Making differently balanced garden compost

amandstu

Suppose I want garden compost with more Phosphorus than Nitrogen (or any other balance) how would I do that?

Throw on lots of extra roots ,for example?Would that work?

What about old stringy ,bolted spinach plants?

Would that give me some Phoshorus when composted?Rhubarb roots?

Dock roots?

gameoverdude

The question marks should do it.

amandstu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653064#Comment_119653064

So ,might I just throw more of the soft vegetal remains to one part of the compost heap and the harder ,rootier stuff on the other side?

Then use the latter stuff for particular requirements....

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058264520/making-differently-balanced-garden-compost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653064#Comment_119653064

OP, compost is never a decent source of phosphorus and it's difficult to add it. The only sure way is to add manure to the mix.

@gameoverdude is that meant to be helpful or a poor attempt at humour.

amandstu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119655917#Comment_119655917

I thought manure was supposed to be mainly nitrogen rich.

I have plenty of stable manure and I do add it to my garden based compost but I think that I need a richer source of phosphorus ,for example at the time my strawberry plants are fruiting.

I also have trouble getting sturdy pea plants and wonder if extra nutrients in the soil would help this (I get quite a few mange touts off them but the plants seem to weaken quite soon-I appreciate that planting them in succession would resolve this problem to a degree)

Other than that my compost+stable manure can be absolutely brilliant and my swiss chard were like small bushes this year-great fennel too.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119656072#Comment_119656072

Phosphorus don't hang around for long but bone meal and chicken manure are good slow releasing sources.