Compost is ready to use when it has a crumbly appearance, an earthy smell and identifying the original ingredients is difficult.
No single chemical fertiliser or animal manure by itself can match the goodness of nutrient-rich, homemade compost.
It boosts nutrient levels in the soil, helps control diseases in the garden, saves trips to the tip and backyard burning, and reduces your rubbish output significantly.
An added bonus is healthy, chemical-free flowers, fruit and vegetables. See also A Guide to Composting
How Do I Use My Compost?
Mulch
See A Guide to Laying Mulch. Just spread your compost around garden plants as mulch, applying it up to 30mm deep. You will need a lot of compost to cover your garden beds to that depth so you may wish to apply it in stages. When using compost on the garden, take care to keep it away from roots and stems to avoid burning. It is probably best to use it in combination with mulch.
Prepare a Vegetable Patch or Garden Bed
Dig in plenty of compost and well-rotted manure a couple of weeks before planting out vegetable patches or garden beds. Let it all break down for a fortnight or so, and then start planting. How much compost do you use per plant? It’s hard to overdose on added compost, so be generous with it. The manure should be aged and well-rotted. Note: Never add fresh manure to garden beds.
Liquid Fertiliser
Just add one part compost to three parts water into a bucket, give it a good stir, then leave it for three days, stirring a couple of times over this period. Apply the liquid to plants as a gentle plant food. You can use the same batch of compost to make liquid food a couple of times, and at the end of it all just return the old compost to the compost bin, or spread it on the garden.
Make Potting Mix
Compost can also be combined with other ingredients to make a good homemade potting mix. In a wheelbarrow or large tub mix together 4 parts compost with 1 part shredded sphagnum moss and 2 parts coarse river sand. Sphagnum moss and coarse river sand are available at most good garden centres.
Starting Mix
Mix one-third sand with two-thirds compost for vegetable and flower seeds. As the seedling mix should have a fine texture you may wish to use a coarse screen or sieve to separate out the larger particles
Lawn Dressing
A thin layer of compost can be spread on your lawn once or twice a year to encourage healthy growth.
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