the essentials in brief
- Compost soil is very nutritious and can be used as fertilizer for lawns or vegetable patches
- Compost soil can be easily made yourself with a compost heap
- Compost soil is one of the most important ingredients in a raised bed
Where is the best place to buy compost soil?
The provider and product need to be selected with care. After all, you entrusted your lovingly tended ornamental and vegetable plants to compost. The following table lists, in alphabetical order, recommended purchasing sources for top quality compost at an affordable price:
also read
- Raised bed with compost soil - tips for filling
- How to plant succulents in an exemplary manner - tips and tricks for hobby gardeners
- How to propagate orchids by sowing seeds - tips & tricks for the hobby gardener
| providers | Price loose goods | Price of packaged goods | Shipping yes / no |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | from 0.11 EUR (1 l) | from 5.50 EUR (20 l) | Yes |
| Dehner garden centers | no option | from 6.99 EUR (40 l) | Yes |
| Ebay | from 0.11 EUR (1 l) | from 5.50 EUR (20 l) | Yes |
| Composting plants | from 26.00 EUR (1 m³) | from 2.40 EUR (40 l) | Yes |
| Obi hardware stores | from 0.18 EUR (1 l) | from 9.99 EUR (60 l) | Yes |
| Recycling yards (e.g. B. BSR) | from 14.50 EUR (1 m³) | from 4.50 EUR (45 l) | no |
If you decide to buy by mail order, there are additional costs. Composting plants deliver large quantities in big bags by truck to your front door. As a rule, the price for a big bag with a capacity of 1 cubic meter is 15 euros plus 3.50 euros per cubic meter for crane unloading. Some providers have the filling of big bags additionally rewarded with a surcharge of up to 20 percent. Therefore, when buying compost soil by mail order, please ask about any additional delivery costs.
If you like it local, you can buy compost in the flower shop around the corner
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Observe the RAL quality mark for compost
Where can I use compost soil? - An overview
Compost soil is rich in natural nutrients, activates the soil life, optimizes the soil structure, prevents erosion and equips plants against diseases. These outstanding properties make compost the ideal natural fertilizer and soil improver for the hobby garden. The following overview summarizes common options for a meaningful use:
- Starter fertilizer: Enrichment of the soil with cultivation, bedding and tub planting
- Nutrient supply: regular administration as natural fertilizer
- Soil improver: loosen up, refine and refine problematic soil structures
One of the particular advantages of using it is that compost replaces all peat products. It is thanks to the organic substrate that the overexploitation of irretrievable raised bogs can be stopped. For this reason, when buying compost, please give preference to peat-free branded goods and ignore cheap goods containing peat.
Use neat or stretch - Here's how to do it right
Compost can be used pure or mixed with other soil, sand or granules
Compost soil therefore comes with a concentrated load of valuable nutrients which, in concentrated form, are not suitable for every use. You can find out under what conditions you should use or stretch compost pure soil here:
- Cultivation and sowing soil: 1 part compost soil, 9 parts sand or Coconut soil
- Potting soil: 3 parts excavation of the planting pit, 1 part compost soil
- Natural fertilizers: sprinkle pure several times per season, rake in 2-5 cm high and on the surface
- Bucket substrate: 1 part garden soil, 1 part compost soil, if necessary some sand, Expanded clay(€ 16.35 at Amazon *) or Lava granules
If you have a Vegetable patch When using compost soil, create a new one: clog it up and don't spill it. Please apply 15 to 20 liters of pure compost per square meter of bed area so that young crops find the ideal starting conditions. The subsequent nutrient supply depends on whether you are a high consumer (8 l / m²), a medium high consumer (6 l / m²) or a low consumer (4 l / m²) fertilize.
How do I fertilize lawns with compost soil?
Compost soil is the perfect fertilizer for vegetable beds and lawns
Purchased or self-made compost turns poor lawns into a lush green carpet. Valid concerns about conventional ones Lawn fertilizer With unnatural, chemically toxic ingredients, natural fertilizers catapult to the top of the ranking for environmentally friendly ones Lawn care. Important preparatory work ensures that compost meets expectations as a lawn fertilizer. This includes throwing the organic material through a sieve to remove coarse particles. The following instructions explain how to properly fertilize your lawn with compost soil:
- Sieve compost soil (pass-through sieve with a mesh size of 10-15 cm)
- Mow the lawn as usual
- sifted compost soil using wheelbarrow and shovel out
- Recommended amount: 1-2 l / m², or 1-2 cm high
- with Rake spread evenly
- Water the lawn
The time window is open twice a year to pamper the lawn with compost soil. In March / April the natural nutrients stimulate the growth of the green space. In August / September a layer of compost prepares the lawn for the rigors of the coming winter. Ideally, you should not shower the natural fertilizer with water afterwards, but rather with comfrey liquid manure. There is plenty of potassium in comfrey, which strengthens the hardiness of the noble grasses.
Tips
Knowledgeable hobby gardeners optimize the capacity of the lawn for the beneficial effects of compost soil. For this purpose, the green area is made in advance scarified. Rotating knives scratch the Sward a few millimeters deep and comb out any disturbing lawn thatch.
How do I fill the raised bed with compost soil?
