On spreading compost on the garden

Compost is truly a gardener’s best friend.  Last year, I posted about how I had 5 cu. yards (!) delivered to my front yard and it took me about 2 months to finish spreading it around (others could do it faster, I’m sure, but most of my gardening is done in small bursts in the early morning before the kids wake up).  Yes, it’s a lot of work in spring but then you’re done mulching and fertilizing the garden for the rest of the year!

In order to save a little time, energy and $$, I only have a big delivery every other year, and in years in between I use my own compost.  But my garden keeps getting bigger and bigger and I don’t quite make enough of my own to apply to the whole garden every year.  Some more tips and benefits:

·         You can spread it on your lawn, too.  Rake a thin layer (about 1/4") over the grass in May or June.

·         Compost breaks down slowly over the season, which follows the general principle of “feed your soil, and let the soil feed your plants”. 

·         Compost also acts as a mulch in that it helps keep weeds down.  Don’t turn over your soil (which awakens all the little weed seeds near the surface), just topdress your garden with a little compost every year.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t help retain moisture as well as bark mulch, though.  If you use other mulch, you need to rake the mulch off, apply the compost, then put the mulch back down (which is why I don’t like using other kinds of mulch!)

·         It is a great slow-release fertilizer, so you don’t have to worry about run-off or applying too much.  Just spread about an inch or so over the garden in late April through May, and don’t worry about fertilizing your garden for the rest of the year (containers are a different story). 

·         It is easier to apply early in the season before plants get too big, but make sure if you do it very early that you don’t put it on top of any plants that haven’t started growing yet.  Doing so will either smother the plants or possibly burn them or cause them to rot.  Leave a little space around the crown of each plant so that the compost doesn’t actually touch any plants.

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