Mixing compost with topsoil or potting mixes provides all the benefits of compost and your garden soil or potting mixes.
You can make your own compost or purchase it in bulk or bags. The raw ingredients used to make the compost, its age and the processing composting method used influence the nutrient value and quality. This means the end result, compost, can vary from batch to batch. Just like buying topsoil, ask the compost vendor for details about the ingredients, processing, and quality control used when creating their product. Review any available test data and ask about potential of pesticides, weed seeds, and invasive plants or pests.
Some states have strict standards for composting. Contact your local Extension Service to find out if your state has standards to ensure compost vendors are producing a quality product. Take a look at the compost. Finished quality compost is dark and crumbly and has a mild earthy smell. It should be moist not overly dry or wet.
Avoid extremely hot compost that is still in the midst of the composting process. Finished compost may be warm and give off some steam. Check the label when purchasing bagged compost. More detail is now being provided since consumers are requesting assurances the product they buy is organic.
Look for words on the label such as organic, free of pesticides and contaminants and OMRI listed. This can be tilled in or spread over the soil surface in no-till gardens. All this means a healthy garden that requires less water, fertilization and ongoing maintenance. Plus incorporating compost into garden soil helps keep water where it falls conserving and improving water quality and recycles landscape trimmings and kitchen scraps keeping them out of landfills.
Insects and microorganisms will move the compost into the soil near the plant roots. Speed up the process with vertical mulching. Spread the compost then use an auger bit on your drill to create 4 to 6 inch deep holes throughout the garden bed.
Coarse mulches can be used as mulch in gardens and planting beds. Organic mulches like this help suppress weeds, conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature extremes and improve the soil as they break down. Improve your lawns health and vigor with a layer of compost. Spread a half an inch of compost over the soil surface. Use a leaf rake to spread it across the lawn. Consider applying compost after aerating or dethatching the lawn to maximize the benefits.
Compost is often an ingredient in blended garden and potting mixes. Some gardeners add their own to further improve the growing conditions. Check with the vendor or read the label for insight into what the mix contains before adding any additional amendments.
Check the label to see what the bag contains and recommendations for its use. These usually contain inorganic and organic materials and may also include sand and mineral soil. They may or may not be sterilized to kill weed seeds and pests. They consist of peat moss, sphagnum moss, and compost for moisture retention, vermiculite or perlite for drainage but do not contain mineral soils such as sand or clay.
They are lightweight and blended to hold moisture while draining well. Some potting mixes are modified to accommodate the needs of certain plants. Orchid mixes often contain more bark for better aeration, cacti, and succulent mixes have more sand or perlite for better drainage and African Violet potting mix contains more organic matter to create a moist rich growing medium.
Organic potting mixes are also available. Many gardeners prefer to know the ingredients are free of pesticides and other contaminants. Check for the word organic and OMRI on the label. Once again, check the label on the bag for more details on the potting mix.
This minimal amount of fertilizer is usually gone after two or three waterings. Some include additional fertilizer that provides small amounts of nutrients over a longer period of time. Controlled release fertilisers are a small fertiliser prill with a water permeable coating that slowly releases nutrients over a period of time, they need heat and moisture for the nutrients to release, there is less chance of plant roots burning when using a controlled release fertiliser, Tui Enrich Controlled Release fertilisers are a 3 in 1 blend of controlled release fertiliser, Novatec slow release fertiliser and a blend of soil microbes to help improve soil structure.
Most controlled release fertilisers have similar application rates and mode of action, the NPK on the pack will be different. This is the ratio of fertilisers contained in the prills and they will be different depending on the plants that are being grown, more nitrogen for leafy type plants, more phosphorus for root crops and more potassium for flowering and fruiting plants.
The Tui Team. What is the difference between compost and potting mix, and different fertilisers? First Name. I found the information in this webpage very informative and helpful.
I am just beginning a few pots of flowers and a couple of pots of vegetables. I am very excited about that and just chopped up some orange peels to possibly start a small compost heap. I paused wondering if citrus peel was perhaps too strong an ingredient. I found my answer in this article.
Thank you for posting. I may add sand to my soil, but was confused about the adding sand part to help smaller seeds germinate better, and coarse sand may help, because it stops the small seeds from falling down into the soil, is this right?
Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Our gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. What Is Compost? Uses of Compost There are many ways to use compost in the garden once it has completed maturing and has become ready to use.
Advantages of Using Compost The advantages of using compost are as follows: Works as a nutrient booster for the entire soil Keeps the natural health of your soil at a high level Helps for the proper growth of beneficial microbes Provides the soil with sufficient nutritional elements Helps the soil retain moisture Promotes proper growth of plants Helps the soil fight against disease Helps to control and limit weeds Works to feed soil directly Because you can make your own compost, it is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly than organic or non-organic fertilizers.
Disadvantages of Using Compost The disadvantages of using compost are: When using compost, make sure that none of your garden plants have soil-borne pathogens Compost takes more time to create an effect in the soil than other additives Composting can be a very time-consuming process, taking months to break down completely. Making compost requires more physical labor than digging up a bit of topsoil As compost is made from decaying organic matter, sometimes compost spreads can be kind of smelly.
Compost takes more space to store and process. When to Use Compost If you are simply looking to improve the quality of the soil, compost is your best friend. Different Types of Compost If you are using pure compost to top-dress your law, you should strain it so that it will work the best, incorporate into the soil more quickly, and better blend into the topsoil of your home instead of just sitting on the top level of your beds.
The most popular types of compost are: Composted Wood Waste — this organic pure compost is made from wood chippings and cuttings from trees that may have been composted. What Is Soil? Advantages of Using Soil Using topsoil to topdress your lawn is a healthy way to boost the quality of your soil and should be done as often as possible. When you add a layer of topsoil, all the nutrients in this fresh layer will get absorbed into the root system where it will have the most benefit.
However, when you add a layer of rich soil to the topsoil, you do not have to use fertilizer, or can reduce usage, as you are already replacing. Adding layers of organic soil to your topsoil starts a chain reaction of beneficial events as the soil starts to fully decompose, encouraging the thatch in your lawn or garden to also start to decompose. If you have an uneven lawn then adding topsoil is a wonderful solution, as you can use the added topsoil as an opportunity to even out the surface level of your lawn, while also improving your soil.
Topsoil is great for use when you are creating a new flower bed or raised bed. It can be used as a base for improving existing lawns, or for creating new lawn areas. Disadvantages of Using Soil So when is using topsoil not the best idea?
In the summer, when you are planting bedding plants into containers to move them indoors, it is a better choice to use a potting soil medium, or compost, which will be better suited to the task, as you need more organic matter, more nutrients, and maybe even a slow-release fertilizer for the job. There are three different types of topsoil: Clay soil — Clay soil is composed of tiny particles that hold water well but do not drain sufficiently. Can I compost directly in my garden?
Can I use compost instead of topsoil? Can you add too much compost? Can you fill a raised bed with just compost? Can you put dead plants in compost? Can you plant grass seed on compost? Do you need fertilizer if you use compost? Does compost go on top of soil? Does compost turn into soil? How long can you keep compost? How long does it take for compost to turn into soil? How thick should topsoil be? Is compost enough fertilizer? Should I mix sand with topsoil?
What is the best ratio of compost to soil? What should you not compost? Want to learn more about compost versus soil? Comments Interesting subject, but unfortunately somewhat confusingly written down. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.
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