Hey all! I was so excited this weekend, to spread my first batch of compost. It's gorgeous LOL! Never thought I'd say such a thing about compost. Who knew? Anyway, I have a question (of course) about planting stuff IN compost.

Say I layer my compost on the topsoil 6" thick. Now I have some seeds, or seedlings to plant - do I pull away the compost and plant in the 'solid' soil below, or can I plant right in the compost?

Thanks!
Mary

Mary, I cheat, and buy bagged compost. I just don't seem to have the yard space to do a real compost pile, and don't know how well I'd do with a method that tk is using (a trash can), but am thinking of trying. My problem is, getting the green & brown. I don't have a bagger for my mower, and I detest raking. And we have no mature trees to drop leaves either. Just a conundrum for me.

Anyway... I have been known to just dump & spread out the compost on top of it all, and just plant directly in the compost. My plants seem to love it. Just my .02 cents.

Meg

Your plants will do better if you dig the compost into the soil. Also the organisms there-in will survive and spread into the surrounding soil better. If it's too late to dig it in then mulching will help. Mulching will always help;)
Congratulations on your first brew Mary.

That's true, what Longy said.. mixing your compost in with your soil. I've done that too.. but my one flowerbed in the front of the house, I was anxious to get my flowers in, and threw the compost on the mess I had, and just planted. :rolleyes: But, most of them, liked it just fine. My veggie bed tho, I placed out about 15 or so bags, dug in it, waited a week or 2, did another 15 bags, dug it in, waited again, another 15 bags.. yea, I probably put close to 50 bags of compost in my little veggie bed. I don't think you can overdo the composting in my icky red clay. *shakes head*

Meg

Hmm...well, okay, but the stuff I put down this weekend went over an already planted bed (anticipating the compost, I guess? sometimes I dont understand my own methods to my madness). Next time around I'll dig it into the soil.

Thanks for the congrats, Longy, couldnta done it without ya!

Meg, as for brown - I've been surprised just how much we're coming up with just from shredding paper - mostly junk mail and old stuff from the 'paper pile' that always needs thinned out. My greens have been mostly garden waste, coffee/filters and tea bags. Oh, and left over coffee/tea. I'm willing to bet you'd surprise yourself how fast you come up with stuff to put in the heap! Wow but 50 bags?! LOL but your veggies are beautiful and your efforts with compost definitely show through there.

Uhm...okay, so I'm thinking - what exactly do 'youse' mean by digging it in? Like, put it down, and hoe it together?

Thanks!
Mary

digging it in? Like, put it down, and hoe it together?
+++++++++++++++++++
Yeah that's it Mary. Bust it into the soil. Can you diggit;)

I diggit. Me and my hoe.
Video coming soon to a store near you.


Thanks, Longy!
Now, can you do something about this heat, so I can get out there and DO something? Grumble!

Flashlight and Jousting do-hicky and you've got it made for midnight gardening lol. Sorry couldn't resist. Still thinking about that snail. hehehehehe

LOL! It was a slug - and a big mamma at that! HOLY CROW! I almost forgot about that - what a visual T