How do you use your compost?

[Amy Atz]

This may seem like a crazy question, but I have been composting for a couple years now and I am just getting into gardening. I want to mix my compost into the soil for my vegetable garden, and I was hoping to find out how to do so. I do not know how much compost I should add, or when the best time of year for mixing is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chuck]

This may seem like a crazy question, but I have been composting for a couple years now and I am just getting into gardening. I want to mix my compost into the soil for my vegetable garden, and I was hoping to find out how to do so. I do not know how much compost I should add, or when the best time of year for mixing is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You incorporate as much compost as you can anytime you can and as often as you can.

 

[Trellum]

I just mix some of it with my soil, most of the time I use equal proportions of soil and compost, but it really depends on the soil I'm using; sometimes it' less, sometimes more. Use your best judgement

 

[claudine]

To be honest, I never thought about proportions. I just mix compost with soil whenever I remember to do it Don't worry, it can't be done wrong.

 

[marlingardener]

The lovely thing about compost is that you can't go wrong using it! I put 3/4 soil, 1/4 compost for containers; toss as much compost as I can on the vegetable gardens (normal weeding and cultivating will mix it in); and use it to "hill up" potatoes and corn.
Compost adds tilth to the soil, and traces of nutrients. It is great stuff!

 

[headfullofbees]

Digging 3 inches of compost into the top 3 inches of soil will give you a great medium for the root-zone of many plants and edibles we grow, but the absolute optimum is one wheelbarrowload per sq metre.

I'm not one for leaving soil bare, (I believe it invites all sorts to colonize it, and as for CATS!!!!

So, for most things, dig it into your soil. and fertilise with FBB about 2 weeks before planting.

 

[Pat]

I have not really paid much attention to how much I add to the soil, I just add the compost or compost tea as I feel the plant may need some additional nutrients.