I have been successful in creating compost in a compost bin, but i'm not sure now what to do with it. Can I make a raised bed or planter and plant vegetables straight into it? or do I have to alter the ph levels and add some stuff to it before it is any use?
Anika
Favorite Answer
Mix it with the garden soil.
M M T
Good for you! You've made some wonderful free fertilizer for your garden!
Just mix it in the garden soil. We usually spread the compost on top and dig it in to a level of about 6" with a spade. Some people use it as mulch on top. When it rains or you water, the nutrients will work their way down to the plant roots.
You can always take a sample of your soil to most garden centers and they will test it for you and tell you what you might need to add. We routinely add a good dose of garden lime in the late fall or early spring because we use a lot of leaf mulch and leaves are acidic. The lime pulls the ph balance back the other way.
You certainly can make a raised bed and work your compost into the soil you're filling the bed with. Another great organic item you can get in some areas is mushroom house soil. Mushroom growers can only use it one cycle and have to discard it. The best quality is when it comes directly out of the mushroom house; the longer it sits and gets rained on, the less nutrients there are in it.
Anonymous
I mix mine up 1/2 an 1/2 with top soil.