With Spring just around the corner, some people may be thinking about their gardens already. As avid gardeners here at Compost Queen, we are aware that not everyone may know how to use compost in their gardens. Learning how to use compost in your garden will result in healthier, stronger, better producing plants, which is why it is a must for any gardener whether you are a beginner, or a certified master gardener!
First, we must strongly advise that compost by itself is NOT a good base for your plants. Compost is rich in healthy bacteria, fungi, micro- and macro- nutrients in slow-release organic form, which can overwhelm your plants. Compost is nature’s ultimate organic fertilizer and soil amendment, which means you add it to existing soil instead of using as soil. The average rate of compost addition as a soil amendment/fertilizer for gardens is about 2 inches of compost over your garden soil area, then blending it together to a 6-8 inch depth. This will ensure your soil is nutrient rich and actively healthy for your seedlings! If using as landscape fertilizer, sprinkle about 1 inch of compost around your landscape plants and water normally. The compost nutrients will seep into the ground and reach the roots of your plants as you water!
The most nutritious compost is made from a wide variety of waste materials from the kitchen and yard, with a mixture of both carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials. The greater the variety of ingredients, the richer the compost. Here at Compost Queen, we take a plethora of materials from each home/business and combine them to make the best compost possible!
We hope this helps anyone who is thinking of adding compost to your garden this year! Good luck!