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Compost in your pots

Chocolate Hab

Chocolate Hab

I'm just curious if anyone is dedicated to using compost in their pots? Also has anyone done a side by side comparison with plain potting soil/mix and a combination of potting soil/mix and compost? If so what were your results or observations?
 
This year I'm using promix bx with some composted cow manure in my containers. The ones with the manure are doing better, I don't have any side by side pics but I'll see about grabbing a few.
 
I am using Fafard soil mix with Mushroom compost for most of my plants in 3 gallon pots. They seem to love it. This morning I went out to look at them and they looked very dark green and great. I'll snap some photos later today as they are in the heat right now and are wilty.
 
Yeah I was wondering the same thing. I was picking up some promix and saw a bag of manure and thought I should buy some of that, however did not.
 
Been using a mushroom compost based growing medium. Results are pretty good so far. But it needs a little push every once in a while like seaweed / fish emulsion
 
I use some Black Kow compost as a top dressing to my soil just because I'd like it to hold a little more water. Havent tried the mushroom or chicken composts yet. Fifty pound bag for five bucks, so you can beat the price.
 
You are on the right track - the plants love it!!! I've got 3/4 promix BX to 1/4 leaf compost, in every container. All of my plants are growing much better than last year - taller, stronger, more pods. I think this is the secret sauce for Promix users - mix it with compost. Next year will definitely go 2/3 promix to 1/3 compost.
 
OK, found a few containers that should illustrate my personal results so far with compost vs non-compost mixes.
I have no idea what the proportions are in the mix. I sort of did each container by itself, so I added about so much promix and about so much compost until it felt right when I was mixing.


compvsnocomp16972110.jpg

Three containers. The two on the right are straight promix bx. They've been fertilized with the same stuff as every other pepper I'm growing, be it ground or container.
The one on the left is a Douglah in a mix of promix bx and composted cow manure.

compvsnocomp26980470.jpg

Closer shot. The plant with compost has bigger leaves and is a much nicer shade of green, just looks healthier than the other two.

Those are just my personal observations. Your results may vary, but from now on every container is getting a few scoops of compost.
 
Yeah i never measured proportions when i added my compost. Just filled in some soil then a little compost. I think overall it was like three spade fulls of mushroom compost in a whole 3 gallon pot.
 
When I transplanted my tomato seedling last fall, I used a combo mixture: part very loose dirt, a bit of green and brown leaves, potting mix (Fertilome) and compost.

Temps in the GH ranged from 48 (bad day!) to 140 (another bad day). I did bury the containers (7 gallon) up to the top in dirt. But they rarely needed watered and never got compacted. The plants did great, given the growing conditions (first, lack of light, secondly very high temps).

Mike
 
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