How to use compost correctly - tips & tricks for hobby gardeners

the essentials in brief

• Compost soil is very nutritious and can be used as fertilizer for lawns or vegetable patches
• Compost soil can easily be made yourself with a compost heap
• Compost soil is one of the most important ingredients in a raised bed

Where is the best place to buy compost soil?

The provider and product need to be selected carefully. After all, you entrusted your lovingly tended ornamental and vegetable plants to compost. The following table lists, in alphabetical order, recommended purchasing sources for top quality compost at an affordable price:

also read

• Raised bed with compost soil - tips for filling
• How to plant succulents in an exemplary manner - tips and tricks for hobby gardeners
• How to propagate orchids by sowing seeds - tips & tricks for the hobby gardener

providers	Price loose goods	Price packaged goods	Shipping yes / no
Amazon	from 0.11 EUR (1 l)	from 5.50 EUR (20 l)	Yes
Dehner garden centers	no option	from 6.99 EUR (40 l)	Yes
Ebay	from 0.11 EUR (1 l)	from 5.50 EUR (20 l)	Yes
Composting plants	from 26.00 EUR (1 m³)	from 2.40 EUR (40 l)	Yes
Obi hardware stores	from 0.18 EUR (1 l)	from 9.99 EUR (60 l)	Yes
Recycling yards (e.g. BSR)	from 14.50 EUR (1 m³)	from 4.50 EUR (45 l)	No

If you decide to buy by mail order, there are additional costs. Composting plants deliver large quantities in big bags by truck to your front door. As a rule, the price for a big bag with a capacity of 1 cubic meter is 15 euros plus 3.50 euros per cubic meter for crane unloading. Some providers have the filling of big bags additionally rewarded with a surcharge of up to 20 percent. Therefore, when buying compost soil by mail order, please ask about any additional delivery costs.

background

Observe the RAL quality mark for compost

The RAL quality mark for compost is an excellent guide when buying. The Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost eV (BGK) is in charge of the award. Compost manufacturers subject their products to voluntary quality assurance based on a regular test procedure. Qualified laboratories carefully examine compost soil with a view to its safe use as a natural fertilizer and soil improver. In this context, the entire manufacturing process from waste to the finished product is examined. If you want to be on the safe side when buying compost, you can choose a product with the RAL compost quality mark.

Where can I use compost soil? - An overview

Compost soil is rich in natural nutrients, activates soil life, optimizes the soil structure, prevents erosion and equips plants against diseases. These outstanding properties make compost the ideal natural fertilizer and soil improver for the hobby garden. The following overview summarizes common options for meaningful use:

• Start fertilizer : Enrichment of the soil when growing, planting beds and tubs
• Nutrient supply : regular administration as a natural fertilizer
• Soil improver : loosen up, refine and refine problematic soil structures

One of the special advantages of using it is that compost replaces all peat products. It is thanks to the organic substrate that the overexploitation of irretrievable raised bogs can be stopped. For this reason, when buying compost, please give preference to peat-free branded goods and ignore cheap goods containing peat.

Use neat or stretch - how to do it right

Compost soil therefore comes with a concentrated load of valuable nutrients which, in concentrated form, are not suitable for every use. You can find out under what conditions you should use or stretch compost pure soil here:

• Growing and sowing soil : 1 part compost soil, 9 parts sand or coconut soil
• Planting soil : 3 parts excavation of the planting pit, 1 part compost soil
• Natural fertilizer : sprinkle pure several times per season, rake in 2-5 cm high and on the surface
• Bucket substrate : 1 part garden soil, 1 part compost soil, if necessary some sand, expanded clay (€ 17.50 at Amazon *) or lava granulate

If you are creating a new vegetable patch, the following applies to the use of compost soil: clog it up and not spill it. Please apply 15 to 20 liters of pure compost per square meter of bed area so that young crops find the ideal starting point. The subsequent nutrient supply depends on whether you are fertilizing heavy consumers (8 l / m²), medium high consumers (6 l / m²) or low consumers (4 l / m²).

How do I fertilize lawns with compost soil?

Purchased or self-made compost turns poor lawns into a lush green carpet. Justified concerns about conventional lawn fertilizers with unnatural, chemically toxic ingredients catapult the natural fertilizer to the top of the ranking for environmentally friendly lawn care. Important preparatory work ensures that compost meets expectations as a lawn fertilizer. This includes throwing the organic material through a sieve to remove coarse components. The following instructions explain how to properly fertilize your lawn with compost soil:

1. Sieve compost soil (pass-through sieve with mesh size 10-15 cm)
2. Mow the lawn as usual
3. Spread the sifted compost soil using a wheelbarrow and shovel
4. Recommended amount: 1-2 l / m², or 1-2 cm high
5. evenly distribute with a rake
6. Water the lawn

The time window is open twice a year to pamper the lawn with compost soil. In March / April, the natural nutrients stimulate the growth of the green space. In August / September a layer of compost prepares the lawn for the rigors of the coming winter. Ideally, you should not shower the natural fertilizer with water afterwards, but rather with comfrey liquid manure. Comfrey contains plenty of potassium, which strengthens the hardiness of the noble grasses.

Tips

Knowledgeable hobby gardeners optimize the absorption of the lawn for the beneficial effects of compost soil. For this purpose, the green area is scarified in advance. Rotating knives cut the sward a few millimeters deep and comb out any troublesome grass thatch.

How do I fill the raised bed with compost soil?

