Hey everyone! I hope this isn't too silly of a question, but I'm a newbie gardener and could use some advice. A couple of years back, my mom filled our raised garden bed with a mix of compost—including manure and decomposed plant material. It's around a 3/4 to 1 ratio of compost to soil. Unfortunately, the plants didn't thrive at all. Now I'm wondering, has the compost turned into usable soil by now, and can I add new compost on top? Or should I remove the old mix entirely and start fresh? I want to make sure I set things up for success this gardening season! Any help would be appreciated!
3 Answers
It sounds like the initial lack of plant growth might have been due to poor-quality compost—lots of stuff sold as "compost" nowadays is really just old wood chips or low-quality material. But since it’s been left for a couple of years, it should be more broken down and might be fine now. You can definitely add more compost if you want, though! Just keep an eye on what your plants did before—if they were stunted or had twisted leaves, it could be a sign of herbicide contamination from the manure you used. But if they just looked a little pale, adding new compost should help. Oh, and don’t worry about the high compost ratio; it can be good if the compost is high quality!
You're right! A high compost mix can work as long as the compost is doing its job. Sometimes in dry areas, it's a good idea to add moisture-retaining materials like mulch or even some coconut coir for better results.
I had a similar situation where I thought my compost was basically good but decided to add Soil3 humus compost based on a coworker's recommendation. It worked wonders! I saw significant growth in just under two weeks. Definitely consider adding in some high-quality compost to enhance your current mix—it could make a world of difference!
To really boost your raised bed, I'd suggest mixing in some perlite and vermiculite along with a good fertilizer. The original mix you have sounds pretty dense, which can be problematic for root growth and moisture retention. Just spread a good layer of the new stuff on top, mix it in well with a shovel, and you'll be on your way to having a thriving garden!
So it sounds like keeping the mostly compost mix is fine? We’re in a pretty dry area, so I wonder if moisture retention could’ve been an issue too. The plants barely grew from when we bought them as seedlings, only managing one tiny pepper and a few small tomatoes, although the squash did great!