Adding compost for trees and shrubs

[Mr_Yan]

I have seen vids and read about adding compost to shrubs and fruit trees by removing a core of soil and filling that empty hole with compost. Has anyone tried this and have experience with it? Is this just a good idea on paper without much backing in real use?

I was thinking use on of the drill augers to remove a core about 1 to 3 inches in diameter and 12 inches or so deep then fill with compost and call it done. My fruit trees and bushes are all about 2 years in the ground. I'd place the holes about 12 inches from the trunk which is also about where the tree's drip line is.

I have vermi compost made from kitchen scraps.

Good idea or waste of time?

 

[Chuck]

Waste of time. And MANY very small feeder roots are just below the surface of the soil which you would damage by digging around. The nutrients from the compost will leach down just the same on the surface as under soil. I have found that putting an inch or two of compost on the soil and covering it up with mulch works better than just having it on the surface without mulch. Why this happens I don't know.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Thanks @Chuck

 

[Meadowlark]

That really surprises me... 12 inches deep. That would take out many/most of the critical feeder roots of my fruit trees. Yep, waste of time and seemingly potentially harmful to the tree.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

They said it, if you have grass round your trees I would use a thin layer and work it into the grass, then repeat frequently. If not I would go with what Chuck says, though TBH there are probably not that many nutrients in compost usually, but worms will drag humus down int o the soil, and no damage.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The oxygen layer and thus the energy of oxidation with it, is only a few inches deep. I like the natural way of drop it, water it and let air blow across it. Far less work and no re-inventing what plants are expecting.

 

[Mr_Yan]

@Chuck convinced me NOT to do this.

But from reading comments, especially @Meadowlark, I think I discribed the idea poorly. I was thinking of only doing 4 ish cores per tree, not dig a moat around the tree and fill that with compost. The more thought I put into this the more I think it's half baked at best.

I do have grass around the trees but that is something I want to get rid of. I was thinking of killing off the grass and replacing with mulch. Doing this, with square edging would greatly simplify mowing the lawn.