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Home > Archive > UK gardening > August 2005 > Old Soil
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| What can I do with the old, depleted soil from various pots and containers?
The soil is compacted with roots, so it's more or less one big hard ball.
Our wonderful town council's rules say that soil can't be put into the
dustbin, nor can soil be put into the green garden waste bin! Can it be put
into a compost bin? Failing that, I suppose I'll have to hope that the
garbage fairy will come and magically spirit it away.
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| Nick Maclaren 2005-08-30, 4:21 pm |
| In article <NP0Re.3288$Ys5.3106@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net>,
Gilly <gilly@sshh.net> wrote:
>What can I do with the old, depleted soil from various pots and containers?
>The soil is compacted with roots, so it's more or less one big hard ball.
>Our wonderful town council's rules say that soil can't be put into the
>dustbin, nor can soil be put into the green garden waste bin! Can it be put
>into a compost bin? Failing that, I suppose I'll have to hope that the
>garbage fairy will come and magically spirit it away.
It will not be good in a compost bin, but is fine in a heap or bin
of its own. Keep it damp and aerated and the roots will rot down.
You can then mix it with compost from the normal bin and reuse it!
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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| Neil Tonks 2005-08-30, 5:21 pm |
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"Gilly" <gilly@sshh.net> wrote in message
news:NP0Re.3288$Ys5.3106@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...
> What can I do with the old, depleted soil from various pots and
> containers?
> The soil is compacted with roots, so it's more or less one big hard ball.
> Our wonderful town council's rules say that soil can't be put into the
> dustbin, nor can soil be put into the green garden waste bin! Can it be
> put
> into a compost bin? Failing that, I suppose I'll have to hope that the
> garbage fairy will come and magically spirit it away.
I just dig this kind of material into the garden, either in autumn or (after
leaving it exposed to the elements all winter) in spring. It won't add much
in the way of nutrients but helps the textrure. Don't do this if the roots
it's full of are anything which will regrow next year, though!
--
Neil
Visit my Peak District walking website - www.peakwalking.co.uk
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"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:df2a41$chp$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> In article <NP0Re.3288$Ys5.3106@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net>,
> Gilly <gilly@sshh.net> wrote:
> It will not be good in a compost bin
Can you tell me why that is Nick?
Dean
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| Nick Maclaren 2005-08-30, 8:21 pm |
| In article <3nk58gF1uc2nU1@individual.net>, Dean <Dean@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
>news:df2a41$chp$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
>Can you tell me why that is Nick?
Because it will contain a high proportion of inert or nearly inert
material. Compost bins, even more than heaps, work better when the
majority of the material is decomposable (i.e. food for the bacteria
etc.)
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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| Martin Brown 2005-08-31, 5:21 am |
| Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <3nk58gF1uc2nU1@individual.net>, Dean <Dean@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
> Because it will contain a high proportion of inert or nearly inert
> material. Compost bins, even more than heaps, work better when the
> majority of the material is decomposable (i.e. food for the bacteria
> etc.)
Having said that in small amounts compared to the volume of everything
else it does no real harm or if a lot of it is soilless compost then it
doesn't matter so much. Too much real soil will keep the air out.
Knocking out any loose soil from rootballs somewhere that needs either
better drainage (gritty stuff) or more peat (soiless) and then
composting the roots works pretty well.
Regards,
Martin Brown
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| Nick Maclaren 2005-08-31, 5:21 am |
| In article <df3nn6$eih$1@newsm1.svr.pol.co.uk>,
Martin Brown <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Having said that in small amounts compared to the volume of everything
>else it does no real harm or if a lot of it is soilless compost then it
>doesn't matter so much. Too much real soil will keep the air out.
It depends on your soil! It can also produce a dry chunk.
>Knocking out any loose soil from rootballs somewhere that needs either
>better drainage (gritty stuff) or more peat (soiless) and then
>composting the roots works pretty well.
That is what I do. I would tend to avoid even that in a bin, as
roots are woody or semi-woody and are better suited to a cold heap
than a (usually) hot bin. I run a cold heap and so just chuck them
on. People with a bin may want to make a separate heap or put them
in a plastic bag (with holes, and dampened).
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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