planting in pure compost

[purplekat]

I'm reading the new square foot gardening book at the moment and it says if you can't use vermiculite and peat - use just pure compost. I always thought pure compost is too rich for plants to grow straight into - so - should I try it or am I going to kill whatever I put in??

[gojiberry]

Are you on about home made compost or bought Multi purpose compost. I start everyhting off in MPC and there is only enough nutrients in it to last plants about 5 weeks. Home made compost does tend to be richer, but providing it is well rotted there is no reason why you cant plant using nothing else. I often grow potatoes and courgettes on top of my compost heap. Some stuff will not grow as well such as brassicas as they like a very firm soil which you would be hard to get with pure compost. Root veg will do well providing you can get the depth of compost.
It isn't normal to use just compost mainly due to the fact that we can never produce enough and it is a case of spreading it around.

Ian

[SarzWix]

If you can't use vermiculite & peat for what? For planting out in final positions? For seed sowing? If it's for seed sowing then Multi-Purpose or Seed sowing compost is fine for the job, adding vermiculite would increase drainage if you wanted to. If it's talking about final planting, then you're going to need a heck of a lot of peat & vermiculite, wouldn'e be very economical, and definitely not very environmentally friendly...

Is it an American book? They do do some things a bit differently to us.

[purplekat]

If you can't use vermiculite & peat for what? For planting out in final positions? For seed sowing? If it's for seed sowing then Multi-Purpose or Seed sowing compost is fine for the job, adding vermiculite would increase drainage if you wanted to. If it's talking about final planting, then you're going to need a heck of a lot of peat & vermiculite, wouldn'e be very economical, and definitely not very environmentally friendly...

Is it an American book? They do do some things a bit differently to us.

For filling the raised beds with. In the book, he recommends a mix of a third moss peat, a third vermiculite and a third of either shop bought compost or home made compost. After that, every time you harvest, you add more home made compost. Obviously they can get vermiculite a lot cheaper over there.
People have asked him what to do if they either can't or don't want to use that and he said pure compost - which I thought would mean home made.

He does make the point of saying that the peat and vermiculite only need adding once at the beginning but I would rather not do as I don't use peat normally. Looks like I should have a go then, Think I'll only be able to fill one bed so that'll be my trial one!

[Two_Sheds]

I wouldn't use vermiculite or peat, personally.

This is the Gardeners World mix:
Long-term potting mixtures should carry a lot of nutrients to help the plant over the course of its life. The Berryfields potting mix is made up of:

2 parts sieved garden compost
1 part leaf mould
1 part loam (topsoil, not full of weed seeds)
1 part sand or grit

My own soil is very sandy already, so I'd leave that bit out.

[queen of the cobs]

I think they mean that pure compost wouldn't have any stones or grit, which you need for drainage.

[scaldow]

Never had a problem with it. I am fortunate enought that I have 4 compost bins and I always plant first earlies in the one year old compost. Means the heap gets turned over quite a bit and the potatoes are yummy!

[SlugLobber]

I've always used 100% compost! Mind you, I'm still quite a novice, but I've never had any problems (that i know of!).

[purplekat]

I just have to build a bigger compost heap now!