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SPierce
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Newb compost question

Okay, so, quick question. I haven't been able to start my own compost bin yet (on the to-do list for this year!) and I've been prepping my garden boxes, so imagine my happiness when a local landfill/foodwaste facility put out free compost for us residents with gardens to take! I couldn't resist, and picked up some bucketfulls for my garden, and spread it across my garden boxes and mixed it in with my current soil.

My question is thusly: I have a bed that has been taken over already by strawberries. I would like to put a layer of compost around them and in the dirt, too, but where I was working the compost into the soil of the other boxes, I don't want to mess up the root systems of my strawberries. Will it still be beneficial to them if I leave the compost on the surface, or what's a gentle way to work the compost into the dirt around the plants?

Also, I forgot to mark one of the places where I had laid out my lettuce seed, and while I was turning the dirt one of my raised beds, I accidentally upped some of my buried lettuce seedlings. I quickly buried them again- are they going to be OK, or did I just doom them for life?

Thanks :D

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rainbowgardener
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It's called top-dressing when you just apply the compost on top of the soil as mulch. Works just fine. Eventually the rain, earthworms, etc move it down into the soil.

Re the lettuce: If the seeds had not sprouted yet, should be fine. If they had sprouted little roots which then got disturbed, you at least set them back a bit.

Bobberman
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Ya ,Ya & Ya. Everything is fine the way you are doing it! The lettuce will be fine also! Strawberries send out a root that spreads the vine and the soil will help with that and also make the strawberries grow better with the soil just spread along the top!

SOB
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To answer your first questions...yes, just place the compost on top where you can...this is called side dressing. Keep it away from coming in contact with the actually plant stems/leaves as it could burn them as any source of nitrogen could.

I can not answer your second questions regarding the lettuce...

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SPierce
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rainbowgardener wrote:It's called top-dressing when you just apply the compost on top of the soil as mulch. Works just fine. Eventually the rain, earthworms, etc move it down into the soil.

Re the lettuce: If the seeds had not sprouted yet, should be fine. If they had sprouted little roots which then got disturbed, you at least set them back a bit.
Thank you! Yes, they had sprouted about half an inch of root.. I didn't really see any of them spreading, but still felt horrible about disturbing them. I stopped turning the soil and just left the compost on the top of the garden bed. Is it possible that my compost can burn/harm the growing seedlings? I sure as heck hope not- the compost is warm, but not hot, and I'm a huge worrier about pretty much everything. This is my second year gardening, and after a so-so year last year, I'm determined to rock it out this year!

Edit: got 2 more responses while I was typing this one. Thank you so much for the advice. I will stop worrying now about my little seedlings and let mother nature take her course :D

I'm only working with an 8x8 garden, so I don't have a ton of room.

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, I see you are a worrier! Relax! No, unlike fresh manure or chemical fertilizers, you cannot burn anything with compost. You can grow things in pure compost if you want....

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SPierce
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rainbowgardener wrote:Yes, I see you are a worrier! Relax! No, unlike fresh manure or chemical fertilizers, you cannot burn anything with compost. You can grow things in pure compost if you want....
thank you :D this is also my first year starting everything from seed; my native soil is horribly sandy and rocky, so I cant realistically plant in it (though my garden boxes are open bottomed). Last year I put top soil in- one box of an independent farm soil (where my strawberries are) and the other 3 with mg soil (which I wish I hadn't used). All I can do now is supplement what ive got in there to help my seeds along. I've realized the benefits of eating in instead of out- but I'm excited to be able to grow my own food, instead of getting it all from the grocery store!

SOB
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rainbowgardener wrote:Yes, I see you are a worrier! Relax! No, unlike fresh manure or chemical fertilizers, you cannot burn anything with compost. You can grow things in pure compost if you want....
Thanks for correcting me...I thought I had read somewhere you could actually burn plants with compost.

gardenbean
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I've been told that they are a wonderful addition to the garden. They help enrich the garden soil without all the work involved.

Could someone explain to me (lay person terms please) how they can help with my plants if the holes are feet away?
And yes I do take some of my kitchen scraps and instead of placing it in my composter, I go around my garden a fill catholes. (No problems wiht any animals digging it up)



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