On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:44:49 GMT, Pam Moore wrote:

The current thread about disposing of garden soil set me thinking
abour some things I am being forced to change since having to give up
driving due to deteriorating eyesitght.

I'm very sorry to read about your eye trouble. As my doctor says,
getting old isn't for sissies. Hang in there.

I have been in the habit of taking used potting compost to my
allotment and dumping it there. I can't do that now. My garden is
so small I cannot add any more to the level!
If I seive out the old roots, (eg of sweet peas grown in a large tub)
and add some slow release fertiliser or JI base mix, can I use it
again... for bulbs maybe?
What limitations would this present? After all, some plants stay in
the same compost in pots for some years, with a little topping up and
liquid feeding.
Any thoughts?

Ask around for someone in your neighborhood who likes to grow
plants for sale in a small way, say for bazaars or sales at plant
shows. They might be very happy to take your spent potting soil
away.

In my own case, spent soil only gets used for plants I'm growing
for such sales. I have a lot of potted bulbs and found out years
ago that you can't reuse the spent soil for repotting them.
Invariably you overlook a few small bulblets and your stock gets
mixed up.

If you're not fussy about a few stray seedlings or whatever
popping up, replenishing the soil and reusing it might work
pretty well.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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