compost leak in rain/watering

15 years ago

It has been raining frequently day and night. Those unfinished compost that I used as mulch which I spread about 3" on the pot has been draining out through the bottom with deep brown colour. Is it the nutrition of compost? Any opinions?

Thanks, Engy

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Comments (6)

the_virginian
15 years ago
It is what is known as compost tea and it is very good for plants. I wouldn't worry about it since compost has plenty of it even in pots.
greenm_sia
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes, I suspected it is as good as compost tea. But...problem is I mixed it in the pots with 50% soil and planted vegetables. It was placed on the balcony. When rains, (which I cannot control,) I saw lots of that thick brown colour nutrition run off with the rain water into the drains. The worse part was I have just newly made it. Can I soak this unfinished compost first to get the good nutrition out and use it as tea for other plants before I mixed with soil? Can unfinished compost make tea? My kind fellow gardener, please advice. Thanks Engy
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jeannie7
15 years ago
You are using unfinished compost to support a potted vegetable plant. WHY?

If you believe that compost has a purpose to give some nutrition to a plant's roots, then why bother with the initial stage of a compost pile to begin with, why not just put your kitchen scraps and other material in the pot when you first put the plant in.

Articles that speak of why having and making use of a compost is a valuable resource home gardeners can do for their own use, speak of why such should not be used in an unfinished state. You can read the reasons for yourself.

As far as the rain making a tea....that's phooey...the rain is just making its way through what soil is in the pot and picking up what garbage the water is affecting.

Don't believe this? Do a little test, put your kitchen scraps into a small container under your sink and leave it for a time. Make sure to add the wet coffee grounds, the tea bags, the eggs still with albumen in them, the carrots you just peeled, the potato skins, the peas that weren't eaten, made an apple pie, put the peels in, lemons too, that lasagna that was left on the plate, the spaghetti, the eggs that weren't soaked up with the toast...the peanut butter the kids spilled on the floor when they dropped their sandwich and the jam that was with it.....
and examine what is in the bottom of the contaienr after a week or so.

Careful, don't spill it on your floor when you remove the bag to take it outside. don't put your face too close---don't gag... better to remove the entire container and bring out the bag at the pile.
Then turn the container upside down to get all that goodness into your compost. Then take to where you can wash out the container otherwise the foul odour will go back into your kitchen.

Tea....sure, tea and the bags they come from are a good addition.

But, you could instead make another pot with the used bags and use the tea for watering your houseplants to give them a little acidness.

Now appreciate what your pile has been given and better sill appreciate what the end result of finished compost can do for your garden.
PKponder TX Z7B
15 years ago
It must be getting cold in Ontario, jeannie7 is back with her uncensored bashing âº
greenm_sia
Original Author
15 years ago
PK, I can see her bashing for my good :) I am sure to have made mistakes. But Jean, forgive me as I have just started my composting in June and though after going through so many thread in GW, I know I cannot used the unfinished compost in the soil as it will rob the plants of nitrogen.

The reasons I did it is because I am impatient for the compost to totally done and cure as I have planted the tomatoes and they are fruiting; so I thought I could give a little mulching on top of the pot to give a little OM, to retain moisture and to fill the pot as I started with little soil+compost; so it can grow better. I also make a new potting with 50% compost vs sandy soil to prepare new planting of melon, cucumber and beans in my balcony. The reason is because I cannot find any better soil. So I thought though compost is partially done, to add in the soil must be better than I don't have any OM at all in the soil for planting.

But I do believe the unfinished compost will rot faster in the pot with soil as it is moist due to planting. My unfinished compost have some big chunks of unidentifiable OM and most of it are leaves as I have no shredder and I don't intend to have one.

So I am satisfied that the brown water "is just making its way through what soil is in the pot and picking up what garbage the water is affecting" and thanks, Jean, I can see your reasons. Engy
gatormomx2
15 years ago
Keep up the " bashing " jeannie .
We can all improve and learn .
I appreciate your honest advice .