When to Add Compost
Spring? Summer? Fall? When is the best time to add compost to your garden?
Adding compost to your garden plot or containers in spring at the beginning of the season is something most people do – but did you know that adding compost after the growing season in the fall is as important, if not more so?
It's true! After our long, hot summers here in the city, your soil needs some TLC so it's ready for next year! Our compost is natural, created using traditional, time-tested methods, and filled with life. Odds are you'll find a few wigglers and busy bugs in your bag – but that's just the tip of the iceberg. When you zoom into the microscopic level, there's even more going on: countless millions of beneficial microbes hard at work! Together, this crew will get to work on your soil, replenishing and balancing it throughout the winter so you're ready to get growing come spring.
Ultimately, the decision of a spring or a fall application shouldn’t be a big one. A lot of growers choose to add compost in the fall because the soil is dryer and easier to work with, and because generally in the growing world the end of the season is a less hectic time than when you’re just getting started in spring. There’s also the chance an extended winter may cause the soil to stay frozen longer than expected, crunching your planting timeline. So do what makes sense for you and your schedule and don’t be hard on yourself!
Bennett Compost customers are eligible for 2 free bags of compost each year - in the spring or the fall. Good news: if you get your compost at either time and aren’t able to use it, it will be just fine until the other end of the growing season!
Here's our step by step guide to put your garden to bed each fall:
Start by removing any dead plants or annuals (plants that don't come back year to year).
Pollinator/native gardens can be left alone and cleared out the following season if your space permits. These overwintering plants provide a lot of habitat for little critters!
Add a 2" top dressing of compost to your growing space
You can additionally cover with straw, leaf mulch or plant a cover crop