fleshy and open to attack by just about everything.

[Allan]

That's all right on the big seeds, the beans and peas, but I would buy the proper stuff for the smaller seeds, it's just false economy to risk those seeds. No seed needs a rich diet when small but after a month or so they do need some sort of feed.

[Guest]

Many thanks for suggestions - will do as you say, mix and use for big seeds. Will spend next week going through seed catalogues and then loooking forward to a new gardening year.
Happy Christmas to one and all!
Hilary

[secret guest]

I would add some vitax slow release fertiliser in with it as well