When to apply compost

cubcadette · #1 08-24-2011, 07:55 PM

Hey all,

Being a first year gardener, I have a couple of questions. I have been composting since April and was wondering when the best time is to apply the compost to the garden. At the end of the season (this fall), I plan on turning up the garden with my plow and was thinking that may be a good time to turn the compost into the soil.

Is that a common practice or do you all generally wait till the spring to add the compost?

Or both? Assuming it may be difficult to compost through the winter...

Thanks so much,

Matt

P.S. I don't know about you all, but I can't wait for this cool fall weather and to get my new plow into the ground!!

Mountain Heritage · #2 08-26-2011, 06:58 PM

Here I thought it was just me that wanted to plow the garden under already! I am thinking it would be better to put the compost on in the fall. That way it is already in the ground and ready to be tilled up come spring when the ground dries up enough. I guess I think of it the same way we alway spread cattle manure in the fall after the corn silage has been taken off and you just have the small corn stubble left to plow under. That is when we always put a good inch or two of manure on. A day or two later it was all plowed under and ready for spring. Depending on how much frost you get it also provides the worms and bugs a place to live and something to eat over the winter months. I am not expert what so ever on composting. I have yet to start a compost pile myself, so I might not be the one to be asking?

I just find that come spring its all I can do to get the garden dried out enough to plant, so the last thing I want to do is spend time spreading and trying to break up and work in compost. Heck, its usually June before I get anything in the ground! I think I might be having sweet corn for the first time this weekend. I think most others around are already sick of their corn. I picked green beans for the first time two days ago and have had 2 tomatoes from the garden so far. ONLY thing we have had LOTS of so far are zuccini's. Everything else is just nicely starting to rippen. Late gardener here!!!

Oh well, guess I shouldn't complain, I could be faced with having to buy everything in the grocery store!

Let me know how you make out with your compost. Could use all the idea's and suggestions there are out there for the offering.

ab147 · #3 08-27-2011, 10:49 AM

I took a composting class a few years ago and have had a compost pile since. I only use grass clippings and leaves, I tried table scraps but they took too long. I turn the pile every saturday so the stuff gets mixed up real good, and doesn't start rotting, and smelling. It doesn't take long and I have some of the finest (after screening) dirt you can find. I have been using this with garden dirt and potting soil in containers with flowers, seed starting, and this year after not being able to get in the garden because of last winters snow and this springs rains made it a lake, I have been putting the grass clippings in the garden and tilling it hoping that next year I will be able to use it as a garden. I'm like MH, a late planter this year. couldn't get to the garden till almost july, I've got things planted everywhere but the garden. I am going to put some horse manure on the garden this fall and till it real good before winter gets here. The tiller on the cub makes things alot easier, I use it on my compost pile, it's 2 tillers wide and about 50ft long.

cubcadette · #4 08-29-2011, 10:31 PM

Thank you both for the replies! Great info here.

I'm also a late bloomer. Tomatoes are about done but I'm just now getting peppers. My sweet corn isn't quite ready yet either and my watermelons are about the size of cantaloupes. No sign of pumpkins yet.

I think I will do what I can to apply the compost this fall and plow it under. My compost consists of everything from newspaper, fruit and veggie scraps, eggshells, garden waste, grass clippings, and a little bit of straw. I have only turned it a few times but it sounds like I should be doing it more often.

I'd sure love to have an IH tiller! Would make this stuff even more fun. Hoping to make the garden even bigger next year!!