Compost soil is essential for raised beds
For the competent filling of a Raised bed Compost soil plays a key role, supplemented with other important components. The composition depends on the planned planting. Crop plants have a higher nutritional requirement than flowers and grasses. The following brief instructions explain how to properly fill a raised bed for growing vegetables:
- floor: cover with vole wire
- first layer: 20 cm high coarse material (wood cut)
- second layer: 10 cm chopped twigs, shredded autumn leaves
- third layer: 20 cm of coarse, unscreened, semi-mature compost
- fourth layer: 30 cm sifted, ripe compost soil
If the raised bed is reserved for more frugal ornamental plants, the perfect filling is reduced to two layers above the indispensable vole wire. On a 20 cm high layer of gravel or crushed stone, fill in ripe, sieved compost soil. The organic components of the compost soil sag by 10 to 20 centimeters every year. For the schedule next spring, please make a note of filling the raised bed with fresh compost soil accordingly.
Digression
Compost soil has a neutral pH value
Making compost yourself - how does it work?
The cheap acquisition of Compost soil mostly fails due to the high weight and the associated delivery costs. Hobby gardeners save money and simply produce the natural fertilizer and soil improver themselves. A partially shaded to shady location with unpaved ground and at least 50 centimeters away from the neighboring property is well suited. Ideally, there is a water connection nearby.
The best time to start is in autumn because there is plenty of plant material available at this time. Crushed branches, autumn leaves and other leftovers are well suited. Uncooked kitchen waste, stable and cage manure, tea bags, coffee filters and dried-up lawn clippings also contribute to rich compost. Layer the materials alternately, adding 10 kilos Rock flour per cubic meter against unpleasant odor. Meat, leftover food, textiles, metal, plastic and weeds have no place on the compost heap.
In the twinkling of an eye, soil organisms have discovered the new source of food, settle there and decompose the organic materials into valuable compost. If it is dry, pour water over the compost heap to prevent the microorganisms from dying of thirst. The rotting process takes between 6 and 12 months. You speed up the process by turning or mixing the material twice a year.
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The right compost bin for every garden
The own production of compost does not have to fail due to lack of space. A wide range of inexpensive compost bins is available for every garden size. The following overview summarizes the best options:
- Compost rent: for large areas and high levels of waste
- Slatted composter: traditional wooden construction for the average allotment garden
- Wire mesh composter: available in many sizes, longer shelf life than slatted composter
- Quick composter: little space required, rapid rotting up to ripe compost soil
- Worm composter: ideal for balconies, patios and the towel-small garden
Storing Compost Soil - How Do I Do It Right?
Life reigns supreme in finished compost. Correct storage is essential to ensure that the natural fertilizer retains its premium quality over a longer period of time. Continuous rain and a thick blanket of snow are poison for the organic material. How to store compost in an exemplary manner:
- Select a rainproof location with ground contact
- weed weed
- Pour compost earth into the heap
- cover with tar paper, black foil or similar waterproof material
- Fasten the side edges of the cover with stones so that it is windproof
Compost soil should not be stored in the sack for long periods of time. If the storage conditions are unfavorable, there is a risk that the earth will begin to sweat. As a result, mold and rot will form, which will seriously affect the quality. It is worth the effort to open the bags in order to pile up the compost in the rain-protected location.
frequently asked Questions
Where can I get compost free of charge?
We have identified two sources for free compost soil for you. Browse through classifieds regularly, on Ebay, Findix, Quoka and comparable portals. If you stay on the ball here, you will discover in good time when private gardeners are offering excess compost free of charge. Depending on the annual volume of green waste, numerous recycling centers in Germany and Austria offer the Free compost soil for self-collectors in the spring to make space on the before the start of the season Composting site.
How does organic compost differ from other types of compost?
Experts generally differentiate between organic compost and green compost. The main source of organic compost is the organic garbage can, which is available almost everywhere in German and Austrian households. Green compost is made from green waste received by recycling and recycling centers. Due to its composition, organic compost soil is significantly richer in nutrients than green compost soil.
Should I sterilize compost before using it?
Origin and quality determine whether compost should be sterilized before use or not. If you hold a product with the RAL compost quality mark (BGK), no measures are required to make the soil sterile. The various test criteria include proof from the manufacturer that strict hygiene regulations are being adhered to. If the compost comes from our own production, we recommend using a thermal treatment at around 100 degrees Celsius to sterilize the soil.
I underestimated the weight of compost so that my raised bed is too heavy for the balcony. What can I do?
A standard raised bed for the balcony is not a heavyweight at around 15 kilograms. If, on the other hand, compost comes in as a filling, the weight can reach questionable dimensions. So that you can still garden at table height on your balcony, simply pull an intermediate floor into the raised bed. Place your ornamental, vegetable and herb plants in pots on the floor. The area under the intermediate floor remains empty.
Tips
Balcony gardeners beat a lack of space and produce compost themselves. The horticultural stroke of genius succeeds with the help of a Worm farm. It is a wooden box with four chambers. Organic waste is collected in it and gradually removed from it Compost worms processed into vermicompost and worm tea. The first generation of hard-working worm farm residents can be purchased cheaply in certified specialist shops.
