compost as mulch?

Itoero · March 10, 2014

Some people claim it's better to add compost as a mulch instead of digging it through your soil.
What's the difference?
Why is it better to use it as mulch?

Worth1 · March 10, 2014

Ive done both at the same time.
Mixed it with the soil and spread it out on top inside an earth berm.

When it rains or you water, the juices from the compost seeps into the soil so the feeder roots on the surface get it.

I have no proof of this but the plants grew like wild.

Worth

ScottinAtlanta · March 10, 2014

You will have to have an enormous amount of compost to use it as mulch. Most of us treasure the black gold, and target it to the area around the plant, because the quantity is so limited.

habitat_gardener · March 10, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itoero

Some people claim it's better to add compost as a mulch instead of digging it through your soil.
What's the difference?
Why is it better to use it as mulch?

I never use compost as mulch.

In my gardens, I top-dress with compost (rather than digging it in) so as not to disturb the soil structure. I rely on earthworms to work it into the soil. I can add compost at any time -- whenever I have time to sift it -- so it's easier to spend a few hours here, a few hours there, rather than trying to set aside a huge block of time to do everything.

I also add mulch on top of the compost.

Roland Bunch and Ana Primavesi have written about top-dressing with regard to tropical soils, but in my experience, it works well in temperate soils as well.
http://open-furrow.soil.ncsu.edu/Doc...W/Roland_1.pdf

Got Worms? · March 10, 2014

Each year, in the fall, I fill the beds to the top with compost then lightly turn it a bit. Then, when I get my leaves, I shred some and bury everything. In the spring I pull back whats left of the leaves to let the sun warm the soil, then turn in some more compost. After I plant and things start to take off, I'll mulch with some more compost; to whatever extent I can fit in. I do make, and sift, a lot of compost.

Charlie

shelleybean · March 10, 2014

I find that digging it in can stir up any weed seeds and get them going. I top off my raised beds with about 3 inches of mushroom compost at the beginning of the season. I never walk in my beds so the soil remains pretty loose. Works well for me. I am thinking of trying some cypress or cedar mulch with the zucchini because I've read it keeps the squash bugs away (just in case the polar vortex hasn't killed them all.

)

RebelRidin · March 10, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelleybean

I find that digging it in can stir up any weed seeds and get them going. I top off my raised beds with about 3 inches of mushroom compost at the beginning of the season. I never walk in my beds so the soil remains pretty loose. Works well for me. I am thinking of trying some cypress or cedar mulch with the zucchini because I've read it keeps the squash bugs away (just in case the polar vortex hasn't killed them all.

)

We can only hope Shelly... We can only hope...

nnjjohn · March 11, 2014

i like good compost .. my problem is the weeds when the plant are near mature.. last year i decided not to use the plastic gardening mulch because i use cages and thought the weeds would never be that much a problem. .. i think this season i want to go with hill rows and blanket the rows with the preferated cheap black plastic mulch. And the plastic will help keep the lower ones from sitting on the dirt in late summer. for a small garden what do you think?

nnjjohn · March 11, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Ive done both at the same time.
Mixed it with the soil and spread it out on top inside an earth berm.

When it rains or you water, the juices from the compost seeps into the soil so the feeder roots on the surface get it.

I have no proof of this but the plants grew like wild.

Worth

key words " juice" "proof" "wild" ? hmmm oh a worth.. we at the NSA want to see pictures of your garden immediately

Worth1 · March 11, 2014

It does sound like I have a combination pot farm bootleg operation.

Worth

Got Worms? · March 17, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

It does sound like I have a combination pot farm bootleg operation.

Worth

I scrog my tomato plants. My bu...ah, tomatoes grow pretty large.

March 10, 2014	#1
Itoero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Belgium Posts: 186	compost as mulch? Some people claim it's better to add compost as a mulch instead of digging it through your soil. What's the difference? Why is it better to use it as mulch?

March 10, 2014	#6
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I find that digging it in can stir up any weed seeds and get them going. I top off my raised beds with about 3 inches of mushroom compost at the beginning of the season. I never walk in my beds so the soil remains pretty loose. Works well for me. I am thinking of trying some cypress or cedar mulch with the zucchini because I've read it keeps the squash bugs away (just in case the polar vortex hasn't killed them all.) __________________ Michele

March 11, 2014	#8
nnjjohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: northern new jersey Posts: 683	i like good compost .. my problem is the weeds when the plant are near mature.. last year i decided not to use the plastic gardening mulch because i use cages and thought the weeds would never be that much a problem. .. i think this season i want to go with hill rows and blanket the rows with the preferated cheap black plastic mulch. And the plastic will help keep the lower ones from sitting on the dirt in late summer. for a small garden what do you think? __________________ john

March 10, 2014	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Ive done both at the same time. Mixed it with the soil and spread it out on top inside an earth berm. When it rains or you water, the juices from the compost seeps into the soil so the feeder roots on the surface get it. I have no proof of this but the plants grew like wild. Worth

March 10, 2014	#3
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	You will have to have an enormous amount of compost to use it as mulch. Most of us treasure the black gold, and target it to the area around the plant, because the quantity is so limited.

March 10, 2014	#5
Got Worms? Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NY Zone 5b/6a Posts: 546	Each year, in the fall, I fill the beds to the top with compost then lightly turn it a bit. Then, when I get my leaves, I shred some and bury everything. In the spring I pull back whats left of the leaves to let the sun warm the soil, then turn in some more compost. After I plant and things start to take off, I'll mulch with some more compost; to whatever extent I can fit in. I do make, and sift, a lot of compost. Charlie