Does Compost Go On Top Of Soil?

Compost provides many benefits for your plants and garden , let in increasing the health of your soil and provide nutrient to plants . you could make your own compost at family or bribe quick - made compost at most lawn and garden centers . But should you just add compost on top of existing filth ? We ’ve done the research to reply this question .

One of the most common way to habituate compost is to circularise or sprinkle it direct on top of the soil . This is done so as to amend soil health or prevent sess ontogenesis . But you could contribute compost to the soil in other fashion as well , let in :

The best method to use just depends on how you desire to employ the compost . In this article , we ’ll discuss these methods in more contingent . We ’ll also talk over when you should use each one and how to use compost efficaciously so that you could glean all of its benefits . Please continue read to get a line more .

What Does Healthy Compost Look Like?

Before we discuss how to use compost , it ’s important to first explain what finished compost look like , specially if you make your own at home . Finished compost should have no tracing of original materials in it . Instead , it will be coloured and crumbly and count very standardised to the topsoil in your garden . It should also reek like ground and not have a rancid smell to it .

This information is crucial because if your compost is n’t fully matured and intelligent , it can negatively impact your grease and plants . For object lesson , traces of solid food scraps can attract pestis that can damage your plants .

It ’s also important that you only use innate and organic material in your compost . Materials that contain harmful chemicals can affect the fragile counterpoise of your soil and the organisms that live there . Do n’t endeavor to compost things like plastic either , because you ’ll find that they do n’t decompose very well .

What Comes First, Topsoil or Compost?

Once you ’re trusted that your compost is finished , you could now use it . But how do you utilize it right ? Should you supply surface soil first and then compost , or can you just add compost directly on top of the soil ?

The general prescript is that you’re able to bestow compost directly on top of the existing soil . Since ruined compost should look almost indistinguishable from topsoil , you may not even be capable to tell the dispute once you ’ve added it .

But once you ’ve applied compost on top of the soil , what you do with it at that point just depends on how you want to expend it . For example , sometimes , you will just want to add the compost and leave behind it alone . Other time you will want to mix it into the soil for best solvent . Here are the different ways for how you may apply compost .

How to Add Compost to Your Soil

There are four chief ways to add compost to your soil . In addition to simply spreading it on top of the grease , you’re able to also mix it into the soil , blend it with potting soil , or rake it underneath trees and shrubs . at long last , the correct method acting just depends on what you ’re trying to do . Let ’s learn when and how to do each one .

Spread It On Top of Soil

The easiest means to use compost is to spread or splosh it on top of your grease . You will want to do this when either repair your live stain or preventing weed growth around flowers and vegetables .

For various reasons , your land may not always be as sizeable as it should be . The nutrients found in compost can aid to remedy the situation . If your topsoil is compacted , you will want to use a profligate or tiller to first loosen it up .

But if it is already loose , sprinkle a 1 - inch layer on top of the land and then utilize your hands to make for it into the top 3 inches of soil . Over meter the compost will increase soil health by adding the miss food .

Compost can also be used to prevent weeds in the same way that you would employ mulch . To use it , spread a 1 - 2 column inch layer of compost around bloom bed in early spring . The compost will help to keep sess from establishing . you could also tot a 1 - inch stratum of compost in fall to prepare plant during winter . The compost will both prevent moisture loss and protect plant from freezing .

Mix It into Existing Soil

When establishing new plants or a young lawn for the first meter , you will want to immix the compost into the soil . This will boost healthy plant life growth . If grow vegetable , compost will also serve to increase yield .

For exist vegetable beds , add several inches of compost on top of the soil during spill . Then till the compost into the soil when you go your new garden in spring . When you add together your vegetables , add a little bit of compost into the hole as well .

Whether you ’re attempt to establish grass in bald-pated areas or instal a completely novel lawn , compost can serve with that also . For honorable results , add together about 3 inches of compost on top of the existing land . Then , till about 5 in of soil and contribute your smoke seed .

Blend It With Potting Soil

Compost can be used with potted plant also , regardless of whether the plants are outdoors or indoors . Even high-pitched - timber potting grunge can lose nutrients over time , but compost can aid fill again those nutrient .

There are two ways you’re able to add compost to potted industrial plant and window boxful . First , you may add compost like a shot to the potting soil before employment , then blend it together . secondly , you may serve hold nutrient by add 1 inch of compost to your pot plants two time a year .

Rake It Under Trees and Shrubs

The last method for using compost is to rake it underneath your tree diagram and shrubs , standardized to using mulch . Doing so can help the soil around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree retain wet , keep the soil nerveless , and preclude weed growth .

To do this , add a ½ to 1 - inch layer of compost around the tree ’s torso , then crease it outward to the edge of the tree diagram canopy . Just be certain not to order compost so that it is directly in inter-group communication with the trunk . This can cause Mrs. Henry Wood rot or harbor disease and pests , which can kill your tree .

Can You Put Compost On Top of Mulch?

In most cases , it is honorable to add together compost directly on top of the stain in purchase order for the compost to ferment the best . Then , you should add up mulch on top of the compost . This is peculiarly true when adding mulch for the first time .

However , if you already have mulch in your garden , you may add compost on top if the mulch is ½ in thick or less . You could then add a 1 - inch stratum of compost , then sum a novel bed of mulch on top of the compost .

How Much Compost Should You Add to the Soil?

accord to McGill Environmental Systems , the generalrule of thumbis to add about ½ column inch of compost to the top of the land unless you ’re better the soil . If you ’re amending the soil , you should sum a 1- to 2 - in layer for have the best event .

Can Too Much Compost Hurt Plants?

When using compost , it is important that you do n’t summate more than 1 to 2 inch . Using too much compost can in reality asphyxiate plants . This is specially true if you make your own compost and the compost has n’t full matured yet . recall that compost that is n’t fully matured can fetch unwanted pests to your garden and inadvertently do hurt to plants that way .

See more : Can Compost Kill Plants ?

Can You Plant Directly Into Compost?

Although compost provides many benefits for land and plant health , planting directly into compost is not a ripe estimate . The cause is that compost does not have the same drain level as regular topsoil , so compost may not regulate moisture in the same way , which could result in root rot .

In Closing

Compost provides many benefit for plants and grease , but the key is using it right . you’re able to add it directly on top of the soil . But in some cases , it is full to flux it into the soil , specially when establish new works . Thanks for reading !