Now that you have put in the work, waited the required amount of time and have your finished compost material – what are you going to do with it? There are more uses than just laying it down on your flower beds. Some are practical everyday uses and others are more specialized.
You can make a tea with your finished compost; it is not for drinking though. To make your compost tea, add your humus to a water-tight container and fill with water. Let the tea “steep” anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. After it is done, put the liquid compost through a fine screen to collect any debris. What you have made is a liquid fertilizer that can be sprayed on plants or other garden areas.
Compost can be used to help stop the spread of erosion. It can be laid down thickly on the area that is eroding away or it can be mixed with water to make a thick slurry and then sprayed on the area that is in danger.
Humus (finished compost) is used as a final layer over a finished landfill to help new plants grow with little to no erosion. Finished compost can also assist in revitalizing an endangered wetland. The nutrient rich composition can be used to create a new wetland as well.
Of course there are the traditional uses too – in gardens, planting beds, or other areas that plants or vegetation grows. If you are starting a new compost bin, in place of a layer of topsoil for the base you can substitute an equal amount of compost material. Farmers and cities use mature compost on a large scale; it helps the environment and reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in a landfill.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I really like this tea method. I may have to give it a try this yr. Although i wonder if can resist the urge to drink it
June 20th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I’ve heard of almost all of these, except for the “special tea.” Will try it out soon. Great blog you have here
July 7th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
The main thing i use for finished compost is putting it over eroded land, but i have never though of the tea method, that is quite innovative.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Love the tea tip, this is great, never heard of that before, will definiately give that a try to see what the results are.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Wow its an innovation i think. I’d like to try it out someday. Thanks for sharing.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
the best way to finish a compost its being fast. there are many methos to finisk a post but for me. doing it as easiest as posible its important.
nice post
November 14th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hi Pascale,
I have some collection of pots, making my own container garden. Can I use the Humus in the pots as a supplement? As we know the plants in the pots wont grow after a certain limit, so will using Humus help them to grow more?
-Mac
Contemporary room designs
December 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
nice thanks. i’m going to use that in my garden
December 12th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I was going to say, I don’t think I want to drink that tea. My neighbor has some compost on the edge of the yard, maybe I can take some for my garden. Good idea, thanks for sharing.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I like the tea idea but i heard that compost can be used as a planting media for constructed or artificial wetlands.
January 24th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Great suggestion,
I have a steep slope in my yard that is slowly eroding. I will have to try adding some of my compost in the spring with some indigenous seeds to see if it will fix the problem.
January 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I will definitely try out this “tea” method come growing season. Thanks!
March 16th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
We composted everything growing up. Mostly used it in the garden and potted plants. David Suzuki has said, our goal should be to live in a world without waste.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:01 am
thanks and i’m use that in my family garden
April 15th, 2009 at 7:03 am
i think the best way to finish a compost its being fast.i like this post
July 9th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Is there an odor emitted when using compost in your garden – and if so, how pungent is it?
August 1st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Tanks
August 7th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Wow,I found those utilizations very innovative.
I always assumed that the compost had a typical smell. By what means is that smell neutralized ?
August 10th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Pascale,
Thanks you for the great tip! I’ve recently had a big problem with all the rain we have had this summer and several edges of my flower beds are eroding. I plan on trying your this “slurried” compost in an effort to firm up the edges and prevent additional deterioration.
Gladys
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Great stuff, love the information and appreciate your information.
September 25th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
In my environment, it is usual that people use compost in a large scale.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Do you have any tips on what to do with used coffee grounds? I know they are meant to be good for the garden.
October 11th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Will try “special tea” soon as well..
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 am
Hi
Great tip & a good idea to finish compost & not very expensive method.
November 15th, 2009 at 6:36 am
I’m not a big fan of compost, but my husband has been after me for months to do something about it. Lets see how it fares out.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Great post. I will definitely try the tea method. Especially for my indoor plants. Thanks.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Compost can be used to help stop the spread of erosion.!!!