Growing In Only Compost And Drainage. Yes Or No?

 
 
no
to hot
you (me) may not understand why the rule of thumb works well (with adjustments based on specifics) but you can try and learn the hard way.
 
 
keep in mind;
old soil can be reused with fresh compost added and 'cooked' for a month..add more perlite as needed for drainage...every few runs add more spag to keep it 'fluffy'. cost effective.

 

Compost too hot? Idk bout that. Doesn't sound like a stable, mature compost if that is the case. You can grow in 100% compost if the texture is right.... that is the tough part.... usually, compost is pretty dense and poor draining. Adding sphagnum peat moss adds bulk/body to the soil. The fibrous consistency sets up for a nice, 'fluffy' substrate. If your compost is mostly leaf mold, then you can probably skip peat moss... bottom line: potting soil must be well aerated and it must drain well; your "typical" compost (if there is such a thing) is probably not suitable.. peat might not be free, but it is really freakin' cheap. I pay $11 for a 3 cf compressed bale.. this expands to 5.5-6 cubic feet...

 

Well put TJ....fluffy, leaf mold based compost may not need peat at all whereas a dense, thick compost like CoM or Dairy Doo (manure based) requires a lighter texture to work well in the soil, hence peat or leaf mold in the mixes.
 
Everything is relative to your own locally available resources.

 

 
Judging by the links in ^this guy's signature, I'm guessing this is a topic he can speak with some authority about!

 

 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]can I just leave out the peat moss? - [/SIZE][SIZE=11.818181991577148px]I do. I don't use peat any more. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]I make my own thermal compost at home, which is probably 65% - 75% leaves and the balance is horse manure. That's my base. To this I'll add my kitchen scraps, alfalfa, lobster shells, chicken manure, greens, etc. When it is finished with its thermophilic (hot) stage I will add the usual soil amendments that most folks mix into their potting soils directly to my compost - kelp, neem, rock dust, etc etc, and then it will sit and do its thing, just getting turned occasionally here and there until its completely mature and ready for use. Then I screen it, mix in some buckwheat hulls and its ready to plant directly into.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]The leaves are the key. Leaves, leaves, and more leaves. More more more.. The compost finishes pretty reasonably light and fluffy, when compared to composts that do not use leaves. If I run out then I just go out back and screen some more. A lot of times I wont even use the buckwheat hulls, although I really do like them.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]So yes - you certainly can use just compost and aeration - PROVIDING that the compost isn't wet and heavy/dense to begin with. You just can't aerate mud - it just wont work - I've tried. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]Time to start collecting (ALOT) of leaves...[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]j[/SIZE]

 

 
Still learnin', just like anybody else.
 
The people here have done wonderful things with their soil and I'm just trying to catch up.    
 
Chunk, jerry and quite a few others are still years ahead of me in terms of knowledge, experience and practicality.
 
I just like to read and practice what I absorb when possible; all of the below links in my sig have come from reading through old conversations here at GC, which I found to be very helpful in various aspects.  

 

^^^^ - Don't believe him - he's a pro. I've seen his garden.
 
j

 

Jerry you have no idea how useful your signature is for new guys trying to soak it in. It get's overwhelming and that line from coots always reminds me how easy this really is once you learn to properly make and maintain your own worm/compost bins.

 

Give it a try. There is no way anyone can answer what you ask without actually seeing the 'stuff'.
 
Like, how far the leaves are broken down, same with the manure, all that.
 
Try it and see what happens, it's the only way to learn what your stuff is doing.
 
Wet

 

"3 parts dried leaves
1 part horse manure
1 part sand
?
(also top dress)

Could I fill holes with this mix and plant right into it? It's already late into the growing season, so I don't really have any time to wait for anymore soil to cook"

I say no. Dry leaves and horse manure should be composted prior to using in the garden - at least partially. You could give it a shot but I wouldn't waste my time without composting them first.

J

 

Can you get a load of loam delivered or even cheaper pick it up - from a local nursery, and then mix what you've got into that?

You will still want some type of aeration and food mixed in as well.

J