Why can't my mini plot qualify?

17 years ago

Maybe I am flogging a dead horse, but I need some kind of answer.

I have many 15gal containers with veggies growing. I also have a huge 32 gal compost bin almost ready. Anyway, recently I was digging around in the veggies, and I disturbed a lot of earthworms. My containers are sitting on an earth plot. Also, lots of creatures in the soil. Now, I am thinking: could I mix in my compost (when ready) since it has good critters living in the containers?

Maybe the soil contains the micro....(cannot remember the word)that the compost needs to work with.

Someone on the forum said that compost (organic) doesn't really work with containers bz it needs something or other to be effective. By now you all should gather that I am really wanting this compost process to work with my containers veggies.

I have frogs large and small, lizards large and small, worms, ants, et al living in my plants because they are all in pots that sit on soil in the garden. Doesn't my garden plot qualify? Please....pretty please!!!!

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Comments (6)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
17 years ago
It's all of those wonderful and busy microorganisms that make compost a problem in containers. What do those little guys do? They decompose all of the solids in the compost and turn it into smaller and smaller and smaller bits. In fact, the final stages of a good compost are elemental and can't even be seen with the naked eye.

The earthworms contribute to the breakdown of all of those solids, too. Good in the real soil, but not in containers.

Before very long, you end up with a substance that is not conducive to rapid water drainage and gas exchange. Within the confines of a container, compost turns into something our plants cannot thrive in.

If I had a 32 gallon bin full of compost, I'd be anxious to turn it out into the garden soil, where it could do some real good, rather than going to waste in my containers.
justaguy2
17 years ago
If you are really sold on the idea of using compost and other quick to break down ingredients in containers, turn them into mini raised beds. Just make a large drain hole and when filling the container press the contents firmly onto the soil below (in other words make sure there is physical contact between the earth and the container contents).

You have now resolved the drainage issue that can result when using fine particled ingredients in a container.
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wvbetsy
17 years ago
For what it's worth, I grow vegetables in containers filled with homemade compost and they do well. I also amend the potting mix in my outdoor planters with compost. The plants are thriving.
catlover_gardener
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for replies.
Now if drainage is going to be a problem bz particles are too small bz of micro activities, can I add gravel or perlite to aid in drainage?

Something else I thought of. If the worms and the other critters in my pots are doing their work, my container soil hasn't broken down to the point where drainage is bad. Everything drains well. Do they work on ordinary potting mix also? Please don't think me naive, but all the pots have critters. I have grasshoppers and snails and lizards and ants over all these years in my back patio. I see the worms in my compost too. What the harm?
justaguy2
17 years ago
There is no harm in having worms in the compost or grasshoppers, snails, lizards and ants on the patio.

The potential harm to using compost in your container complete with a collection of composting critters is simply that they will reduce the volume and particle size fairly quickly over the season.

If you are OK with that then you are OK with that.
donna_h
17 years ago
JaG said: "The potential harm to using compost in your container complete with a collection of composting critters is simply that they will reduce the volume and particle size fairly quickly over the season."

This became the issue for me when I used compost in my peat/perlite mix. The compost continued to break down and eventually caused the potting mix to collapse and compact. This was definitely not good and I will not be using the compost in my containers in the future specifically for this reason.

Donna H.