Growing over compost pile?

10 years ago

i have a large compost pile i want to cover with soil and plant directly on top of. is this possible to do? it is basically a raised bed, about 9x4 and has about 18" of compost and another foot or so of space i was going to fill in with soil to cover it. i do not stir it or babysit it. it is just basically a pile of organic waste, it has shrunk over winter as it was overly full before.

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Comments (6)

feijoas
10 years ago
The cucurbit family (squash, melons, cucumber...) love nothing better than growing directly in a compost pile.
No added soil required, but a heavy layer of mulch would stop the weeds and maintain moisture.
totallystitchnmom
Original Author
10 years ago
okay, great!! that's what i needed to know. i am new at this. it's my first year having my own garden, and my second summer being a home owner, so i have a lot to learn :) do i start them right in the pile?

This post was edited by totallystitchnmom on Sat, May 4, 13 at 22:30
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feijoas
10 years ago
I'd just poke cucurbit seeds directly in the pile. Bigger seeds can easily come up through an inch of compost, but I'd bury cucumber seeds quite shallow if you grow them.
I'd also suggest growing cucs up a trellis at the back, which'd give you a lot more space.
Be warned that a healthy winter squash (pumpkin) plant can get extremely large; don't try to squeeze too much in!
Other things that might do well: tomatoes, summer lettuce, basil...
I forgot to ask, what kind of sun does the area get? All the plants I've mentioned except lettuce need plenty of sun.
Also, is the pile 'freestanding', or against a wall?
If you have an idea of the plant's mature shapes and sizes, you can make a planting plan that enables you to grow things up and across without crowding sduff out.
totallystitchnmom
Original Author
10 years ago
the pile is right in the middle of the yard, so it is free standing, and contained by pallets.. i can probably find something to make a trellis out of laying around... as for sun, half the pile gets all day sun, the other half misses out on the morning sun, but gets all the mid day to evening sun. i definitely want to put some zuccini there and i will have to think of what else to put there. my son wants a giant pumpkin so i might let him try for that but i have a feeling that is going to take up ALOT of room.
feijoas
10 years ago
If you wanted cucumbers, they're not very keen to go straight up: I'd leave a pellet on the North side in place, lean one of the others against it and make a steep-sided A-frame trellis. That way you won't shade things out.
If you're not into cucumbers, another plant that does well in my (not very hot) summers is snow peas. Be warned, they grow pretty tall. I usually make them a bamboo 'trellis extension'...
I've never grown a giant vegetable (overgrown zucchini don't count!) but I know if you want enormous fruit, only a couple are kept on the plant and the growing tips are constantly cut out of the vines so the plant puts its energy into the pumpkins.
BTW, from all accounts they're basically inedible...
I'd actually suggest a modified version of this pruning regime for edible squash, say leave 5 or so on and cut back the vines a bit
That could work well for you as it won't be taking over the whole yard.
There's some very cool-looking edible squash out there. Check out the 'turk's turban' types.
Hubbard's golden squash are impressively huge, orange and extremely tasty
With the zucchini, for each plant I put in 3 seeds very close to each other, then snip off the weaker plants.
One plant should produce at least one fruit a day, so don't overdo it!
I suggest repeating the 3 seed thing in a few weeks.
Zucchini often get powdery mildew as they age, and by that time, your next plant will be nearly producing.
totallystitchnmom
Original Author
10 years ago
okay, good advice
:)