What percentage of compost should I have in my soil?
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at
3:45 pm
I bought a soil with organic compost already in it. It says 6.4 ph and 15 percent per 100 grams is organic compost. I was planning on adding some of my own compost to the soil, but isn’t 15 % enough already??
Thanks
Tagged with: compost percentage
Filed under: Gardening Resources
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hmmmmmmm
roughly 16%
isnt lori s pathetic??? she posts things like that all the time,, ooooh shes so funny eh
The function of compost is to release nutrients into the soil as a natural fertilizer, you have enough to start out with. More important is the texture of the soil, it shouldn’t be too sandy or like clay but a nice medium. Some plants actually like sandy like soil but just keep it in between.
If you are using it for potting, use it as it is and start adding fertiliser after about six weeks, in the growing season. If you are using it outside in beds I don’t think you can ever have too much real garden compost.
I would get your plants started with the soil you purchased, and then fertilize in a few weeks with your own compost. While it may seem that you can add tons of compost, you want to be careful not to burn your plants. Even worm castings, which are quite stable compared to other types of compost, need to be used in moderation, especially in the beginning of your gardening efforts. As you move forward and learn about what your plants respond positively to, you can amend your approach.