FEED YOUR PLANTS
You've heard composting is better than traditional fertilizers, but what is it? How do you use it? Don't be intimidated. If you can feed yourself, you can feed your plants! Basically, compost is broken down organic matter and microbes that provide food for plants. Compost is a living tapestry.
- It will be warm.
- There could be bugs.
- There could be worms.
- There are definitely microbes.
- These are all good things.
Using your compost
Using compost is easy. Simply sprinkle a half inch or so of compost and work it in with your fingers or a tool. Compost is a soil amendment, generally not a soil replacement. You can add compost to any flower bed, container, veggie garden, as top dressing for lawns, or around the base of any tree.
Starting from seed
It is not recommended to start seeds in straight compost, because it could be too hot. Instead, you should blend the compost with a potting soil. When planting, most gardeners use a potting mix blend. A potting mix blend is a mixture of compost, peat, perlite or sand. To prevent overwatering, some gardeners use perlite or sand to keep the soil from getting too compacted.
Benefits of compost
- The organic matter will improve water retention in your soil so you have to water less.
- Compost provides the microorganisms that will feed your plants.
- Compost is more environmentally friendly than traditional fertilizer.
Happy Planting!
Tag us in your photos @suncoastcompost
