What do you do with your used compost?

[bozza]

By this I mean compost that has been in a pot. Then when the next season comes along you replant the pot using fresh compost. Where does the old compost go? I have been just scattering mine on the borders but not sure if this is a good or bad idea. Seems silly to landfill it. Wasn't sure if putting it on the compost heap would be a good or bad idea either.

I've just put mine on the compost heap. including all the old grow bags. Thought it would be re-juvenated ready for this year

I put mine in the compost bin last year - I don't know either whether this is a good idea!

Before we had a compost bin I just used to chuck on the borders.

If it's relatively small amounts you can chuck it in the compost heap with all the other raw matierial. If it's large amounts then you may need to mix it into the compost heap. It helps to aerate the compost, especially if it's a little heavy on the greenstuff and light on woodystuff. Spreading it on the borders is, AFAIK, neither good nor bad. I don't think it acts as a mulch.

I put mine in the allotment

I usually take the plants out and either plant them in the borders (bulbs, perennials etc) or chuck them in the compost bin (annuals) but there is compost left with more or less roots in depending what I was growing.

If it's a good compost heap that gets very hot the roots won't matter. But in general, with a domestic compost heap, it's better to stick to the rule that you don't put anything into the compost heap that it would bother you to have sprout unplanned somewhere in the garden. Ie I never put dandelions in the compost heap, and someone I know never puts tomatoes in their compost heap either.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I don't put weed roots on the compost heap, but roots of things like petunias, begonias etc when they are done. It is not a fantastic compost heap - just one of those black bins from the council and is yet to produce any compost!

I've just spread some of mine on my borders, didn't think it would do any harm, and has really smartened them up, so they look all nice and freshly dug, rather than covered with dead leaves and small stones...

My composter is full, so I put this sort of stuff behind it. Unfortunately this is now piling up too as we forgot to emty our composter this year. Usually we spread the compost from it all over the borders.

i dig mine into my veg patch it makes the soil better.
I also dig a trench and put every thing from the compost bin into it then plant my runner beans on top, i always have a fantastic crop!
Has anyone noticed all the worms in the composter what a great sight squirming every where!