How to Add Compost in the Garden

Gardeners often don't have as much compost as they would like. So if you're short on supply, how can you get the most bang for your buck? Joe Lamp'l shows you the options. Plus - check out Joe's playlist on improving soil health: • Soil Building
There’s MUCH more great garden info from Joe Lamp’l of joegardenerTV - including Joe's Online Gardening Academy (joegardener.com/learn) and links to The joe gardener Show weekly podcast series (joegardener.co..., garden blogs (joegardener.co...) and e-book resource guides to teach you everything you need to know about composting (joegardener.co...) and more.
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Joe Lamp’l, the “joe” behind joe gardener is the creator, host and executive producer of public television’s Growing a Greener World. Watch episodes of his Emmy Award-winning show on our sister channel, GGWTV ( / ggwtv .

[@ssubramanian605]

Great tips, thank you !! I recently started composting my kitchen scraps in a 5 gallon bucket and with the current hot summer it looks like my compost is going to be ready to use some time !! I wasn’t sure how much to add to my planters as I have a small patio garden with flowering plants !! Your tips are what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@joegardenerTV]

Wonderful! Thanks for the good words. Your garden is going to really love those compost additions!

[@1776Based]

Does it smell and do bugs grow in it? Do you drill any holes in the lid or leave completely sealed?

[@narsrn]

Our city is giving us some compost. I can’t wait to put it in my garden. Thanks for the video!

[@joegardenerTV]

Wonderful!

[@chrisn3794]

What nicely built garden looks beautiful

[@michaeleshbaugh6797]

Ikr his soil was some of the darkest I have ever seen 😮

[@VinnieGer]

That was very informative and helpful! I made some compost last year and I had no earthly idea how to utilize it. Thanks!!!

[@joegardenerTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@urlocalcultleader3385]

i love the smell of finished compost

[@musam1026]

Thanks for the composting tips Joe, very helpful. Greetings from Australia.

[@nadiyathaha3128]

Can i pour water into the soil soon after adding the compost. I mean for the soil in which i have already planted

[@CL-gc6pe]

your garden is so beautiful

[@jbrooks1212]

That’s good thinking and gardening. Thanks makes sense , can’t wait to use my compost

[@caroldominique9604]

I ENJOY WATCHING AND LISTENING JOEGARDNER DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO? WHERE WOULD i purchase your book?

[@joegardenerTV]

Not sure what you mean, “do I have a video”? But you can find my book on Amazon for sure: The Vegetable Gardening Book. 👍

[@YUSONGTV]

So great sir, thank u.

[@david.b4186]

Thanks for info. A question though; for barren soils that don’t already contain existing organisms within (in order to be able to take compost material down deeper into soil structure) why would it still be counterproductive to work it [compost] into soil as opposed to just top dressing compost on soil surface? I personally feel as though, “working it” (compost) into existing soil, creates most exposure of compost surface area itself to soil and would therefore be a more beneficial measure to expose barren soil to needed compost amendment - rather than just top dressing and leaving compost on surface level of soil. Would you kindly enlighten on this? Thanks.

[@joegardenerTV]

Hey David. I agree with you if you want to get organic material deeper into the soil and more widely disbursed, an initial application of working it in is the way to go. I would try to do that manually with a garden fork vs a tiller though. In future applications top dressing should be sufficient because now you should have established a living soil network that will continually be bring organic material down into the soil with no additional soil disturbance by you. Hope that clarifies things a bit.

[@david.b4186]

@@joegardenerTV Okay appreciate recommendation. So to summarize, recommendation is : ‘working compost into soil’ process itself should be reserved for land lacking nutrients - this would be like depleted vast farmlands that have been used for so long growing crops? And top soiling should be reserved for land that already has some nutrients, but needs slight rejuvenation like a garden bed?

[@foggylog19]

Thank you. If ground has been covered in mulch rested, would just pulling back the mulch (sugar cane), then top dressing be ok. Would you then just put back whatever mulch wasn’t fully decomposed as mulch or would you need fresh mulch and compost what was pulled back?

[@jimwilleford6140]

mumma of 2 Yes.

[@nelsonthorpe7811]

Hi, like your show and videos, thanks for producing them. Question - you recommend using a mulch such as straw. Have you done any videos about Aminopyralid problems with grasses like straw?

[@DavidDiaz-tw8wz]

Great content, I already applied my compost on surface, Can I add pine bark mulch on top of my compost? is that ok ? Thank you so much

[@joegardenerTV]

Yes you can, and that's a great idea. I like to add the compost directly on top of the soil before I put mulch on top of the compost. Good plan, so go for it!

[@marystackpole118]

He's EXCELLENT!! THANK YOU

[@queenielau5907]

Thank you !! Very helpful

[@joegardenerTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NorthState.]

