The HOTBIN turns your garden and food waste into amazing compost in no time. But first things first: check whether your compost is ready for use. If you are still in doubt, first check what HOTBIN compost should look like so you can assess whether your first batch was successful. Did it work? Great! Let’s get to work quickly.
10 places to use your homemade HOTBIN compost:
Dig it in: the most important ingredient in fresh HOTBIN compost is humus, which both retains nutrients and water and releases them into the soil. Humus ensures an airy soil structure in which plants can root deeply. Plants also absorb nutrients from the humus through their roots. Of course, rain will wash away some of the nutrients from the compost and earthworms will eat the top layer of the compost and excrete it underground, but this process takes time. That is why we believe digging it in is best so that your soil can benefit from it properly.
1) Planters: there is no such thing as using too much compost - at least, not if you use mature compost. Immature compost and/or fresh manure is of course a different story. To make a good potting mix, sieve the compost and mix it with soil, sand, and colloidal humus
2) Vegetable beds - be generous with your compost! As an avid vegetable gardener, you are probably familiar with crop rotation, and you are aware that not all crops like a rich soil, such as peas. Potatoes, however, will be very happy with it
3) Tomato or cucumber beds: tomatoes and cucumbers love deep beds with plenty of compost. Do you have a greenhouse? Then house these plants in there. Keep in mind that HOTBIN compost retains a lot of water and does not dry out like peat. There are people who claim that "nothing beats peat," but humus beats peat by far if you ask us. The problem is that not all compost contains humus. Read more about the water-holding capacity of humus and compost here.
Topdressing:
4) Houseplants: add 1 CM to the top, or remove the plant from the pot and add 1 CM to the base soil.
5) Outdoor flower beds: here you do not dig in the compost, but scatter it as a topdressing over the flower beds. This is less labor-intensive than digging it in, but keep in mind that humus is most beneficial in the root zone.
6) Lawn: normally, using compost to feed the lawn is an autumn activity, but sieved compost is a great way to kick-start the season. It helps reduce the need for fertilizers, keeps moss under control, and reduces the need for water.
Seedlings - A bit more complicated
7) Seedlings: many gardeners complain about the results of using different commercial composts to grow seedlings (read: rotting stems, stunted growth, and no germination). Compost alone is not a good sowing medium. Seeds and seedlings grow best in compost mixed with sand and soil to provide good drainage and steady nutrient release.To make a good seed germination mix, sieve the compost and mix it with soil and sand.
Pots and containers
8) Containers: the ability of compost to absorb and retain water is especially useful in containers that dry out quickly. No single recipe is recognized as the best for everyone, but a general mix is 2 parts compost | 1 part vermiculite | 1 part coarse sand | 1 part coconut fiber. We recommend using sieved compost for container use.
Around trees
9) Trees: spreading compost around the roots of your tree can provide it with important nutrients and can help protect against diseases. Just be careful not to spread it too close to the trunk.
Soil improvement
10) Improve clay soils: dig in compost "as it comes" from your bin or pileImprove sandy soils: sieve compost and add only the fine parts.
Bonus way to use HOTBIN compost: liquid fertilizer
11) Liquid fertilizer can be drained and collected during the HOTBIN composting process and used as liquid feed for your garden. Excess water in the HOTBIN will drain to the bottom of the bin, dissolving humus compounds from the compost to form a dark brown liquid.
Please note: be sure to dilute this liquid well with water before giving it to your plants.
