A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Composting Q

Someone said to me (without a composter yet), that I could dig my "green" stuff directly into the plot I'm going to cultivate. I know I have to get a soil tester to keep pH at 6.5. I have already processed potato peels, eggshells, dryer lint, coffee grounds and filters, some shredded paper about a foot under. Is this ok? I have mounds of broken branches and leaves drying from where I cleared for the garden. Thanks, kat

Dryer lint? Never thought to add that.Do you use organic laundry soap??
There is a system called lasagna gardening where you bury your compost pretty deep, like what you did, and it breaks down over the growing season while your garden is grown on top of it. What you did is ok.

thanks again Master(oops) MadameHelper....talk about gardening by the seat of my pants! organic laundry soap...hmmmmmm...don't think so.

kat, one thing you have to be careful of with dryer lint is to only use the lint from natural fiber loads. woolens, cottons, linens, etc.

anything that is polyester, nylon, or acrylic will NOT break down, and will just get in your way.

i have loads that i know are biodegradable and loads that just go in the trash, 'cause i can't do anything else with it.

Thanks to jiffymouse for the heads-up on man-made fibers in dryer lint. Wrennie also asked if I used organic laundry soap. Housemate says "yeahyeah" we use Sun and Earth. kat

Compost is naturally pH balanced. It's just something that happens during the process.