Dave Poole wrote in
:

The crystals will not be crystals after the first growing
season and in any case and will degrade as time goes on.



Actually I cleared out mine a couple of months ago and found that they were
nice firm clean jelly chunks, wobbly yet not sticky to the touch. As they
mostly seemed to be in excellent nick, I grabbed handfuls and shoved them
in with the fresh compost, and so far my baskets are flourishing (though
I've only just put them out of the greenhouse, so fingers crossed.

However, I'm sure that the crystals I used the year before last just became
greenish runny sludge and had to be chucked - it probably depends on the
exact makeup of the crystals you are using.

I do have a couple of baskets that have really just had a top dressing and
a little extra compost for the last 3 years now and still look great, but
those are full of convolvulus sabatius - I think they can cope with fairly
poor soil, and as they are perennial for me anyway, I don't really want
them getting any bigger than they are at the moment!

I agree putting new plants into stale old compost is unlikely to work.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
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