Compost
Uploaded by
Neil MenezesCompost
Uploaded by
Neil MenezesCOMPOST BLENDS & MIXES Garden soils
Sustainable
Compost can be blended with a range of materials
to make it more suitable for a specific gardening
Use compost blends when building new garden beds
if soil quality is poor or limited soil is available on-
site. Compost made at home can be blended with
Gardening:
Using Compost
use. A range of products can be easily made with
soil on-site or with purchased sand. You may need
home produced compost, or purchased as pre-
to use some slow release fertiliser to help plants
blended products from nurseries or
establish in the garden bed. Commercial garden
landscape suppliers.
soils are available which contain compost. Look
If you intend making your own compost for soils that are certified to Australian Standard
blended products at home, be sure to AS 4419 (2003) to ensure you are buying quality soil
use gloves and wear a particle mask to that will support the growth of your plants.
avoid breathing in dust.
Worm castings in a mix
Potting mix Worm castings are a nutrient-
Potting mixes contain compost and rich organic material produced
inorganic material to assist in from the action of earthworms
drainage and aeration. Compost in home worm farms. Add
is not usually used at a rate of them as a small component to
more than 40% by volume in the potting mixes, soils and topdressing (usually less
mix, as it breaks down and can result than 10% by volume). Worm farms also produce
in slumping or shrinkage in the pot. Add inorganic a watery liquid often referred to as worm juice
materials such as sand, vermiculite or gravel to the or leachate. It is mainly water released during
mix to keep it free draining and aerated. Starter the breakdown of organic wastes in worm farms
fertiliser may be needed depending on the nutrient and contains a range of soluble nutrients that can
content of your mix and plant requirements. feed plants. Dilute worm juice with clean water
Commercial potting mixes are available that contain at a ratio of 1:10 and apply directly to the soil
compost. Look for potting mixes that are certified surrounding the plant.
to Australian Standard AS 3743 (2003) to ensure
you are buying a quality mix that will support the
growth of your plants.
Topdressing WANT TO KNOW MORE?
To make topdressing from your home-made Visit the ZeroWaste WA website:
compost, screen out the coarse particles with an 8 www.zerowastewa.com.au
or 10 millimetre garden sieve that can be purchased
from hardware stores. Blend the fine compost with
a small proportion of sand (approx 20%) to make it
easier to spread and rake into your lawn. Printed on recycled paper
WHAT IS COMPOST? Improves physical properties of soils Mulching
Compost cuts down soil erosion Mulching of the soil surface helps combat weeds,
Compost is an organic fertiliser resulting from the
and promotes healthy plant root conserves water and makes your garden look
controlled breakdown of organic matter. It can
growth. great! Coarse, semi-decayed woody material is a
be made at home in a compost bin from garden
In clay or silty soils, adding suitable mulch to add on top of the soil and around
trimmings and food scraps, or bought from garden
organic matter opens up plants. It can be used around trees and shrubs.
centres and landscape suppliers.
tightly packed particles. Ensure the mulch does not touch the stems of
plants. This avoids excess moisture retention
WHY USE COMPOST? Compost helps to bind clusters which promotes disease such as collar rot.
Better for you of soil particles, called aggregates, and helps to
The flavour and nutrient content develop tiny air channels and pores into which roots Topdressing
of fruits and vegetables is greatly can grow. Topdressing with compost on new and established
improved when they are grown in lawns helps to replace organic matter and
good quality compost. Improves soil health nutrients lost through mowing. Home-produced
Compost is a living material compost is ideal for this purpose as
Nutrients for plants that contains a range of its slow nutrient release helps to
Compost is an excellent source of microbes that can improve stimulate growth. Adding compost
essential plant nutrients. In particular, it provides the health of soils and the also means your lawn will hold
those nutrients needed by plants in smaller vitality of plants. Organic moisture more readily and will
amounts - such as manganese, zinc and iron matter present in compost need less watering. Topdressing
- that are often missing from artificial fertilisers. also supports the growth of with a 5-10 millimetre layer in
Compost also increases the capacity of soil to beneficial bacteria, fungi, spring and autumn is ideal.
retain nutrients, reducing the need for fertilisers. insects and worms that all play
This also reduces nutrient runoff into waterways an important role in aerating Soil conditioning
and leaching into groundwater which can cause the soil and suppressing plant Use compost to enrich your garden soil before
problems such as algal blooms. Compost can disease. Good quality compost planting. Compost is good for digging into the soil
help provide a more neutral pH and improve the can suppress specific plant diseases, such as club a couple of weeks before planting.
availability of nutrients for plant growth in soils. root and white rot, that can occur in unhealthy
soils. Regular use of compost can reduce the need Seed starter and potting mixes
Save money for chemical pesticides, making your garden more You can use your home produced
Compost saves you money by reducing the need sustainable. compost for preparing your own
for water and fertiliser on your garden. potting mixes.
USING COMPOST IN YOUR GARDEN
Save water
Vegetable gardens
In some soils a 5% increase in organic
Using compost in vegetable gardens will improve the
material can quadruple a soils water
organic matter content and fertility of soil. Compost
holding capacity! Compost also reduces
can be surface spread and dug into the garden bed a
water loss through evaporation by up to 70%.
couple of weeks prior to planting.
