Comparing Compost, Potting Soil, Lawn Dressing and Mulch

Your soil is one of the most important things to take into consideration when planting and maintaining your garden. Using the correct soil can bring many benefits to your plants and grass. When using the incorrect soil, you might find that your plant growth might be prolonged, stinted or could even cause damage. We will be comparing compost, potting soil, lawn dressing and mulch as well as their many uses and advantages.

Today we will focus more on four of the following that are already prepared for your garden: Compost, Potting Soil, Lawn Dressing and Mulch.  The focus will be on what they are composed of and how to make use of each to assist and enhance the care and growth of your garden.

Compost

Producing compost is one of the most effective ways of recycling as it brings many environmental benefits. Compost consists out of decomposed organic materials. These materials can be anything from plants and manure to food waste. Once these materials have decomposed, they produce rich plant nutrients and organisms that are beneficial for the fertility of plants in your garden. Compost is used as a fertilizer that enriches your soil and plants.

Benefits of Compost

Improves Soil and Plant Health

Like many fertilizers, compost consists out of three primary nutrients: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These elements assists in root enhancement, the growth of your plant, the production of foliage and photosynthesis. Compost is a healthier alternative than the use of synthetic fertilizers as it is 100% organic.

Water Conservation

Compost helps with the preservation of water. By using compost in your garden, it boost the soil retention in your garden that can help reduce water usage. This can definitely assist in water preservation given our recurring water restrictions in South Africa.

It is Eco-friendly

By using your organic waste for compost, you automatically recycle these materials. By rather making use of your organic scraps and dread plants for your compost, you are doing your part from keeping landfills from filling up and enriching your garden in the same process.

Available to Purchase

Should you find that you have limited space for making compost, we as Garden Centre have compost by the 30dm bag and 50kg bag. This saves you from waiting for your scraps to decompose and to be able to immediately start the planting process. All of our compost is 100% weed free, pest free and organic.

Potting Soil

Potting soil is a soil medium that is used to plant your plants in pots or containers. The type of potting soil you use in your containers can play a huge role when it comes to planting your plants indoors or outdoors.

There are wide varieties of different types on potting soil as different plants have different needs. For example, your ferns would need a different medium in comparison to your succulents. A good general potting soil would be lighter than your everyday soil and should be able to hold more moisture.

Potting soil is usually looser and less compact than your general soils as the need to be well draining whilst retaining moisture. No two potting soils are the same as not all plants have the same needs. Succulents will need a more coarse mix where your ferns would need a mix that retains more moisture.

Materials Used in Potting Soil

Most potting soils are made from organic materials. These materials consist usually of bark, manure, compost and garden soil. Your compost will provide the needed nutrients to your feed your plants. Mulch or your bark chips with keep your soil aerated. The soil will help with drainage. Compost will provide nutrients and help retain moisture in the soil.

Although these are the main components of potting soil, different soil suppliers might also add vermiculite and perlite to assist in the aeration and water retention of your soil.

What to Plant in Potting Soil

As potting soil has already compost mixed in, there is no need to add any when planting your indoor or patio plant. Potting soil is ideal for planters, pots or containers to plant your soil directly in. Any plant that is planted in a pot, should be planted in potting soil.

Lawn Dressing

Lawn Dressing is used on your grass and lawns. There is no need to add layer upon layer when making use of your lawn dressing as it assists in levelling the soil under your grass as well as fertilizing your grass.

Materials Used in Lawn Dressing

Lawn dressing usually consists out of three parts compost and one part nutrient rich top soil. Top Soil is the upper layer of soil. It is known to have one of the highest concentrations of organic matter and where the most biological soil activity occurs. The top soil assists in the levelling of your grass as well as filling up any lawn patches. It also assists in the aeration of soil. Your compost works as a fertilizer for you soil and also assists in the water retention of your soil.

How to Apply Lawn Dressing

We advise to start preparing your grass in the beginning of spring by applying your lawn dressing.

Lightly broadcast your lawn dressing by hand or spreader over the grass and rake it lightly over the grass with the back of a rake. Be sure that your lawn dressing is not spread too thick and that the tips of your grass still stick out. After you have spread your lawn dressing, be sure to water your grass thoroughly and let the magic begin!

You will start to see that your grass will start growing and it will start to turn vibrant green in colour. Your grass will also start to level and your small patches will start to cover.

Mulch

With winter around the corner, mulch is definitely something to take into consideration when it comes to protecting your plants from the cold weather conditions in Gauteng. Apart from the fact that it retains soil temperature, it also retains moisture. Another benefit that mulch brings to your garden is that it has great nutritional value and also works as a weed guard.

Materials Used in Mulch

Mulch is usually known as organic materials that are placed at the top layer of your soil. The most popular organic materials used for mulch are wood chips and bark mulch. Other organic materials can also be used such as grass clippings, leaf litter, hay or straw.

Mulch Properties

As we have previously mentioned that mulch works well when it comes to retaining water and soil temperature, it also has many other benefits.

By retaining your soil temperature, you will notice that your plant’s growing season will prolong in the winter, as its roots will be protected from the cold.

Just like any other organic materials, mulch breaks down over time. Do not be concerned when this happens as this only means more compost for your garden! As the mulch breaks down gradually it will start enriching the soil with organic matter. This matter will work perfectly as a fertilizer for your garden.

How to Apply Mulch

It is always good to be generous when it comes to applying your mulch. Be sure to use quite a thick layer of mulch (about 50mm in thickness) when adding it on top of your current soil. Mulch does not need to be mixed with your current soil as it works as a form of protection against draught and cold conditions. Keeping your mulch as a top layer will regulate the soil’s temperature and protect it from harsh weather conditions.

All of the above soils can be purchased at our garden centre. Not only do we sell them in the regular 30dm3 bags, but we also provide them is 50kg size bags and bulk. Aall our soils are 100% weed free!

Be sure to visit our garden centre in Centurion for more plant care tips and advice!