Feed Your Garden Naturally by Topdressing with Compost – joe gardener®
A more healthy garden comes with more healthy soil, and there’s no higher manner to enhance soil well being than by including compost. You’ll be able to feed your garden naturally by topdressing it with compost.
Compost incorporates the first vitamins — nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium — and an array of micronutrients to naturally feed a garden. However there are various different advantages as effectively.
Topdressing a garden with compost provides natural matter to the soil, which gives for correct drainage and higher tilth. That natural matter additionally hosts helpful microorganisms that flip natural fertilizer and minerals within the soil into plant-available vitamins that may be taken up by roots.
You’ll be able to topdress with compost at any time when the bottom shouldn’t be frozen, however for those who topdress proper after aerating a garden, you will note even higher outcomes. One other nice time to topdress with compost is when overseeding a garden. Making use of compost and seeds on the similar time will enhance germination and moisture retention.
By following correct garden administration like topdressing with compost and making use of natural fertilizer, my garden areas stay wholesome and inexperienced all 12 months. I by no means deal with them with a chemical, and I don’t have to offer supplemental water.
Step 1: Decide How A lot Compost You Want
When topdressing a garden with compost, you need to use sufficient compost to be efficient however not a lot that the compost smothers the grass. Purpose to make use of between 1 / 4 inch and a half inch layer of compost. For the utmost depth, that’s one cubic foot of compost for each 25 sq. ft of garden.
One cubic foot is a well-liked measurement for bagged compost, however luggage will be smaller or bigger. However irrespective of the bag measurement, once you discover you want greater than 10 luggage of compost for a venture, it usually makes extra sense to purchase bulk compost. Bulk compost is offered by the cubic yard, and there are 27 cubic ft in a cubic yard.
Step 2: Select the Compost
Select compost that was produced via a sizzling composting course of, wherein the warmth given off by the organic exercise of microbes reached greater than 140°. The excessive temperature ensures that weed seeds and pathogens that had been within the compost inputs have been neutralized. In case you purchase business compost or use municipal compost, you need to be all set in that regard. In case you plan to make use of your home-made compost, check the compost pile with a soil thermometer whereas it’s nonetheless energetic.
You must see and contact the compost your self earlier than putting an order. It is freed from rocks, glass and plastic. Does it have that earthy scent? If you squeeze the compost in your hand, does it clump collectively effectively but in addition break aside simply? If the compost doesn’t move these checks, don’t purchase it.
Step 3: Distributing the Compost
Fill a wheelbarrow with luggage or free compost, and dot the garden with small piles of compost, evenly distributed. The piles must be no bigger than three or 4 shovelfuls every. The thought is to area the piles so that when the compost is unfold out, the garden has full protection, with no gaps.
My garden has by no means appeared higher since I’ve been persistently including a topdressing of horse manure and authorized compost every fall.
Step 4: Rake the Compost into the Garden
You’ll be able to unfold the compost with nearly any rake, however a metallic rake with sturdy tines will work finest to scratch up the soil floor and incorporate the compost. At every pile, rake the compost out in all instructions, 360°. Rake till the purpose that the grass blades are nearly totally seen via the compost.
Step 5: Water In
Water within the compost with a sprinkler. A mild utility of water will assist the compost work its manner right down to the soil and can expose grass blades which are coated, so that they received’t be smothered. It’s vital to not apply a heavy quantity of water over a brief time period as a result of that ought to trigger the compost to run off as a substitute of staying the place the garden wants it.
After making use of compost, be sure you water in with a sprinkler.
Different Pure Vitamins to Feed Your Garden
Probably the greatest nutrient sources for the grass in your garden is the grass itself. Recycling grass clippings can present 25% of your garden’s nutrient wants over the course of a 12 months. It’s apparent when you consider it: Grass clippings comprise the precise ratio of vitamins that grass requires. Plus, the clippings assist the garden retain moisture whereas shading out weed seeds, which retains these seeds from germinating.
Recycling grass clippings is definitely much less labor-intensive than the choice. Whereas bagging and disposing of or composting grass clippings takes further work, utilizing a mulching mower means you don’t have to hold round and empty heavy luggage of clippings. The clippings stay in place, precisely the place they are often put to work feeding the garden.
Chances are you’ll already be mulching your grass into the garden, however do you know that you would be able to additionally use a mulching mower on leaves? When leaves drop on the garden in autumn, even a mean mulching mower can chop them as much as a measurement at which they are going to decompose shortly, feeding the garden as they do. A thick layer of leaves will take fairly just a few passes with the lawnmower earlier than the leaves are diminished to a measurement that disappears into the garden, however for those who mow regularly, falling leaves will likely be simpler to handle. You’ll additionally save your self lots of work on raking!
If you incorporate grass clippings into your compost heap, they are going to rework right into a wealthy supply of vitamins on your backyard.
When to Complement with Natural Fertilizer
Although including compost and mulching grass clippings and leaves will scale back the necessity for supplemental fertilizer, these practices can’t utterly substitute fertilizer. A slow-release, natural fertilizer like Milorganite will feed the garden repeatedly for a lot of weeks, with not one of the nutrient-burn issues that include artificial fertilizers.
Fertilizer will assist grass develop and can give the garden that deep, emerald inexperienced coloration. The garden will likely be denser, which withstands foot visitors and stops weeds from taking maintain.
In northern areas, the place cool-season grasses dominate, apply Milorganite a few times between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, ready 10 weeks between purposes. Apply once more, a few times, between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
In southern areas, the place warm-season grasses thrive, apply within the spring after the grass breaks its winter dormancy, after which once more round Memorial Day. Within the fall, apply a few times between Labor Day and early October.
Fertilizer will assist the grass develop and can give the garden that deep, emerald inexperienced coloration.
Do you feed your garden naturally by topdressing with compost? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
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Hyperlinks & Sources
074-The right way to Have and Take care of a Wholesome Garden: Prime 7 Non-negotiables
joegardener Weblog: Yard Composting: A Easy Recipe for Making Nice Compost
joegardener Weblog: Natural Garden Renovation for Spring: 5-Steps To Your Greatest Garden Ever
joegardenerTV YouTube: The right way to Apply Pure Garden Fertilizers & What to Use
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy™: Well-liked programs on gardening fundamentals; managing pests, illnesses & weeds; seed beginning and extra.
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy Excellent Soil Recipe Grasp Class: Learn to create the proper soil atmosphere for thriving crops.
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy Rising Epic Tomatoes: Tomato professional Craig LeHoullier joins me in main this course on tips on how to develop more healthy, productive tomato crops and tips on how to overcome tomato-growing challenges.
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A more healthy garden comes with more healthy soil, and there’s no higher manner to enhance soil well being than by including compost. You’ll be able to feed your garden naturally by topdressing it with compost. Compost incorporates the first vitamins — nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium — and an array…