How often do people renew the compost in their growing pots and patio containers?
Some years ago I embarked on the process, once my summer bedding flowers or veg in pots or containers had finished, of leaving them unplanted during autum/winter months and digging in generous quantities of kitchen vegetable waste, chopped up tomato,plant leaves or grass cuttings, etc to rot down into compost over the winter months. By the time Spring arrives, everything has rotted down and I am left with invigorated compost which never needs renewing. Obviously I don,t include any diseased material but I wonder if therenthere is any reason why I shouldn't,t continue doing this rather than regularly replacing the compost?
My bush tomatoes and some yellow French beans grown in such compost have produced prolifically this year and done even better than those grown in the vegetable patch.
Renewing compost in patio containers
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
I re-use the compost of the summer containers for planting the winter containers, mainly comprising bulbs, topped by pansies, violas and wallflowers. I just empty the compost into the wheelbarrow, making sure there are no wine weevil grubs in it, and adding some "richer stuff" (mostly the compost/manure mix from the potato growing bags and some home-made compost). In spring, I use completely new compost for the summer plants and put the spent winter compost onto the vegetable and herbaceous beds..