Ripe compost soil smells like the forest floor, trickles promisingly through your hands and makes gardeners' hearts beat faster. You can find out where you can buy the hobby gardener's black gold cheaply here. This guide reveals how you can make compost soil yourself, use it competently and store it. Practically tested instructions explain how to fertilize your lawn with compost and fill the raised bed correctly.
Where can you buy compost soil cheaply and what is it used for?
Compost soil is a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer and soil improver that can be used in a variety of ways in the garden, e.g. B. as a starter fertilizer, for nutrient supply or as a soil improver. You can buy compost soil cheaply from suppliers such as Amazon, Dehner garden centers, eBay or recycling centers.
Where is the best place to buy compost soil?
Provider and product need to be selected carefully. After all, you entrusted composting soil with your lovingly cared for ornamental and vegetable plants. The following table lists, in alphabetical order, recommended purchasing sources for compost soil of the best quality at a reasonable price:
| Providers | Price loose goods | Price 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 |
| Compost works | 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. BSR) | from 14.50 EUR (1 m³) | from 4.50 EUR (45 l) | no |
If you decide to purchase by mail order, additional costs will be added. Compost plants deliver large quantities in big bags by truck to your doorstep. 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 charge an additional fee of up to 20 percent for filling big bags. Therefore, when purchasing compost soil by mail order, please ask about any additional delivery costs.
If you like things local, buy compost at the flower shop around the corner
Background
Observe RAL quality mark for compost
The RAL compost quality mark serves as an excellent guide when purchasing. The Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost e. V (BGK) is responsible for the award. Compost manufacturers subject their products to voluntary quality assurance based on regular testing procedures. Qualified laboratories carefully examine compost soil with a view to its safe use as a natural fertilizer and soil improver. In this context, the entire manufacturing process from waste to the finished product is examined. If you want to be on the safe side when buying compost soil, choose a product with the RAL compost quality mark.
Where can I use compost soil? – An Overview
Compost soil is rich in natural nutrients, activates soil life, optimizes the soil structure, prevents erosion and protects plants against diseases. These outstanding properties make compost soil the ideal natural fertilizer and soil improver for the hobby garden. The following overview summarizes common options for sensible use:
- Starting fertilizer: Enrichment of the soil during cultivation, bed and container planting
- Nutrient supply: regular administration as natural fertilizer
- Soil improver: loosen, refine and refine problematic soil structure
One of the special advantages of using it is that compost soil 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 soil, please give preference to peat-free branded products and ignore cheap products containing peat.
Use pure or stretch – How to do it right
Compost can be used pure or mixed with other soil, sand or granules
Compost soil comes with a concentrated load of valuable nutrients, which in concentrated form is not suitable for every use. You can find out under which conditions you should use pure compost soil or stretch it here:
- Growing and sowing soil: 1 part compost soil, 9 parts sand or coconut soil
- Planting soil: 3 parts excavation of the planting pit, 1 part compost soil
- Natural fertilizer: Spread pure several times per season, 2-5 cm high and rake in superficially
- Bucket substrate: 1 part garden soil, 1 part compost soil, if necessary some sand, expanded clay or lava granules
If you are creating a new vegetable patch, the following rule for using compost soil is: block it and don't spill it. Please apply 15 to 20 liters of pure compost per square meter of bed area so that young crops have ideal starting conditions. The subsequent nutrient supply depends on whether you fertilize heavy feeders (8 l/m²), medium feeders (6 l/m²) or weak feeders (4 l/m²).
How do I fertilize lawn with compost?
Compost soil is the perfect fertilizer for vegetable beds and lawns
Purchased or homemade compost transforms poor lawns into a lush green carpet. Legitimate concerns about conventional lawn fertilizers with unnatural, chemically toxic ingredients catapult natural fertilizer to the top of the rankings for environmentally friendly lawn care. Important preparatory work guarantees that compost soil meets expectations as a lawn fertilizer. This includes throwing the organic material through a sieve to remove any coarse particles. The following instructions explain how to properly fertilize your lawn with compost soil:
- Sifting compost soil (through sieve with a mesh size of 10-15 cm)
- Mow the lawn as usual
- spread sifted compost using a wheelbarrow and shovel
- recommended quantity: 1-2 l/m², or 1-2 cm high
- distribute evenly with a rake
- 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 area. In August/September, a layer of compost prepares the lawn for the rigors of the coming winter. Ideally, in the fall you should not sprinkle the natural fertilizer with water, but rather with comfrey manure. Comfrey contains plenty of potassium, which strengthens the frost hardiness of the noble grasses.
Tip
Knowledgeable hobby gardeners optimize the lawn's ability to absorb the beneficial effects of compost soil. For this purpose, the green area is scarified in advance. Rotating knives scratch the turf a few millimeters deep and comb out any annoying thatch.
How do I fill the raised bed with compost soil?