For the competent filling of a raised bed, compost plays a key role, supplemented with other important components. The composition depends on the planned planting. Crops have a higher nutritional requirement than flowers and grasses. The following brief instructions explain how to properly fill a raised bed for growing vegetables:

• Floor : cover with vole wire
• first layer : 20 cm high coarse material (wood cut)
• second layer : 10 cm chopped branches, crushed autumn leaves
• third layer : 20 cm coarse, unscreened, semi-mature compost
• fourth layer : 30 cm sifted, ripe compost soil

If the raised bed is reserved for more frugal ornamental plants, the perfect filling is reduced to two layers above the indispensable vole wire. On a 20 cm high layer of gravel or crushed stone, fill in ripe, sieved compost soil. The organic components of the compost soil sag by 10 to 20 centimeters every year. For the schedule next spring, please make a note to fill the raised bed with fresh compost soil accordingly.

Digression

Compost soil has a neutral pH value

Experts from the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost eV dispel the prejudice that compost soil makes the garden soil acidic. The opposite has been scientifically proven in a twelve-year field test by the Agricultural Technology Center Karlsruhe (LTZ). The knowledge is underpinned by thousands of test procedures on compost samples as part of the RAL quality assurance under the direction of the BGK. As a quintessence for the use of compost soil in the hobby garden, the following can be stated: The pH value moves with an average of 7.0 to 7.5 in the neutral to weakly alkaline range.

Make compost yourself - how does it work?

The cheap purchase of compost usually fails because of the high weight and the associated delivery costs. Hobby gardeners save money and simply produce the natural fertilizers and soil improvers themselves. A partially shaded to shady location with unpaved ground and at least 50 centimeters away from the neighboring property is well suited. Ideally, there is a water connection nearby.

The best time to start is in autumn, because there is plenty of plant material available at this time. Chopped up branches, autumn leaves and other remains are suitable. Uncooked kitchen waste, stable and cage manure, tea bags, coffee filters and dried lawn clippings also make a contribution to rich compost soil. Layer the materials alternately, supplemented with 10 kilos of rock flour per cubic meter to prevent unpleasant smells. Meat, leftover food, textiles, metal, plastic and weeds have no place on the compost heap.

In no time at all, soil organisms have discovered the new food source, settle there and decompose the organic materials into valuable compost. When it is dry, pour water over the compost heap to prevent the microorganisms from dying of thirst. The rotting process takes between 6 and 12 months. You speed up the process by turning or mixing the material twice a year.

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The right compost bin for every garden

The own production of compost does not have to fail due to lack of space. A wide range of affordable compost bins is available for every garden size. The following overview summarizes the best options:

• Compost rental : for large areas and high volumes of waste
• Slatted composter : traditional wooden construction for the average allotment garden
• Wire mesh composter : available in many sizes, longer shelf life than slatted composter
• Rapid composter: little space required, rapid rotting to mature compost soil
• Worm composter : ideal for balconies, patios and the towel-small garden

Storing Compost Soil - How Do I Do It Right?

Life reigns supreme in finished compost. Correct storage is essential to ensure that natural fertilizer retains its premium quality over a longer period of time. Continuous rain and a thick blanket of snow are poison for the organic material. How to store compost in an exemplary manner:

1. Select a rainproof location with ground contact
2. weed weed
3. Pour compost earth into the heap
4. cover with tar paper, black foil or similar waterproof material
5. Secure the side edges of the cover with stones so that they are windproof

Compost soil should not be stored in the sack for long periods of time. In unfavorable storage conditions there is a risk that the earth will begin to sweat. As a result, mold and rot will form, which will seriously affect the quality. It is worth the effort to open the bags in order to pile up the compost in the rain-protected location.

frequently asked Questions

Where can I get compost free of charge?

We have identified two sources of free compost for you. Regularly browse through classifieds on Ebay, Findix, Quoka and comparable portals. If you stay on the ball here, you will discover in good time when private gardeners are offering excess compost soil for free. Depending on the annual volume of green waste, numerous recycling centers in Germany and Austria offer free compost soil for self-collectors in the spring in order to make space on the composting site before the start of the season.

How does organic compost differ from other types of compost?

Experts generally differentiate between organic compost soil and green compost soil. The main source of organic compost is the organic garbage can, which is available almost everywhere in German and Austrian households. Green waste compost is made from green waste received by recycling and recycling centers. Due to its composition, organic compost soil is significantly richer in nutrients than green compost soil.

Should I sterilize compost before using it?

Origin and quality determine whether compost should be sterilized before use or not. If you hold a product with the RAL compost quality mark (BGK), no measures are required to make the earth sterile. The various test criteria include proof from the manufacturer that strict hygiene regulations are being adhered to. If the compost comes from our own production, we recommend using a thermal treatment at around 100 degrees Celsius to sterilize the soil.

I underestimated the weight of compost soil, so my raised bed is too heavy for the balcony. What can I do?

A standard raised bed for the balcony is not a heavyweight at around 15 kilograms. If, on the other hand, compost comes in as a filling, the weight can reach questionable dimensions. So that you can still garden at table height on your balcony, simply pull an intermediate floor into the raised bed. Place your ornamental, vegetable and herb plants in pots on the floor. The area under the false floor remains empty.

Tips

Balcony gardeners beat a lack of space and produce compost themselves. The horticultural genius succeeds with the help of a worm farm. It is a wooden box with four chambers. In it, organic waste is collected and gradually processed by compost worms into vermicompost and worm tea. The first generation of hard-working worm farm residents can be bought cheaply in certified specialist shops.