Article: How much Compost?

Created on: Friday, April 22, 2011

If the garden has been treated organically for years then the soil microbial life will be abundant, the levels of humus in the soil from previous applications of compost will be high--you will need to add less compost. On the other hand, if the soil has not been organically maintained, and has a low level of humus and organic matter in it, then the levels of compost must be greatly increased for several years. The first year's compost application, for the most part, will not be assimilated by the plants in that first year. This is because it takes longer than a season for the organisms that decay and release the nutrients and elements to perform their work. Also, factors such as temperature, PH, soil texture, and moisture in the soil can greatly influence the productivity of the microbial organisms.