Compost Week 2022: How to use your compost.

Compost week 2022 is coming to an end but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a start on your own composting journey!

We’ve spoken before about the history of composting, what it is, and how to make a start. In this blog we’ll be taking a look at ways to utilise the lovely nutrient rich material that all the hard work has created.

Before you start to use your compost though, it’s important to check whether it is ready for your garden, because if it’s not it may have the opposite effect than the one you’re hoping for. To assess whether your compost is ready, check to see how broken down the material in it is; it should be dark brown and have a crumbly texture. If you are still able to make out a few plants or any food material that has yet to break down, it’s important to leave it a little bit longer. Using your compost too soon can cause any plants that it comes into contact with to die or start to rot.

Now you’ve made sure that your compost is ready, you can start to use it in the garden. The first way you can use it is as mulch. Using your compost as a layer of mulch around plants in your garden beds helps to hold moisture in the soil and to keep the soil warmer. The mulch from your compost also gives your plants lots of extra nutrients. All you need to do is make a layer (a few inches thick) around the base of your plants out to about a foot (30 cm).

The second way you can use your compost is to amend your soil. This simply means that you mix your compost into the soil in your beds before you add any plants or seeds. This helps to lighten up and aerate the soil, as well as adding those lovely nutrients.

Another great use of compost is to use it to fertilise your lawn. To do this, add a layer of an inch or two of compost to your grass as a natural fertiliser. Rake the compost into your lawn, and it will then work its way into the soil and all the way down into the roots.

Compost tea is a super way to make use of your compost too. Don’t worry, you won’t be drinking it! Compost tea is used as a liquid fertiliser. All you have to do is soak your compost in water for a few days and then strain out the solids. What you’re left with is a liquid that can be sprayed or watered around your plants.

There are lots of other uses for your home compost and the above is just the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t garden, there are also lots of ways to make use of your compost, some ideas can be found here.