Bulbs are an integral part of a real vegetable garden. The onion (Allium cepa) which is a major example of a bulb in our gardens, needs a humus-rich soil that is not too moist. It’s best to plant the onion in sandy-loamy soil that has been loosened with compost.
You can optimally prepare the bed with stale compost from the previous year or fertilizer containing potassium.
Onions, on the other hand, do not tolerate fertilizers with a high concentration of nitrogen. This includes artificial fertilizers and fresh manure.
The truth is that bulbs need the right compost to produce well.
So, what is the best compost for bulbs?
The recommended composts for bulbs include milk residues, coffee grounds, Potato water, wood ash, urine, and tea leaves can be used to nourish your bulb plants and aid in the formation of flowers and development of the fruits. However, avoid composts that contain salt as the plant in the bed can’t safely tolerate salt.
Different times and seasons also determine which compost to use on bulbs.
In spring, you simply have to dig the bed to a depth of about 20 centimeters. Then the bed should rest for another two weeks so that the earth has time to settle. Onions, like root vegetables, tend to grow elongated in freshly dug soil rather than forming thick tubers.
If fresh manure or compost are used as fertilizer, they should be worked into the soil as early as autumn for spring planting. The compost can rot over the winter and the soil can settle well so that it becomes finely crumbly and loose.
In this article, we would discuss the types of compost for bulbs, and the factors affecting them.
Fertilize instead of dispose – the best natural fertilizers from waste
In many cases, waste doesn’t have to be carelessly disposed of. Natural plant strengtheners can be obtained from wood ash, tea leaves, coffee grounds, etc. which do not have to be laboriously prepared and are immediately available.
#1. Milk
The residues in the milk packaging are often simply disposed of. Due to the high proportion of microorganisms, it can upgrade soils and help against infestation with powdery mildew. So it makes sense to use the milk as a fertilizer .
You can use milk in a ten percent dilution as a liquid fertilizer. Fertilization can already begin in late winter.
#2. Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are used in most kitchens every day. It is a good idea to collect coffee grounds and use them extensively in the garden.
As an organic fertilizer , coffee grounds are a first choice due to their high nitrogen and magnesium content. Coffee grounds are slightly acidic, and therefore very suitable for bog plants.
The coffee grounds are added to the irrigation water and can be used regularly during the growing season. If you repot indoor and balcony plants, you can mix the coffee grounds directly under the substrate.
#3. Tea leaves
Tea bags and tea leaves do not have to end up in the garbage either.
You can pour the rest of the teapot directly into the flower pot. You can mix the contents of the tea bags into the substrate.
For balconies and potted plants whose nutrient supply in the planter is limited, this nutrient boost is always welcome in the growth phase.
#4. Wood ash
Fireplace owners or fans of grilled steak can use wood ash for fertilization. Wood ash is rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium or silica and promotes the formation of flowers and the development of the fruits.
However, only use ashes made from untreated materials.
The ashes are soaked in water and should rest for a day to allow the potassium to dissolve. The solution is then filtered. Wood ash fertilizer promotes the growth of tomatoes, cabbage or pumpkins. The fertilizer is suitable for roses every two weeks.
#5. Potato water
Valuable ingredients are removed from the potatoes during the cooking process. Therefore, potato water is not poured down the drain, but can be used as a fertilizer directly and undiluted.
Flowering plants are particularly happy about potato water. potato water should not contain salt. The plants in the bed cannot tolerate salt.
#6. Urine
Urine is not the most appetizing form of nourishing your bulb plants, but it is certainly one of the most effective ways.
In connection with water, urine serves the bulb plants as a growth and strengthening agent.
The urine is diluted ten percent with water and can provide a growth spurt in roses, shrubs and young trees during the growing season. Brussels sprouts, corn, leeks or celery also like to use this form of fertilization.
Ideally, the fertilizer is poured onto the mulched soil. The high nitrogen content of the urine can be offset by the carbon contained in the soil.
