Compost

bensonbirdman · « **on:** January 07, 2017, 17:35 »

I have access to a large quantity of garden compost and would like to use it both for planting seeds and for growing on plants. any advice on how to prepare and what needs to be added would be useful. (peat free compost is costing me a fortune!)

Yorkie · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2017, 16:13 »

It's not recommended to use garden compost for seed sowing as it isn't sterile, and therefore your seedlings will be at significantly increased risk of damping off and other such diseases.

Once seedlings are decent sized, you could mix the compost with the bought compost - don't use it on its own as it has virtually no nutrient value.

PS Welcome to the site!

mumofstig · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2017, 17:20 »

Or you could sterilise it? This man sterilises his soil for seed sowing, so I suppose you could do compost..

Quote

I riddled some soil to get rid of stones and worms, and then microwaved 1kg on full power: it took 3 minutes to get to about 100C measured in the centre of the soil, so I fixed on 4 minutes so that the soil was above 100C for a minute for further trials.

http://norfolk.mastergardeners.org.uk/2013/01/08/microwaved-soil-as-seed-compost/

Yorkie · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2017, 20:45 »

Hmm, I wouldn't try it with compost rather than soil (actually, I wouldn't try it with soil either) - I'd be scared that the organic matter might catch fire

ARPoet · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2017, 07:28 »

I think it was on the Victorian Kitchen Garden where they put steam through old soil or compost to sterilise it.

Goneterseed · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2017, 08:11 »

The wartime farm series did it with sheets of corrugated metal suspended over an open fire and spread the soil over the top.

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bensonbirdman

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Yorkie

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mumofstig

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Yorkie

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ARPoet

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