Compost as Fertilizer for Plants

• Kelp from the sea is a particularly good form of compost fertilizer. It is great for your garden soil because it decays quickly, adds lots of vital nutrients and doesn't introduce weed seeds into your garden beds. You can apply fresh kelp directly to the soil, mulch it and apply a 2 to 4 inch layer around your garden plants or alternatively add it to your compost pile.
• Throw your household green waste into your own compost bin. This is great for the environment and will save you money on garden mulch and other fertilizers. You can even build your own compost bin with a few sheets of old corrugated iron and some wooden stakes.
• Some Local Governments and Councils offer facilities such as free garden mulch which you can use as fertilizer on your outdoor plants and to help stop the soil from drying out in summer. The council may even have a waste recycle station where you can find items such as wooden stakes and old iron sheets to use around your garden.
• The more diverse the range of vegetable matter that is added to your compost bin the better the resulting compost fertilizer will be for your garden.
• A thick layer of grass clippings on your compost will inhibit the flow of air through the mixture, so try to mix it up with bigger sticks and twigs or some shredded paper. Also turn the mixture over in order to increase the air circulation.
• A good organic compost tip is to try and have twice as much woody material like plant clippings, shredded cardboard or paper and wood chips as you do leafy material like grass clippings, autumn leaves and green kitchen waste.
• Always make sure that you do not add to your compost heap any weeds that have seeds or perennial weeds, otherwise you will soon have them growing throughout your garden when you next use your organic compost as fertilizer.
• Fruit and vegetables need plant foods like a potash fertilizer. This is because potash is high in potassium which is a vital nutrient that increases the yield for fruit trees.
• The best time to feed and fertilize plants in during the growing season when they need it the most. Make sure that the soil is moist when applying plant goods and don't apply it during extensively rainy periods like winter as the nutrients will just get washed away.
• Slow release granular fertilizer is good for potted plants because they are designed to release their nutrients over an extended period of time.
• When you are planting anything in a pot always add compost and water retaining crystals to the soil, so that the pot plant does not dry out too quickly and suffer if you forget to water it for a long period of time.