Compost needs
Not all waste is suitable for composting in the home garden . Compost cannot replace organic waste. We explain to you how to compost your valuable kitchen and garden waste in a targeted manner to produce natural fertilizer. The crucial question: what goes on my compost and what doesn’t?
Here you can find all information at a glance. Organic waste can be composted excellently all year round. What types of waste can be put on the compost heap or in the composting machine?
Composting waste – what’s allowed on the compost:
● Raw vegetable and fruit leftovers – but no citrus fruit leftovers !
● Eggshells
● Withered flowers or herbs – Chop longer stems and thicker parts of the plant into small pieces , this speeds up composting.
● Lawn clippings (it is best to have this already slightly dried, otherwise there is a risk of rot)
● Small amounts of newsprint and cardboard (no colored paper, no high-gloss materials, so easily rotten paper)
● Tea and coffee grounds
● Foliage and shrub pruning . Shrub cuttings also turn into humus more quickly if they are cut into small pieces beforehand.
● Small amounts of manure from pets (but NO additives such as cat litter – exclude chemical components)
● Algae from the garden pond
● Larger twigs, branches, roots and coarse trimmings loosen up the compost, but must be cut into small pieces beforehand because they rot very slowly.
● Nutshells also rot – walnuts, hazelnuts , but also peanut shells slowly, so only add dosed and crushed.
● Only add small amounts of hard-to-rot leaves , such as the leaves of walnut and chestnut trees, oaks or plane trees.
These must NOT be on the compost:
● Cooked or prepared food – especially no meat and other protein-rich foods – these scraps of food attract rats and other animals!
● Neither do fatty foods, oils, milk – the substances cannot simply be broken down.
● Plant residues that are infected with mold or a fungus – use your organic waste bin for this. This will prevent it from spreading further.
● Ash residues – the ash can be polluted, and larger lumps of ash rot very slowly.
● Citrus fruit residues, as these are often heavily sprayed and thus pesticides get into your humus. So lemon peel, orange peel, best of all also avoid pineapple and banana peel. In small quantities or as organic products, adding tropical fruits such as watermelons or other melon peel to the compost should not be a problem.
● Cut flowers , especially if they were bought in the supermarket – they often contain pesticides.
● Avoid leaves and components of the cherry laurel bush, the plant is very poisonous and the leaves slowly rot.
● Colored or thick paper and cardboard waste does not belong on the compost heap.
● Do not add weeds that are already bearing seeds to the compost. This will prevent it from spreading further.
The right place for your compost
All you need is a suitable place for the compost and you’re good to go. Garden corners with a little space in which the compost can easily be removed are suitable.
The decomposition of the organic material – your garden and kitchen waste – is done by microorganisms and bacteria, as well as larger living things such as earthworms, especially compost worms.
These require sufficient oxygen, warmth and occasionally moisture. The compost should therefore stand freely and the waste should not be too compressed.
Let air into the garden waste, this accelerates the decomposition process. Loosening up the compost, for example in spring, can help.
There is also a composter for little space
The right composter, such as a quick composter, is available from specialist retailers or you can choose the self-made model.
A lot of space is not necessary for this – composters are already available in small sizes and in simple, inexpensive models up to wood / metal constructions for larger gardens.
Depending on the weather and the constituents of the compost, you can start using the compost you have made yourself after three quarters of the year at the earliest.
Larger amounts of compost can be used from the second season (after the second winter) at the latest. Spring is the best season to spread the fresh, nutrient-rich compost on beds and bushes and enrich the existing soil there. If in doubt, give the decomposition process a little more time, this increases the quality.
Make sure you have a good mix
A basic rule for successful composting is: ensure a good mix. Liven up the composting processes with the appropriate variety of nutrients.
Mix damp, dense garden waste, such as fruit waste or lawn clippings, with dryer material, such as withered flowers, dry stalks, straw, etc. – i.e., elements with little structure with structure-rich elements.
Conclusion
When it comes to growing bulbs in your garden, there are types of compost that are best for use. In this article, we have discussed the best composts for bulbs.