How to Add Compost to Square Foot Gardens

When growing plants in square foot, or raised, gardens, it is import to add fresh compost to your garden twice each season. You generally want to maintain the level of compost at around 6 inches for all raised gardens. Square foot gardens make optimal use of your growing space. Producing the maximum amount of vegetables in limited space means nutrients need to be regularly added through compost.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Raise the compost level in your square foot gardens back to 6 inches, or whatever your starting point is for your gardens, in the Spring. Add the compost to the garden and turn it into the soil before planting your vegetables.

2. Mulch your gardens with an organic material such as grass clippings, leaves or coffee grounds during the growing season. Keeping a layer of mulch on your garden surface all summer not only prevents weeds, but the material composts and enriches the soil.

3. Cut down the dead vegetable plants in the fall when growing season is over. Turn the soil over, and then lay the dead plants on the surface of the soil in the square foot garden.

4. Add compost to the garden again, putting the compost on top of the plant debris. Bring the compost level back up to 6 inches, or your starting point.

Tips & Warnings

• When composting plant material, remember that any herbicides used on the plants material goes into your compost, which is feeding your vegetables. Compost only plants that have not been chemically treated. Good compost material is kitchen produce waste and cow manure. Yard plant waste can also be composted if you do not use chemicals on your lawn or plants.