What is the best use for compost?

willnbirdie · « **on:** June 11, 2008, 19:51 »

Hi

We have a compost bin on the go - keep adding to it but it is working that well we cannot seem to fill it up! We did have visions of having loads and loads of the stuff but at the rate we are going that is not going to be the case.

Please can anyone tell us what the very best use of our precious home produced compost is? Don't want to waste it if there is something that would benefit from it most.

Thanks

willnbirdie

vegmandan · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2008, 20:42 »

I just chuck all mine back on the garden as that's where it came from originally so It helps to keep your general humus levels up.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2008, 21:11 »

My lovely year old compost is goong into my polytunnel as I STILL haven't got my tomatoes in there yet!!!!!

Johnny Norfolk · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2008, 23:32 »

Spread it to parts of your garden or plot that need it.

I prefere to pick an area and spresd it on deep rather than scatter it all over the place. I do the same with the spent compost out of the grow bags at the end of the season.

compostqueen · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2008, 23:46 »

I don't dig or rotovate so fine tilths are a bit thin on the ground so I use sieved homemade compost for seed sowing, perhaps mixed with a bit of leafmould if I'm sowing carrots

Making good compost takes time, although the plastic bins do heat up very quickly in good weather, and if you add grass clippings stuff will rot faster. Remember to add human urine to it to make it get cooking faster

Men's stuff is preferable to "lady water"

they say Nettles and comfrey leaves added to the bins act as activators too. A good stir periodically helps too. You can take everything out into a barrow, give it a good turning over with a fork and bung it back in. You don't have to though but it does help aerate it and make it cook faster. You can add your home made compost to lotty or garden soil, sand and rotted manure and use it when planting so the plants get a good start.

GreenOwl · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2008, 13:19 »

I try and use it for the heavy feeders. The potatoes, runner beans, courgettes and don't forget the rhubarb. With an attempt at crop rotation that means all of the veg plot gets some over time. I don't put it where the fine seeded stuff like carrots or lettuce is to go.

nobby · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2008, 19:30 »

i always save mine for the bean trench each year
works a treat

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What is the best use for compost?

vegmandan