That's a fun and educational video! Thanks. I have a balcony vegetable garden with about 20 pots of different sizes. This year I want to experiment with reusing the soil from these pots, so next spring I don't have to buy hundreds of liters of potting soil. How would you approach this? My idea was to cut down the plants during autumn but leave the roots in the soil for it to decompose, then plant some beets or turnips to keep the soil alive. But I have to add something to the top of the pot, to make sure new nutrients will be added. Maybe a small layer of kitchen scraps (or green leaves), wormcastings and shredded cardboard like you did?
Thank you! That's a great idea. I reuse all potting soil I'd used in a previous season. It definitely saves money. I'd dump the old soil in a box, break up the roots, put shredded cardboard in the bottom of the pot, mix kitchen scraps with some of the old soil, and cover the cardboard with this mix, then mix worm castings with the remaining soil and top the pot with it. This way, the cardboard will break down better from all the nitrogen in kitchen scraps and worm castings. I'd add a little bit of all-purpose granular fertilizer in the top layer as well and make sure to keep the pot moist, but not soggy. The top layer will prevent the cardboard and kitchen scraps from drying and should keep flies away. Hope it works well.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 awesome feedback :) but I kind of wanted to leave all the roots and soul in the pot and feed it from the top, as a ‘no-dig’ pot. I was hoping a long winter would be plenty of time to get the soil ready again, but maybe that won’t work
If the pots stay on the ground, the worms will come from under the ground. They gravitate to kitchen scraps and moist compost. So you don't need to add worms.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 I think it's great. Composting piles take ages and I've not mastered that yet. I'm going to try this as a way to get compost faster
This video is my favorite for home compost.
Aww, thank you so much! This way of composting is so much more manageable.
Outstanding...
Thank you! 😊
Wonderful idea
Thank you!
❤ wonderful video. Ty so much.
Thank you so much!
thanks for tutorial very helpful and interesting
You are very welcome! I'm glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Nice dear ❤
Thank you! 😊
Thank you very much!😊
You are very welcome!
I do this I wait a few weeks and the plant right on top of it. As long as I can give it a 6 inch layer its good.
That's a great way to use compost! 👍
Так интересно смотреть как ты увлечена огородом)))). Никогда бы не подумала что тебе это будет интересно. Время нас меняет)))
Спасибо. Я сама никогда не думала, что так увлекусь. Постоянно об огороде думаю. 😂
Simple and fantastic idea. Thank you
I'm so glad you found it helpful! It's become my favorite way of composting. Thank you for watching!
As I've never made compost before therefore DONT have any old compost So what can I use instead of old compost
You can use dry leaves or some of the soil from your yard.
I used rotting first wood at the bottom of my flower pot.
@@fatimablush2676 that's perfect!
This is awesome thank you. Does it smell and do you drill holes on sides of the pot? I live in an apartment so it gets a bit tricky with composing.
It does smell and attract flies. The pot needs to have large draining holes. Otherwise, they'll get clogged. Thank you!
If you add more brown than green matter, it should not smell I will try this in my kitchen.
That's a fun and educational video! Thanks.
I have a balcony vegetable garden with about 20 pots of different sizes. This year I want to experiment with reusing the soil from these pots, so next spring I don't have to buy hundreds of liters of potting soil. How would you approach this?
My idea was to cut down the plants during autumn but leave the roots in the soil for it to decompose, then plant some beets or turnips to keep the soil alive. But I have to add something to the top of the pot, to make sure new nutrients will be added. Maybe a small layer of kitchen scraps (or green leaves), wormcastings and shredded cardboard like you did?
Thank you! That's a great idea. I reuse all potting soil I'd used in a previous season. It definitely saves money. I'd dump the old soil in a box, break up the roots, put shredded cardboard in the bottom of the pot, mix kitchen scraps with some of the old soil, and cover the cardboard with this mix, then mix worm castings with the remaining soil and top the pot with it. This way, the cardboard will break down better from all the nitrogen in kitchen scraps and worm castings. I'd add a little bit of all-purpose granular fertilizer in the top layer as well and make sure to keep the pot moist, but not soggy. The top layer will prevent the cardboard and kitchen scraps from drying and should keep flies away. Hope it works well.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 awesome feedback :) but I kind of wanted to leave all the roots and soul in the pot and feed it from the top, as a ‘no-dig’ pot. I was hoping a long winter would be plenty of time to get the soil ready again, but maybe that won’t work
You sure can try it. In this case make sure to cover the cardboard and kitchen scraps so they decompose.
@@jophermansyou can grow green compost in the pots over winter. Field beans or really any beans. Mustard seeds, rye etc. Just google green compost
What do you do with this compost?
I use it as potting soil for outdoor containers. It saves a lot on store-bought potting mix.
Good, you're economical.
Great. You may wanna grind the avocado pits next time.
Recently, I stopped adding them to compost. They are not worth it. LOL
@@millsfamilygardening2634 They take forever to compost when whole. Grinded they worth the while.
@@jisa39 I might try it sometime. Thanks.
Do you need to add worms to help break the material down?
If the pots stay on the ground, the worms will come from under the ground. They gravitate to kitchen scraps and moist compost. So you don't need to add worms.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 Thank you.
Спасибо большое, Динара! А как дальше использовать компост? В огороде и для растений в горшках перемешивать с почвой?
Можно и в огороде, и в горшках использовать. Спасибо за просмотр. 🤗
you can stack multiple pots and have layes
It's certainly doable. There are so many ways to compost. Thank you!
Good tip: use urine, it activates & gives nutrition to the compost.
I heard about urine being a good fertilizer.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 yes, the best, but that’s diluted urine. Pure urine is a compost activator given the high amount of Nitrogen it has.
@@jisa39 good to know. Thanks.
Or you could make compost pile in your yard or larger bucket. This is not enough for most people’s needs. Useless
I always have a few composting pots. But, yes, piles and bins are great, too.
@@millsfamilygardening2634 I think it's great. Composting piles take ages and I've not mastered that yet. I'm going to try this as a way to get compost faster