lovely compost draining away
by Pansy
(Halifax)
I have built several raised beds (18" deep, each box about 4'x8') in our asphalt-covered driveway. It's south-facing (the only bit of the garden that is), and in our tiny plot, it gives extra gardening space. The soil is new and not great, needs to be amended over the next few years. If I dig my lovely. hard-earned compost into the beds this fall, will all the nutrients leach out of it (rain and melting snow draining out of the box onto the sloping asphalt) before it can do plants any good? I will be sowing cover crops, if that makes any difference.
What do you think?
Pansy -- Halifax -- yes, it's late but better l than n.
Doug says that any nutrients in a container such as this will indeed drain away in the spring melt. This is why you're going to have to add nutrients every year and feed throughout the year in this kind of gardening.
Having said that - do understand that much of the value in compost lies not in it's "nutrient charge" (very low) but in it's organic matter and microorganism additions. It's like a "tonic" for the soil rather than a plant food fertiilzer.
Bottom line - I'd wait. Add it next spring. (although if your compost is outside and uncovered it's going to lose whatever nutrients it has anyway but not the microorganisms)
And add lots of peat moss (you're in Canada and we have lots down east) or other organic matter as well as organic nutrients such as alfalfa pellets and fish emulsions next spring and summer.
