“I have some large compost bins, which produce a lot of compost. Can I plant things in pure compost, or do I need some “dirt” with inorganic materials for the best results? How much inorganic material do I need?” Question from Naomi or Oakdale, California
Answer: Congratulations on your composting success! Compost is one of the best garden amendments available. You can plant in straight compost, but I suggest incorporating it into your sandy garden soil or mixing it with other additives if you want to use it for container plantings.
Compost as a Garden Amendment
When using compost to fortify gardens, incorporate it evenly into your natural soil. Add it liberally if your soil is of very poor quality–especially if you want to grow crops that need fertile soil, like fruits and vegetables. You might also consider building raised beds to make the most of your compost bounty.
Compost as a Potting Mix Additive
If you plan to use your compost for container plantings, include other additives to encourage better root growth in the long term. These include Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, perlite, and vermiculite. The peat moss with lighten the mix and give it more structure and porosity, while the perlite will help increase drainage. Vermiculite holds water, adds porosity, and holds and distributes nutrients. A well-rounded potting mix would include 40% compost, 30% peat moss, 20% perlite, and 10% vermiculite.
I hope that this helps, and keep composting!
Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist
FAQs
You can plant in straight compost, but I suggest incorporating it into your sandy garden soil or mixing it with other additives if you want to use it for container plantings.
Is compost enough to grow plants? ›
The value of compost to a garden is probably not what most people think. Compost is not a substitute for fertilizer if you're trying to grow crops that have a high nutrient demand.
Can I use only compost as potting soil? ›
Yes, you can use compost instead of potting soil. Doing so will boost the growth of your plants and help them grow strong. However, I'd strongly recommend mixing both. This way, your plants will receive the benefits of both compost and potting soil without losing out on nutrients, water retention and support.
How do you use black gold compost? ›
Black Gold® Garden Compost can either be mixed into the soil before planting as a garden amendment, or applied to the surface of the soil as mulch.
What grows in pure compost? ›
Most plants simply need more structure, water retention and nutrients than compost alone can provide. There are certain crops, however, that can do well when planted in pure compost. Along with tomatoes, as discussed above, pumpkins and squash are two other crops that can do well growing in pure compost.
Can you plant in 100% compost? ›
Compost is one of the best garden amendments available. You can plant in straight compost, but I suggest incorporating it into your sandy garden soil or mixing it with other additives if you want to use it for container plantings.
How long do you leave compost before planting? ›
Dig in lightly with a bow rake, and leave the compost to rest a week or two before you plant seeds or starts.
Is black gold a good potting soil? ›
Excellent potting mix. Used in my window boxes. After many seasons of planting various containers in different mixes including adding compost, I found that using Black Gold mix produced larger healthier plants. The mix does not have a dry feel to it unlike others that remind me of sawdust.
What are the benefits of black gold? ›
Black gold changes the fixation properties of the soil. It benefits such as Neutralizes both acid and alkaline soils; regulates the pH-value of soils. With increased and healthier root mass, plants capacity to uptake of nutrients and water produces bumper yields and healthier plants.
What is black gold for plants? ›
Compost yields a rich black soil additive that many gardeners refer to as “Black Gold” because of its value to their plant material. Composting is the biological decomposition of organic matter. Decomposition occurs naturally, but it can be accelerated.
A little bit goes a long way. By volume, about 30% compost to the overall soil mix will be ideal. Next, for tomatoes and all plants to perform their best, the soil should include minerals as well. Pure compost will lack some of the important minerals tomatoes and other plants need to perform their best.
Can I plant in my compost pile? ›
Yes, you can except as another responder has said, if the compost is still “working” the heat could kill the seeds/plants. If it's finished compost, sure. If it's still composting, you may kill your plants. But the problem is that soil is a mix of some ground up rock and some organic matter.
Do I need fertilizer if I use compost? ›
If you consistently use compost and maintain soil health, your plants won't require fertilizer. Instead, they'll get their nutrients as they're slowly released into the ground by compost. A rapid feed is rarely necessary for a healthy garden, where the soil is well-balanced and can provide nutrients on its own.
Does compost eventually turn into soil? ›
yes. However, the compost will continue to decompose, which means that it will eventually lose volume. Fresh compost is an effective soil conditioner with a lot of nutrients available to plants.
Can you start plants in compost? ›
The Danger of Starting Seeds in Compost
There is a pretty significant drawback to starting seeds in compost, damping off disease. Damping off disease is a common term used to describe a group of soil-borne fungal diseases that affect the seeds and seedlings of plants. These diseases can be caused by various fungi.
Can I use compost as top soil? ›
For general top dressings, aiming to improve the soil structure and provide nutrients in a fairly general way, you can use almost any compost. Home-made is fine, and will give you a glow of satisfaction at feeding your lawn from kitchen and garden waste.
