What compost to use on veg plot?

FairyJennet · December 2022

I want to add some goodness on my veg plot. I have homemade compost but not a lot of it. What other material can I add to the plot?

punkdoc · December 2022

Well rotted manure is very good.

Dovefromabove · December 2022

I agree, well-rotted farmyard manure is what we use ... I'd add in the spring and fork lightly into the surface ... no real need to dig in. Just don't add it to the area where you're planing to grow carrots or parsnips this year.

Arthur1 · December 2022

I find it's more a case of what I can get. Currently I have woodchip in quantity and free.
FYM would have to be collected, and possibly paid for.
Home made compost is great but in minimal quantity despite my numerous compost heaps.
So I would say, you need whatever you can get your hands on, from cardboard to horse poo. Most OM has minimal nutrient content but Growmore is cheap, it's the bulky material you are adding that benefits the structure of the soil. So almost anything organic.

FairyJennet · December 2022

Thank you everyone, looks like manure is the way to go. Do I have to wait until March to do this?

punkdoc · December 2022

No, you can add it any time the soil is not frozen, or very dry.

Dovefromabove · December 2022

I find that if you spread the manure in the winter the rain washed a lot of the nutrients out … you could spread the manure then cover it with sheets of cardboard or old plastic compost bags or similar, but then you have to peg or weight them down because of the winds. I find it’s much less trouble to wait until early spring … and I find the results are just as good.

Whiterot · December 2022

I have 2 compost bins made out of pallets. One has this years compost the other last years. This year I have made it a rule that I do not put weeds with seeds in as it only adds to my weed problem further down the line. I usually only use the compost from the bins in limited areas such as near to the paved walkway where the soil needs topping up. 18 months ago I had 2 loads of rotted farmyard manure at £15 a load and I have still got 2/3rds left. I use it sparingly definitely on potatoes, beans courgettes and every other year on the onion bed. I am not into using wood chip as they take forever to rot down but I have an ample supply of leaves from my home garden which I generally dig in when I winter dig and put the excess in a separate bin for later use. I know they do not add many nutrients to the soil but over time they have added to the composition as most of my allotment now has 18" of good soil.

What compost to use on veg plot?

Posts