Storing compost

[amplexus]

I have just "harvested" several bags of compost from my new bin. It is stored in old plastic compost bags. Will it keep ok in these as long as I dont let water get in? When is the best time to use to improve my newish flower beds or dress the many pots I have..... Oct ,or should I wait till early spring?
The soil was initially rough , semingly worm free 2 years ago yet is producing excellent growth. I use nettle fertiliser twice a year. Should I continue to top dress every year to keep improving?
Advice please.....thanks.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by amplexus

I have just "harvested" several bags of compost from my new bin. It is stored in old plastic compost bags. Will it keep ok in these as long as I dont let water get in? When is the best time to use to improve my newish flower beds or dress the many pots I have..... Oct ,or should I wait till early spring?
The soil was initially rough , semingly worm free 2 years ago yet is producing excellent growth. I use nettle fertiliser twice a year. Should I continue to top dress every year to keep improving?
Advice please.....thanks.

As long as it is relatively dry and has some aeration your compost should be fine. An advantage of Autumn dressing is that if there are any weed seeds that have survived the composting process, these will be reduced in number by exposure to frost. From the point of view of the plants, the key thing is to have the nutrients available for the growing season.

Presumably you are cropping from the growing area, or at least removing some growth annually by cutting back, pruning and collecting leaf litter; top dressing with compost is simply returning to the soil some of what has been taken from it in plant growth so in that sense there may not be a 'continuing improvement', although you will almost certainly see an increase in humus content with improved water and nutrient retention.

CM

[svenrufus]

Never really thought about this, I'm glad you asked the question. I have always just chucked it straight out onto the ground whenever a site is available at the same time as compost (ditto for manure). In some areas, I just treat it as a mulch, and let the worms do the job of digging it in for me.

Cotham Marble's answer is interesting too - do you mean that applying the compost at the wrong time of year means that the nutrients aren't then available during the growing season? Why would this be?

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by svenrufus

Cotham Marble's answer is interesting too - do you mean that applying the compost at the wrong time of year means that the nutrients aren't then available during the growing season? Why would this be?

I think there must have been a problem with my use of tense but I can't quite see what it was - anyway what I meant was: Adding compost to the soil at any point in advance of the growing season will benefit the plant in that growing season - it will not matter whether it is done in Autumn, Winter or early Spring.

Actually, there is the potential for a degree of leaching of nutrients, a problem that is worse with some soils but in the UK I can only think that would apply to a few areas of very sandy soil. In those cases Spring applications would probably be more effective.

CM

[amplexus]

Many thanks for your advice. I will probably use in Autumn as thinking about it I may have more compost by spring anyway.............cheers chaps!