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Does it harm commercial compost to decant it from bag into an open container?

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  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited April 2021
    I tip out what I want into an old rectangular mop bucket (minus the mop-squeezing bit). My main bags of compost are stored outside (but covered) so in cold weather I bring the bucket inside or put it in the shed for a while to warm up a bit before I use it (for the sake of my hands as well as the plants).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    If you leave it exposed for too long it can attract insects. Fungus gnats for example can be a problem. Last week I found a bumblebee hibernating in some potting soil I'd left exposed over the winter. I often have to leave some compost exposed on trays to dry for potting plants that don't like having wet roots after repotting. 
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • I think Monty prepares and tips his compost into containers for the programme to make it easier to show us what he's doing. Also he can't be seen to advertise and the colours on bags would show what makes they are.
    I never considered that aspect! 
  • I often have to leave some compost exposed on trays to dry for potting plants that don't like having wet roots after repotting. 
    I'm a novice and clearly I have a lot to learn about what plants need moist compost, which need damp, which need added grit, etc. Such a lot to learn! 
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Having some dry, sieved compost handy can be good for filling small pots or filling small gaps when potting on. It saves having to pack wet clump stuff into places with a stick. Generally though you only need dry compost for cacti and some succulents.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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