Uses for homemade compost

what_am_i_doing

Hello.  I'm new here.  I have tonnes of home made compost and my husband thinks that I shouldn't be buying potting compost for seeds and cuttings as we have so much.  Can I make my own potting compost using this?

Also the RHS website suggests that I should use the compost as a soil improver in the spring.  Is there any good reason not to put it on the beds this autumn?

Thanks v much

Fairygirl

Hi @felicitylarterz_dsYVj3 - You can use it as a mulch at any time really. 
It doesn't contain the nutrients that commercial composts have, so it's a different product.
You can use it at this time of year for seed sowing, as you don't want a compost with high nutrition going into colder weather, but you'd probably need to sieve it to get it fine enough. 

fidgetbones

You can use it for potting on larger plants if you seive it, mix 50/50 with good loam and add fertiliser.

Or you could use it as mulch, or dig into soil when planting new plants, and buy a sack or two of ready made MPC.

what_am_i_doing

Great advise @fidgetbones thank you 

what_am_i_doing

#advice! 

Daisyday

I use my sieved homemade compost as a base with bought compost on the top in my containers. I now have kale growing just fine in this mixture in one of my veggie planters.

what_am_i_doing

that's another great idea @daydaisy .  I am planning on lots of pots next year. Thanks

what_am_i_doing

fidgetbones said:

You can use it for potting on larger plants if you seive it, mix 50/50 with good loam and add fertiliser.

Or you could use it as mulch, or dig into soil when planting new plants, and buy a sack or two of ready made MPC.

Thanks @f@fidgetbones. 

Fire

On this week's GW Monty suggested using home made compost for potting on. He always mixes his up with other media to give the soil balance he is looking for.

Blue Onion

I use a 50/50 mix of soil from my raised beds and seed compost for starting my seeds indoors. My raised bed soil is over 90% composed materials.  I started it as a lasagna bed seven years ago, and used a bit of bagged compost for planting in among the layers.. and I do dump my two bagged compost filled flower pots out on the soil every fall.. but aside from that, it's soil made from kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, cardboard, etc.  Basically an open compost that I grow my veg in.  

I found/feel that the microflora and microfauna really improve the health of my seedlings.  I did some basic experiments a few years ago.. some seed trays with only seed compost, some mixed, and some only garden soil.. and the same packet of seeds in each.  Pure garden soil had poor germination, formed a crust on the surface, and didn’t retain moisture resulting in limp stressed plants because I could only water before and after work.  Seed compost had great germination, but the plants were thin and weak and took ages to be ready to pot on.  The mix was far superior.  A little less germination success than seed compost, but the general growth and health of the seedlings made up for it.  They were ready to pot on several weeks prior to the others.  

Do a similar experiment yourself.  You still have time if you have a sunny windowsill or a green house.  Then you will know if your compost is suitable for seed growing, or a mix, or not.  😊

Fire

@Blue Onion How fab. A woman after my own heart.