Using compost for best advantageLearn how using compost wisely can help you, your soil and your vegetable plants. When should you add compost?When autumn digging add compost and incorporate it into the top 10cm soil particularly for potato, tomato, brassica, curcurbit, shallot, leek, chard and celery crops.For 'raised beds' and 'no-dig beds' add compost as a layer onto the soil for the worms to incorporate over the winter. Add to improve your soil;
Or, if you are short of compost, add at planting;
How much compost should you add?It all depends on your soil type and the vegetables you are growing.A maximum of a wheel barrow load over 5 square metres for light sandy and heavy clay soils and for hungry crops (potatoes, tomatoes, cucurbits, brassicas and celery). Use less compost for loams and before other crops. No compost should be added; before carrots/ beetroot/ parsnips, where the soil is already organically rich or within 4 weeks of applying lime.
For more information on composting
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