All About Using Compost in Your Garden
Using compost to plant fall peonies on the flower farm.
Updated February 13, 2024
Some of the most common questions I get as a flower farmers is, “Should I be using compost in my garden? If so, where should I buy compost? Do I have to make compost myself?”
Through this gardening blog, it has been my intention to help people grow bigger and better gardens, and to have a more fulfilling gardening experience. There have been so many questions surrounding what compost is, why compost is useful for the garden, and how to apply compost to the garden. Below, I’ve written this FAQ-style post to help answer any burning questions you may have ever had about compost. If you need anything else clarified, please leave a comment and we will get back to you!
Related Article: How Compost Works and How to Make Compost in Your Backyard
Effects of compost application on buckwheat cover crop.
what is compost?
In my own words, compost is plant waste that has been decomposed by macro- and microorganisms, and broken down into a usable form for the garden. Compost is usually made of a combination of different organic materials, such as yard waste, plant-based food scraps from your kitchen, animal manures, woody materials, and leaves, among many other possibilities.
The nutritional density of compost depends on the actual compost-making process and the materials involved. Not all compost is created with care, so do not assume that all compost is the same. Bagged Compost is okay to use if that’s all you have access to.
Learn More: Outsourcing Compost and the Risks Involved
Why is compost good for the garden?
During the breakdown process, many different beneficial organisms (from earthworms and beetles to invisible beneficial bacteria and fungi) work in harmony to decompose the plant matter into a nutritional powerhouse for your plants. The most important function of compost is that it acts as a vehicle for beneficial soil microbes into your garden so they can continue doing good work.
OTHER BENEFITS OF ADDING COMPOST TO YOUR GARDEN:
Compost is wonderful a source of Organic Matter
Organic Matter feeds soil microbes and provides a home for them to live in your garden. When soil microbes stick around, they will continue the beneficial cycle of decomposition in your garden soil.
Organic Matter helps break down clay soils over time.
Organic Matter holds moisture and increases overall Soil Moisture Holding Capacity.
Beneficial Microbes in the compost will fight against pests and diseases in the garden (a completely natural form of Integrated Pest Management, allowing you to lay off the pesticides and even OMRI (Organic) approved pesticides.
Adding Compost to the top of your garden beds each year will slowly raise the soil in your beds higher, which will help with drainage and overall workability of the soil.
Learn More about Organic Matter here: Fertilizing and ‘The Law of Return’
is compost the same as fertilizer?
Technically no, compost is not a fertilizer. The difference between fertilizer and compost is that fertilizer is something you add to the garden that has been formulated (either organically or synthetically) with specific nutrients to address specific nutrient deficiencies. N-P-K numbers, along with other nutritional information on the label, are evidence of how a fertilizer will perform in your garden and should be applied based on a soil test.
On the other hand, compost can be added to your garden every year without the need of a soil test. Rather than addressing specific nutrient deficiencies, compost acts as an inoculant for soil microbes and is a wonderful source of organic matter. If the compost contains a well-balanced combination of soil microbes, they will decompose organic matter in your soil and make those nutrients readily available for plants.
Most Popular Read: The Reasons Why Miracle-Gro Is So Bad for Your Garden
Can I use compost and fertilizer in the garden together?
Compost and fertilizers can happily be used together in the garden, but keep in mind that while you can’t overdo it with compost, you can definitely overdo it with fertilizer. Our favorite all-purpose fertilizers are: Mix of Alfalfa Meal + Kelp Meal -OR- just Bat Guano Fertilizer, which basically acts as a multivitamin for plants. Always follow package instructions for application of fertilizers.
how do i apply compost in the garden?
The first step is, don’t fret about using compost. It’s incredibly easy to add compost to your garden. Our preferred way is to dump the compost on top of the soil (easy to do if it comes in a bag) and spread it out with a hard rake at a depth of 2-3 inches. Then, we use a compost fork to “aerate” by sinking the fork vertically into the soil and gently rocking the fork back and forth a few times. You will not turn the soil onto itself. You can sink the fork in every 12 inches down the length of your garden bed. Try not to step on the soil during this process.
Most importantly, there is no need to till the compost in nor shovel it under the soil. There are many reasons why tillage destroys garden soil — I encourage you to read up on it so you can fully understand why. To have a healthy garden starts with understanding how nature works in harmony with itself.
Recommended: Why is Tilling So Bad? + Winterizing the Garden Using No-Till Soil Building Techniques
Adding compost to garden bed in Spring 2022.
How often should i use compost in the garden?
You should add fresh compost to your edible/annual garden every Spring, before planting. For perennial plantings, we also side dress our perennial plants on an annual basis in Spring.
can I use compost on my vegetable/edible garden?
You can definitely use Organic/OMRI-Approved Compost on your vegetable/edible garden. If you are making your own compost, that is also safe to use, assuming you haven’t added any chemicals into the mix. As for bulk compost from a topsoil supplier or municipality, I would be wary of adding this compost to your edible garden. Often times, chemicals have been purposely added to these products, or have leached into them. Learn more about outsourcing compost here.
what kinds of plants can I use compost on?
All plants, even your lawn, will benefit from adding compost. To learn more about naturally improving your lawn with compost, this is a great book: Teaming with Nutrients by Jeff Lowenfels
do i have to make my own compost? how do i make compost in my backyard?
You do not have to make your own compost if you have a good source! However, making your own compost is the best thing you can do for your garden and I encourage you to learn. I wrote a detailed, informative post here on how to start your own biodiverse compost pile in your backyard. One of my favorite parts about making my own compost is that my kitchen garbage rarely stinks since we are diverting all of that stinky fruit & veggie waste to the compost pile!
more resources for growing a great garden:
Our Favorite Resources for Vegetable Gardening: Books, Tools, Soil Amendments & Sourcing
Regenerative Agriculture Books & Podcasts
What’s in my Flower Farming Toolbelt
Why Local, Organically-Grown Flowers are So Important
GARDEN BLOG ARCHIVE with every post I’ve ever written
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