Picture posting is enabled for all :)
While clearing out my parsnip and carrot pipes today. and looking at the full wheelbarrow of spent compost, I got to thinking about what the hell to do with it - I've always just added it to the garden, but what do other people do? At the rate I get veg back from it, I could buy a tin and a half of supermarket carrots - mind you, the allotment ones are always fangier than a vampire conference, and full of carrot fly. Add in to that the tomato pots... I spend a mint on the stuff!
On the allotment, all I did was aerate (dig) the soil add humus and fertiliser and my stuff grew quite well.So why not do similar with spent compost? He mentioned; "Does it have the structure and water holding ability you need? If so, add chemical nutrients such as growmore"I find it does! Particularly when I add sieved well rotted horse manure to my spent compost, then add the required amount of John Innes Base mix fertiliser. In terms of "seed compost" I am thinking of going back to the drawing board on that issue!Yes it doesn't need nutrients, but I thought "sterility" was important, so I nuked by spent compost in an old microwave oven that I have.