Can you plant directly into Compost

dandekate, Nov 18, 4:03pm
We’ve built a new garden bed and thrown in 7 bags of 40L of compost, but it doesn’t look like soil . can you plant directly into it or should I have got some soil too
mrfxit, Nov 18, 4:09pm
A lot of plants can't handle rich soil directly on their root system.
Best to put the compost in the bottom of the hole & cap off with ordinary soil then pop your plant in
oh_hunnihunni, Nov 18, 4:20pm
Most compost is better used as a soil enhancer - like fibre in our diet, a lot of good bulk, but not a huge amount of nutrition. Therefore unless it is sold as a balanced growing medium, you may need to add the nutrients in a good all round balanced fertiliser. Check with the supplier, or the packaging, but if it is just compost I'd add sheep pellets and a good handful of a slow release balance fertiliser like nitrophoska blue.
dandekate, Nov 18, 4:46pm
So basically your saying it may not be nutritious enough? If I add a couple of bags of soil/potting mix it will be ok? I have no extra soil as it’s a raised garden
harrislucinda, Nov 18, 5:02pm
could burn your plants too strong best to mix in with the soil
colin433, Nov 18, 6:44pm
You're in more or less the same situation that we are. All our flower gardens are in raised beds, placed on concrete. We never buy compost. I find the best potting mix is THRIVE, and we also use old poting mix that was used previously in one of the beds. Depending on how deep the roots of the new plants are going to go, we either put the old stuff on the bottom, with sheep and chookie poo pellets, mixed in, or sometimes we use it on the top of new potting mix, working on the basis that roots go down, the lesser fertilised stuff is just a fill on the top.
Our garden looks fabulous at the moment.
A few other hints. If you're planting largish plants, such as flower carpet roses, petunias that are sold as individual plants (not sure if they will carry through to next year) etc. You can plant them in a decent sized pot, or even in a bucket, Water is at a premium for us, so when they are planted in buckets, that's the only area that needs watering. The potting mix that is around them in the raised bed, acts as insulation, preventing the roots from becoming overheated. It also means that the potting mix around the buckets doesn't have to be of good quality, so you COULD use the cheaper compost for that.
Petunias are my favourite flower this year, but steer clear of the bubblegum variety, unless you buy all the same colour. The different colours have totally different growing habits, from staying as a compact plant, to sprawling everywhere.
I can post some photos if you're interested
oh_hunnihunni, Nov 18, 6:57pm
I agree with Colin. I grow in pots and bins and use predominantly commercial tub mixes, but I have added commercial compost mixes on occasion to older used mixes, but I always boost nutrient levels with that magic mix of sheep pellets and nitro blue, not a lot, but just a handful per pot. Like baking a cake, it's a recipe I've used for years and it works for me. Some mixes can do with a top mulch layer too to prevent too rapid drying out, but it is all a matter of trial and error. In your case OP, I'd be investing in some really good potting mix, and as you plant into your raised bed I'd scoop a really big hole, fill it with the good potting mix, and plant into that. You can then liquid feed or topdress the whole bed as the plants grow with more food, either slow release, or seaweed, or even your own garden tea. Your first year is an experiment, the hard work is done now - the best is yet to come, lol! Welcome to 21st century gardening!
brightlights60, Nov 18, 8:02pm
Yes. It can get hot, and it doesn't have enough nutrients in it. The compost you buy is just for mixing in with soil. You would need a lot of potting mix for a raised garden. Your best bet is a scoop or two of something like BioBlend, or pig manure. Bio blend you can buy from Oderings, and pig manure straight from a pig farm. Both have everything in them you need to plant directly into them. You will need to top up (best way is to start your own compost heap and dig the contents of that in late Winter to your raised beds) as anything you plant this year will use up all the nutrients from whatever you put in it this year.
oh_hunnihunni, Nov 18, 8:14pm
Pig can be a bit burny if it is too fresh, but great if it has 'matured' like a good wine lol. I can't get it being citified, hence the nice prepackaged sheep pellets.
docsportello, Nov 18, 9:07pm
Short answer = yes
Long answer not available on your present free version please upgrade to compo-pro
kindajojo, Nov 18, 9:24pm
Can you get a trailerload of screened topsoil, or some garden centres do a garden mix with everything in it and saturade.
brightlights60, Nov 18, 10:43pm
We are in Christchurch and there is a guy in Darfield who supplies the most awesome stuff. We fill the raised vege beds every year with it and he sells it on here too.
lythande1, Nov 19, 7:58am
Of course. And naturally it doesn't look like normal dirt. Normal dirt is lacking in food, not as friable generally.
But I do prefer home made compost, the bought stuff is just poo and ground up bark, it's pretty rubbish really.
Also To improve soil structure, mulch with leaves and let it rot in.
dandekate, Nov 19, 8:42am
Thanks everyone, I’m off to get some “soil/dirt” from a garden centre today to mix into the compost. I’ll put some of the left over compost in the other garden and we have an area by the house that is not a garden that need filling up so I’ll throw leftovers there. The garden is for Veges. Your comments have been a great help.
rita197, Nov 25, 9:44pm
I put in 1/3 compost to 2/3 soil/garden mix/pottong mix in new raised gardens. A quick mixing of both together prior to planting is all that is needed. Sheep pellets added too is good for the plants.
oh_hunnihunni, Nov 26, 11:11am
x1
You forget lots of folk have no room for composting, and layering direct also takes up planting space.
d.williams, Nov 26, 7:29pm
I use compost only in my glasshouse and every thing loves it.
flancrest, Feb 7, 3:19am
It depends entirely on the type of compost and what you are planting.
So the answer is maybe.