Add Compost Is Good To Do
To offer container plants a good amount of nutrients, I prefer to add compost. Once you understand how to do it, it’s simple. Compost can be added to container plants when the potting soil is being prepared before planting. Compost can be mixed with potting soil in a ratio of 25% to 50%. Once the plant has grown, you can add compost to the top of the soil. Compost can be added to container plants once a month. Let’s dig deeper into the expert tips that we have!
Mix Compost Into The Potting Soil
When preparing the potting soil for your container plants, you can add compost for the first time. Alternatively, you might have made your own potting soil by combining perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss. You may also have bought potting soil from a store. Here are the steps:
- Cover the ground with a layer of newspaper or a plastic sheet. If you have one, you can also use a wheelbarrow.
- Depending on how much potting soil you’ll need for your container plants, pour it on this surface. Then, add 25 to 50 percent compost to the potting soil and thoroughly mix it in.
- When mixing this potting soil and compost mixture, add a little water at a time. It should be wet but not soggy.
- Then you may fill the container with this potting soil and grow plants in it.
More Tips
Instead of incorporating 25% or more compost into the potting soil, you might use a small amount of compost. Instead, you can fill the container with potting soil. Dig a hole in the center of the potting soil for the plant to grow in. Place the plant in the hole after adding a couple of inches of compost. So instead of combining a lot of compost with the potting soil, you use a small amount.
Add Compost On Top Potting Soil
The nutrients and helpful organisms provided by the compost you added to the potting soil will benefit the plant. However, because of the watering, the nutrients will only last around 6 weeks before they are depleted or leached away. Once the plant has begun to grow, I recommend adding compost to the container once a month. This will ensure that the plant receives a steady supply of nutrients.
But
If the soil has been mulched, make sure to separate it before applying the compost. When it’s time to add compost, don’t dig into the potting soil. You run the danger of harming the roots as well as the helpful organisms that live there. I recommend removing a little amount of topsoil and then covering it with an inch of compost. The compost can then be covered with some of the soil.
Add Enough Compost
When preparing the potting soil, I recommend not adding more than 50% compost. After the plant has grown, add an inch or less to the top of the soil. When planting, if you don’t have much compost, add a few inches towards the roots. Once the plant is established, only a small amount of mulch should be applied around the plant’s base. You’d think that the more compost you add to the container plant, the better. However, this is not the case, and adding extra compost to the mix can harm the plant. If there is too much compost in the potting soil, it will have an extremely loose feel. The plant’s structure will be unstable due to the loose texture.
Last Words
Keep in mind, after you add compost, moisten the potting soil thoroughly until it flows through the drainage holes at the bottom.