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Organic Gardening

Can I plant in pure compost, not mix it with soil?

16 years ago

I saw an ad where someone is selling 10 cubic yards of compost delivered for $100, which seems incredibly cheap if the stuff is any good and not all full of weed seeds and soda cans and plastic bags like some stuff I bought. At that price I could just put down a foot thick layer of compost and plant in that and forget ever trying to amend my almost pure clay soil again. I could sell my rototiller as I wouldn't need it anymore. And if the stuff really is weed free I would never have to weed again. My whole yard would turn into one huge raised bed. I saw another ad where they were growing tomatoes in a bag of pure composted steer manure. Anyone ever try that?

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Comments (5)

pablo_nh
16 years ago
You must have a small yard. A one foot thick layer will cover 270 square feet- or 16'x16'.

Still- it's a great deal. If you generate any OM- then use it as mulch and you won't need a rototiller again after a good addition of this stuff.

You will get mixed reviews on planting in straight compost. I have had great luck with lasagna beds and 1/2 finished compost alone. I now grow in beds that are better than 50% OM- probably close to 75% in some places.

You may need supplemental N. The other issue is that it's so loose that things get knocked over and need extra support.
tom_in_nh
16 years ago
Don't forget that compost breaks down over time, so your foot-thick layer will get thinner and thinner. Other than that, I pretty much use screened (as in passed through a screen with 1/4" openings) compost as my potting soil without any trouble. It tends to be a little low on N.
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Wow so many different choices to planting in pots and adding soil amendments It’s mind boggling what to do..Ues a I agree totally on the raised beds 🆚 pots..I started with fiber pits this year and want to save the dirt for next year I guess I’ll add my Tomato pots dirt to the raised bed for other veggies with Compost next year and start the Tomato’s next year in new potting soil mix with compost and a little bit of Worm Castings some the price of a 10lb bag is thru the roof these days This is May 30, 2020 I ran into this old post trying to figure out what to do with renewing my Soil of my Tomatoes 5 of them in 15 gallon fiber pot’s Only to learn I can’t reuse any of the Tomatoes dirt again for 2 Years OUCH!! This is going to be expensive growMing Tomatoes in fiber pots I took them out of the raised bed this year Because in 2019 we got so much rain the Tomatoes got diseases and died I even planted my entire garden this year from seed because of that bad season..I wish I could find a cheaper way to reuse the dirt from the tomatoes What if I use the Tomatoes dirt in the fiber pots with fresh compost and grow Kale or Collards etc. In them over the fall and winter or Spinach Lettuce etc. Could I then reuse the soil for the tomatoes by adding a good Compost to the soil with some worm castings?? Thx for any advice if anyone is still following this OP God Bless & Take Care Sheila
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Sounds like the guy above is trying hard to be sarcastic and a jerk. Anyway, most people in this forum recommend a totally inorganic mix (like 1-1-1 gritty) or an organic mix that contains little or no nutrients....that drains quickly. The nutrients come from fertilizer totally in most cases. Air exchange is the priority. I understand this. By the way...Osmocote Plus is almost impossible to find now. My retailer said Scott's told him it is discontinued.
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I'm with bp. Even if it's not ready to use immediately and if you have the room to let it finish cooking, it sounds like an awesome deal! I'd pay $100 for 10 cubic yards of hot poop! I'm patient...well, sometimes;) I can't answer the smell question. I would think that the pile wouldn't smell if it's pretty far along in the decomposition process. Maybe a little bit initially when it's dumped. "If I can plant in pure compost I will sell my rototiller and never work the soil again." I'm trying to figure out exactly what you mean here. Not to sound stupid, but don't you already have soil in the location you are talking about? And haven't you already been working that area in previous years? If so, wouldn't you just be side dressing or mulching with the compost? You wouldn't need to till it anyway. Even if you haven't worked this area before, go lasagna. Love it, love it! The only soil I turn over now is the 4 inch strip of border that goes around any bed I creat. No tilling. I personally wouldn't plant in just compost only because my compost is lazy man's compost and is not usually completely "finished" when I use it. I have bought bags of Black Kow Composted Manure and ammended really large holes with roughly half a bag to plant my tomatoes in. This method seems to have worked well but even with this idea (THANKS EARL from the Tomato Forum), I stirred the soil and manure together really well before planting. Those that tend their compost piles faithfully, some even put theirs through a sifting process, might have a different outlook on planting in purely compost.
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namfon
16 years ago
Also if you spread that thick a layer of compost and there are still things breaking down in there it will need extra ( N ) for that too.
gardenlen
16 years ago
yes you can use it and plant into it, as has been said it will continue to break down and diminish in height but all you do is keep adding in between seasons.

we use mushroom compost the same way check our pics.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page
patty4150
16 years ago
I live near you, Californian. We have mushroom compost from Peach Hills at our community garden.

People who plant in straight mushroom compost at the community garden always regret it, for a variety of reasons.

I lasagna garden, and so, in essence, am planting in "pure compost." I have great results. I wouldn't plant in straight commercial mushroom compost, but I do add it to my lasagna.

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