Happen to know where you got that flat shovel from?! Thanks

[@joegardenerTV]

I got it from Corona Tools. I think the website is coronatoolsusa.com. They also sell some of their tools in Lowes and Home Depot. Good luck. You should be able to find that tool on their website at least.

[@mamakaka73]

If you have mulch and you want to top dress, do you remove mulch or just compost on top of it?

[@rouseinthehouse_]

great question! that's what i'm wondering too. I have a lot of hydrangeas in both rock and mulched beds and not sure best practice.

[@antonio0000x]

Great video!! Thank you.

[@jacknoller1730]

Last year I had a large compost pile that the initial base was made of of mulched leaves from the fall. I added green vegetation periodically over the summer adding lots of water and mixing I ended up with about 4 wheel barrow loads of compost which I spread over my raised beds and flower garden. Now I have all this grass like stuff growing every where and I keep pulling them out but they keep coming back. What do you reamend I do to get rid of this stuff that keeps growing back. Its like some form of crab grass?

[@joegardenerTV]

I would keep at it by pulling or using a tool such as a scuffle hoe to slice under the top growth to sever it from the roots which will keep the weed. It may take time for all the dormant seeds to surface but if you keep on top of it, it should not take too long. Sorry that happened.

[@troydunn04]

Did you add grass clippings to compost? If you did, you probably didnt get your compost pile hot enough to kill them off.

[@luckygardens4680]

Hi Joe - This is great video. Where do you buy you compost from? I live around Atlanta area, I would consider buying from same, if the supplier is close by. Thank you for the information!

[@joegardenerTV]

I buy from 2 sources. I have a source that provides me with STA Certified Compost (through the US Composting Council), but it's not yet readily available in Atlanta. You can try searching for a supplier near you at compostingcouncil.org. But another good option I use Soil3 (soil3.com) and they deliver. I've been using it for 4 years and have great results.

[@luckygardens4680]

@@joegardenerTV thank you !

[@montellwilliams811]

@@joegardenerTV say , can I use the same method for new flower seeds in a large garden pot

[@muhammadanzar7150]

Very informative. Can I spread compost around roses? Please guide

[@nancynahnigoh3550]

Thank you for the tips

[@Tiffany-bd1eb]

Dumb question but where does the compost go? Does it like... disappear? Do you have to take the old compost out before putting new ones in?

[@npast1]

Plants use compost (broken down by soil microbes) as food. As the plants grow, compost becomes all that green biomass that you harvest. At the end of the season quite a bit of organic matter is extracted from the soil and this is what becomes the plants, so you will need to add more of the organic matter next year as the building blocks for the plants.

[@Tiffany-bd1eb]

@@npast1 Thank you!

[@hivekahuna1011]

what about top dressing over mulch like wood chips? how do we go about it? @joegardenerTV

[@orbittyj9870]

I never knew this! Thanks.

[@wilsonchin1431]

To the point! Thank you!

[@skywalker6614]

Can I put an Apple core on my little mango plant

[@urlocalcultleader3385]

of course

[@Tanagra180]

Are the doses the same for food and purely green compost? I had always heard that food compost should be spread more sparingly...

[@thebullwhisperer916]

Thank you

[@TheLubo1980]

V helpful. But, its a hard "o" in compost.

[@bilalbudan1]

Good video ☺️

[@orion9k]

I am so confused...should I add compost to fresh/new bought soil with fresh N-P-K values in it? I thought compost should only be added for old soil lacking nutrients only 🙈

[@TheBrewingMiner]

Well it can depend on the purpose of the compost. If you are using it to provide nutrition, you can apply it when the plant shows signs of nutritional deficiency. If it is for mulching you can put it on anytime.

[@orion9k]

@@TheBrewingMiner it's for adding nutrients for ''tomato'' plants. Not sure mulching is good for keeping top soil moisture tho, i hear it's good to let the top soil dry out a bit before watering - thanks for the fast reply ✌

[@TheBrewingMiner]

orion9k No problem

[@tushfinger6891]

@@orion9k your top soil is gonna dry out regardless. I usually keep stones as a top layer with my "tomato" plants since the fans dry out the soil faster than they should, which can cause you to check the top layer which is dried out while the base is still wet as all hell, leading to an over watering and days to a week in delay.

[@Lets.all.laugh.at.Tottenham]

If you lay compost straight onto the top soil can you plant seeds straight into the compost? if you can't tell I am a beginner to gardening😂

[@Kate98755]

Thanks, you answered my questions!

[@cherylbibbee2143]

Dude!

[@CheflisashomegrowngourmetTV]

💚☀️

[@albieoval1657]

Start with your most important plants first... I'm sorry green bell pepper. Your red and yellow cousins get first dibs.

[@annann4786]

I can’t believe that someone needs a lesson how to add compost to garden?🤔🙄

[@joegardenerTV]

You'd be surprised. It's a recurring question we get.

[@laurakumar9853]

This is great, thank you!