Compost soil is essential for raised beds
Compost soil plays a key role in properly filling a raised bed, supplemented with other important components. The composition depends on the planned planting. Crops have higher nutrient requirements than flowers and grasses. The following quick guide explains how to properly fill a raised bed for growing vegetables:
- Soil: cover with vole wire
- first layer: 20 cm high coarse material (wood cuttings)
- second layer: 10 cm chopped twigs, shredded autumn leaves
- third layer: 20 cm coarse, unsifted, semi-ripe compost
- fourth layer: 30 cm of sifted, mature compost soil
If the raised bed is reserved for more undemanding ornamental plants, the perfect filling is reduced to two layers over the indispensable vole wire. Add mature, sifted compost soil to a 20 centimeter high layer of gravel or gravel. The organic components of the compost soil collapse by 10 to 20 centimeters every year. Please make a note in your schedule next spring to fill the raised bed with fresh compost accordingly.
Excursus
Compost soil has a neutral pH value
Experts from the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost e. V dispel the prejudice that compost soil makes the garden soil acidic. The opposite was scientifically proven during a twelve-year field test by the Agricultural Technology Center Karlsruhe (LTZ). The finding is supported by thousands of test procedures on compost samples as part of the RAL quality assurance under the direction of the BGK. The bottom line for the use of compost soil in the hobby garden is: The pH value is on average 7.0 to 7.5 in the neutral to slightly alkaline range.
Make your own compost soil – How does it work?
The cheap purchase of compost soil usually fails due to its high weight and the associated delivery costs. Hobby gardeners save money and simply produce the natural fertilizer and soil conditioner themselves. A semi-shady to shady location with unpaved ground and a distance of at least 50 centimeters 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. Shredded branches, autumn leaves and other leftovers are well suited. Uncooked kitchen waste, stable and cage manure, tea bags, coffee filters and dried grass clippings also contribute to rich compost soil. Layer the materials alternately, supplemented with 10 kilos of rock dust per cubic meter to prevent unpleasant smells. Meat, food scraps, textiles, metal, plastic and weeds have no place in the compost heap.
In no time, soil organisms discovered the new food source, settled in and decomposed the organic materials into valuable compost soil. If it is dry, pour water over the compost heap so that the microorganisms do not die of thirst. The rotting process takes between 6 and 12 months. You can speed up the process by moving or mixing the material twice a year.
Suitable compost containers for every garden
Producing your own compost soil doesn't have to fail due to lack of space. A wide range of inexpensive compost containers are available to choose from for every garden size. The best options are summarized in the following overview:
- Compost rental: for large areas and high waste volumes
- Slatted composter: traditional wooden construction for the average allotment garden
- Composter made of wire mesh: available in many sizes, longer shelf life than slatted composter
- Quick composter: small space requirement, rapid rotting until mature compost soil
- worm composter: ideal for balconies, terraces and the towel-small garden
Store compost soil – How do I do it correctly?
Full life reigns in finished compost soil. To ensure that the natural fertilizer retains its premium quality over a longer period of time, it is important to store it correctly. Constant rain and a dense blanket of snow are poisonous for the organic material. This is how you store compost soil in an exemplary manner:
- choose a rainproof location with contact with the ground
- Weeding
- Pile compost soil into a heap
- cover with tar paper, black foil or similar waterproof material
- Secure the side edges of the cover with stones to make them windproof
Compost soil should not be stored in a bag for a long time. Under unfavorable storage conditions, there is a risk that the soil will begin to sweat. Mold and rot then form, which significantly affects the quality. It's worth the effort to open the bags to pile up the compost soil in a rain-protected location.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free compost?
We have found two sources for free compost soil for you. Regularly browse classified ads on Ebay, Findix, Quoka and similar portals. Anyone who stays on the ball will discover in good time when private gardeners offer surplus compost soil for free. Depending on the annual volume of green waste, numerous recycling centers in Germany and Austria offer free compost for self-collectors in the spring in order to make space on the composting site before the start of the season.
How does organic compost soil differ from other types of compost soil?
Experts generally differentiate between organic compost soil and green waste compost soil. The main source of organic compost is the organic garbage bin, which is available almost everywhere in German and Austrian households. Green waste compost is created from green waste that recycling and recycling centers receive. Due to its composition, organic compost soil is significantly richer in nutrients than green waste compost soil.
Should I sterilize compost soil before use?
Origin and quality determine whether compost soil should be sterilized before use or not. If you have a product with the RAL compost quality mark (BGK) in your hands, no measures are required to make the soil germ-free. The diverse testing criteria include proof from the manufacturer that strict hygiene regulations are being adhered to. If the compost soil comes from our own production, we recommend sterilizing the soil using thermal treatment at around 100 degrees Celsius.
I underestimated the weight of compost soil, so 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. However, if compost is added as a filling, the weight can reach worrying dimensions. So that you can still garden on your balcony at table height, simply insert an intermediate floor into the raised bed. Place your ornamental, vegetable and herb plants in pots on the ground. The area under the intermediate floor remains empty.
Tip
Balcony gardeners avoid a lack of space and make their own compost. The horticultural stroke of genius is achieved with the help of a worm farm. It is a wooden box with four chambers. Organic waste is collected there and gradually processed by compost worms into vermicompost and worm tea. You can purchase the first generation of hard-working residents of a worm farm cheaply from certified specialist retailers.
