I Started To Compost And Have Some From Last Year. I Would Like To Organically Fertilize, How Is It Done?
I don't know much about fertilizing and have had poor luck with commercial fertilizers. Does putting compost around a plant or mixing compost into the soil, organically fertilizing? How do I know how much compost to add?
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Compost is one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments, and you can use it instead of commercial fertilizers. Best of all, compost is cheap. You can make it without spending a cent. Using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil’s water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter provided in compost provides food for microorganisms, which keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus will be produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.
If your compost is well aged, it should look almost like soil. Since the fertilizer content is relatively low and in a slow release form, you can add a considerable amount. In fact, some garden beds and container gardens use pure compost to grow the plants. It provides nutrients over a long period of time, holds water well and is a good rooting medium for plants.