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  • Mulch or compost

    Can someone help me understand when you mulch and when you compost? I have leaf mould from last year and the year before. The oldest stuff is looking not bad - less slimy, drier, almost black in colour although still quite rough - certainly not fine. I thought that was mulch but not sure what to use it for. I also have a compost heap where I try to get some decent compost although I struggle to get it turned enough and it certainly never looks like the stuff that Monty has! So if I want to put some compost into my raised in autumn / winter what should I use - compost or mulch? If I don’t use mulch for that what should I be doing with it ? Advice appreciated.

  • #2
    OK so I think you're a little confused with terminology. It sounds like you have leaf mould and compost to hand and they can be used in numerous ways.
    A mulch is a layer of something (can be lots of stuff including compost, leaf mould, bark chippings etc) which is used to cover an area for some reason (quite often to hold water in).
    If you're trying to build up the level of a raised bed or to improve the soil structure adding compost and leaf mould would help. You could either just spread it over in an even layer in late autumn (as a mulch) and let the worms drag it down which is my preferred method, or dig it in.

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    • #3
      Agree with what's already been said .

      Just to add, composting is a process and a lot of what you can do depends on what materials you have available to you - eg grass-mowings, kitchen waste etc . The one common thing which should be dealt with separately to compost is fallen leaves - they are broken down mostly by fungi, and should be handled in a separate way to other humus rich materials.

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      • #4
        Generally to get what may be called potting compost, you have to put the contents of a compost heap through a sieve, with what's left, what I do is put it through a coarser sieve and use the sieved material at the bottom of large pots to fill it up a bit, then what's left from that either goes back on to the compost heap or is used as a mulch, to make a seed compost the best material to use is finely sieved leaf mould which does not have a high nutrient content but holds moisture,
        it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

        Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

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        • #5
          Thanks so much. That helps a lot. Yesterday I started working through my compost heap separating the most broken down materials into a different container. Will carry on with that today - although it nearly killed me. What I should end up with is a container with well rotted leaf mould and one with decentish compost that I can use for adding to the beds later this or as seed compost if I sieve it. Maybe if I just think of them as being created in different ways but potantially used for similar things?

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          • #6
            I wouldn't worry too much about the language - hands-on work is what gets results. If you can make tons of good compost and get it by whatever means in to your soil, you'll grow wonderful plants - a lot of time, a load of effort and a bit of knowledge will carry the day.

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            • #7
              The main thing to remember is that compost contains a lot of nutrients, leaf mould does not. Therefore if you add fresh compost to your raised beds you will be adding nutrients and will not need to feed for a while, whereas if you add leaf mould, while it will improve structure and water retention in a similar way to compost, you will need to add nutrients (eg blood fish and bone) or the plants won't grow very well.
              A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

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              • #8
                Compost and leafmould are great because they're first and foremost soil improvers, that can be used as mulches. Other mulches include unrotted leaves, fresh grass clippings, bark chips, gravel, cardboard, even plastic sheeting - they all have their various benefits.
                For mulching unused beds over Winter, I prefer a thick layer of something 'low value' such as leaves or cardboard, rather than something like compost - I feel like that keeps the worst of the wet and freezing weather off my underlying soil. Good soil improvers like you've got there are better off going onto the beds in Spring before you plant them up IMO.
                He-Pep!

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                • #9
                  Ok so maybe both of them on the beds to improve the soil and the compost will also bring the nutrients. Looks like I will end up with a decent amount. On timing i won’t be able to do that on some beds until spring anyway as I will have 2 that’ll have clamps for my potatoes and I have Jerusalem artichokes in one that’ll be staying in the ground. I will have loads of fallen leaves later this year as I have huge trees that back onto my garden and alll the leaves come into the beds so can have them as a mulch over autumn etc. Off to start turning my compost heep now ! Thanks so much for all the help.

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                  • #10
                    Good luck with it all - sounds like your getting stuck in, which can only be good. I use old 1 ton builders' bags for my fallen leaves as I find it convenient to be able to drag them around, then put them to one side to decompose - others use wire-sided heaps, which also work well I expect.

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                    • #11
                      Phew that was tough going and a bit smelly but have reordered the compost set up. Now have separated about 100l volume of decent compost that with a bit of sieving I could use plus about 50l vol of leaf mould. Am now going to sit down in the garden and have lunch with the Marshalls seed catalogue that’s just come through the door!

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                      • #12
                        Happy days - if I was a bit closer I'd invite myself round for a cup of tea and a chat about your catalogue choices :-)

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                        • #13
                          You’d be very welcome. My husband starts to glaze over now when I start talking about my veg. So it’s good to find people who share the interest.

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                          • #14
                            Best get your thinking-cap on re your Xmas present list - if your husband can't participate, he can at least provide new stainless-steel forks etc :-)

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                            • #15
                              He is helpful for the grunt work. He built all the raised beds and did most of the clearing of the garden. It was a wild and neglected place full of old trees and bushes.
                              He was talking about running electricity to the greenhouse for my birthday! It is right at the bottom so would be a bit of a job. Not very romantic mind you.

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