What type of compost to add later?

JustMe 7/2/2011, 2:29 pm

This is year 2 of SFG for me. Last year went well, until the deer discovered the box. To 'refresh' the box for this spring's, I added homemade compost. (Then realized the mystery plants growing were pumpkins from last year's jack o' lanterns.)

The 'new' SFG book mentions adding compost as the 2nd and 3rd crops go into the box within a season. Is homemade compost okay? Or should it be the mix of 5 different types like the initial batch?

Thanks.

**Kelejan** 7/2/2011, 2:47 pm

What type of compost to add later? 396615

JustMe,

As I am a newbie here as well, I will give an opinion that may be incorrect but what I have learned is that homeade compost is fine provided you have the correct balance of grren and browns and a variety of different stuff and not all of one kind.

I find that the trouble with my own homemade compost is the my pile does not get hot enough to heat and kill the seeds. So although this years growth is pretty good, I have to make sure I keep on top of the weeding, which is fairly easy and not overwhelming.

There are many threads on this subject of composting and someone more knowledgeable will no doubt post some links for you. There is a lot of reading to be done if you really want to delve into it. With several threads there is quite a lot of repitition, but that is no bad thing IMO. What type of compost to add later? 61949

What type of compost to add later? 61949

BackyardBirdGardner 7/2/2011, 6:18 pm

Homemade compost will be one of your best sources for sure. It may be all you need. If the batches are consistently nutrient-rich, you may never go looking for compost again. That's the idea. However, never be afraid to supplement with a few other sources. Mushroom compost is pretty easy to find, as is BlackKow manure. Eventually, I plan to be exclusively on my own pile, but that may take more than a couple of years to build up. Until then, I don't mind buying a bag here or there.

**camprn** 7/2/2011, 7:54 pm

I use homemade compost and I put in at least 3 trowels full into a square. I buy milking barn compost from a local dairy and that goes into the homemade compost pile during the summer. In the fall, I just put about 40# of the dairy compost in each box and spread it on top of the mix and let it set for the winter. My garden likes it a lot. What a Face

Sponsored content

What type of compost to add later?

What type of compost to add later?

Re: What type of compost to add later?

Re: What type of compost to add later?

Re: What type of compost to add later?

Re: What type of compost to add later?


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.