What to do with compost?

When you compost your waste, it gradually decomposes and turns into compost, a valuable organic amendment for plants. What to do with this compost?

We'll tell you all about harvesting and using compost! There are many ways to use compost in the garden.

👉 Want to start your composting adventure? Discover our range of apartment composters compact design.

Our design & compact composters 🌱

Cultivate and compost in the city (indoors or outdoors)

Easy & Odorless

Handcrafted products

Design

Compact

Modular

Eligible for subsidies

Discover our worm composters

Contents

When and how to recover compost?

When to empty the composter?

You may be wondering when to empty your composter. To harvest your compost, you need to wait until it's ripe! Texture, color and smell are the three main indicators of compost maturity. Remember to look at it from time to time to monitor its progress.

Mature compost has :

A uniform, homogeneous texture: mature compost resembles potting soil. Dry or green organic waste has decomposed completely. No large pieces should be visible, only small fragments. What's more, mature compost is aerated. If you take your mature compost in your hand and squeeze it, the compost should not stick.
A brown color: a green hue reminiscent of lawn means that the compost is still too immature.
If your compost smells strong enough, it's still maturing!

How do I recover compost from my composter?

If all the signs are there, it's time to harvest your compost in your composter. Ripe compost is at the bottom of your composter, while fresh waste is at the top. Put on your gloves, roll up your sleeves and get your compost!

For garden composters, it's usually sufficient to remove the front panel to collect the compost.

For vermicomposters, mature compost generally contains few worms, as there's not much left to eat. However, we recommend opening the cap a few minutes before harvesting. Compost worms are sensitive to light and will go into hiding. If you still find worms in your mature compost, don't forget to put them back in the vermicomposter!

If you don't already have a composter at home, there are sometimes compost distributions organized by local authorities or associations! Don't hesitate to ask.

Why does my compost rot?

Compost that rots or gives off a bad smell often indicates a problem in the decomposition process. Here are some possible reasons why this may happen:

Excess moisture: add dry matter to your compost (cardboard, small pieces of paper, straw)
No worms: worms may not survive unbalanced compost. One solution: empty your vermicompost and start again with new worms.
Inclusion of unsuitable materials: meats, dairy products, fats or pet excrement can cause decay and attract pests.

When and how to use compost?

Once you've harvested your compost, you may be wondering how and when to use it.

The good news is that you'll find a use for your compost all year round! Compost can be used in a number of ways:

As an organic amendment, it nourishes your indoor and outdoor plants, in pots or in the ground. Mature compost provides plants with the nutrients they need, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Unlike fertilizers, compost releases its nutrients gradually and sustainably. There's no risk of burning roots, and no risk of overdosing (unlike mineral fertilizers).
As a mulch, it protects your plants from heat, drought and cold.

Where to put compost in the garden?

The answer is simple: (almost) everywhere!

When to put compost in the ground?

Compost can be added to the soil at different times of the year, depending on your objectives and the type of crop you plan to grow. However, we recommend incorporating compost into the soil in spring andautumn.

In spring, the soil begins to warm up, stimulating microbial activity. By adding compost at this time, you prepare the soil, making it rich in nutrients and improving its structure, which is ideal for new plantings.

In autumn, compost enriches the soil and prepares the ground for planting the following spring. The micro-organisms will continue to work throughout the winter, even if activity slows down due to the cold. This also allows the compost to decompose further over winter, further enriching the soil for the next growing season.

In the garden, under the trees, on the lawn

If you have a garden, you can add compost to the planting holes of plants and shrubs in the ground. Keep to a ratio of 1/4 compost to 3/4 soil.

You can also spread sieved compost on your lawn to stimulate growth in early spring.

In the vegetable garden

In the vegetable garden, compost promotes the growth of your crops! Spread a layer of 1 to 3 centimetres at the foot of your herb and vegetable plants, depending on their needs.

Which plants like compost in the vegetable garden?

Please note that compost requirements may vary according to vegetable plants:

Some vegetables, such as solanaceous plants (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers), cucurbits (squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons), leeks, corn, etc., require a lot of compost. Their compost requirements are 3 to 5 ^kg/m2/year. You can add compost directly to their planting holes.
Other crops have medium compost requirements: carrots, spinach, asparagus, beet, beans, lettuce, peas.
Finally, some plants can do without compost: garlic, shallots, onions, cabbage, endives, broad beans, turnips and radishes.

When to use compost in the vegetable garden?

In autumn, add compost to the surface of your vegetable garden to benefit from enriched soil in spring (compost gradually releases its nutrients)!

In spring, add compost between the rows of vegetables.

Whatever the season, add compost to the planting holes according to the plants' needs.

Repotting or surfacing your potted plants

Whether indoor or outdoor, your potted plants and window boxes will appreciate compost. It's best to resurface or repot in spring and summer, as plants go dormant over winter.

The level of soil in pots and planters gradually decreases over time. Don't hesitate to top up the soil with compost.

You can also add compost to your plants when repotting. Mix ⅓ of compost and ⅔ of soil, and you're done.

Which pot plants like compost?

Technically, all plants appreciate compost. Some need it more than others.

Annual flowering plants, which produce flowers several times a year and will therefore be boosted by your compost.
Potted herbs and small vegetable plants: potting soil for potted plants becomes poorer over time. Add compost regularly to enrich the substrate.
Houseplants appreciate a moderate addition of compost to their potting soil, which improves water retention and provides essential nutrients. For houseplants, we recommend using well-decomposed compost - in this case, compost from a vermicomposter is ideal.

Mulch your plants

Last but not least, you can use your compost as mulch. Apply a thick layer at the foot of your plants to protect them from the cold in winter, but also from heat and drought in summer.

Where to dispose of your compost?

Have you harvested too much compost and don't know what to do with it? There are several alternatives!

Preserving your compost

First of all, you can store your compost for some time. Bear in mind that the longer you store it, the poorer its quality. Keep it for a maximum of 3 to 4 months.

If you have a garden, you can store your compost in a heap, protected from sun and rain (using a tarpaulin, for example). Alternatively, you can store your compost in bags with holes for aeration. Be careful not to let it dry out too much.