The Land Gardeners’ climate compost

The Land Gardeners' Climate Compost

When we began our compost journey, we produced our climate compost by hand, using the windrows method. As we have expanded though, we've taken our compost to a farm scale and we are now producing it commercially using machinery and specific measurements.

Our climate compost acts as a probiotic pill for the soil, and you only need to apply a tiny bit to achieve the full effects.

How we use our climate compost:

• sprinkle in a small pinch before planting out a seedling
• sprinkle it over an existing or new bed and then broadfork it in
• use a handful to create compost teas.

By applying our climate compost we are able to create the best environment for the microbes in the soil. We have learnt through our years of gardening that applying less compost, but of a much better quality, is the best way to ensure the microbes in your soil are getting what they need.

By applying a thin layer to the surface of the soil and then broadforking it in, you can also ensure that your soil is not disturbed too much.

Using Small Amounts of Microbial Amendments

You might be surprised to learn that a bag of our climate compost, along with cover crops and green manures, is enough to feed an average size garden.

While standard-sized bags of compost are much bigger, they are often simply a bag of fibre without the nutritional benefits. Industrially produced compost is often heated to a high degree too, so much so that all the life within it is destroyed.

While fibrous material isn't bad for your soil, if you don't already have pre-existing microlife in your soil to process it, then it won't break down easily.

A Few Different Types of Compost

Ramial Wood Chip

Ramial wood chip is created by chipping small, young branches, generally 5cm or less. This produces a great woodchip for mulching beds and can be used for paths too. It is considered a slow release food for your soil and can be produced easily after cutting back a hedge.

Fibrous Compost

Fibrous compost works brilliantly as a mulch, and can help you to suppress any weeds and help with moisture retention in the soil. While it will not feed the soil in the same way that a humus- and nutrient-rich compost would, mulching is great to-do in a hot summer and can help to retain soil in a wet winter too.

Static Compost from Compost Cakes

The compost that we create in our compost cakes is moist with a high humus content. Made without turning, you can put a pinch under a seedling, a handful under a shrub, or a handful into compost teas, which can then be used to feed plants and soil.

Mulching No-Dig Beds

Fibrous materials are great for no-dig gardening, and if you want to learn more about this method, we recommend you follow the work of Charles Dowding, whose book we have recommended later in the workbook.

If you're using the no-dig method though, we still recommend adding a pinch of climate compost to the soil for every seedling that you sow.

Our preferred method of mulching, however, is with green manures. Crimping them back feeds the soil, while also protecting it, helping to cement the partnership between microbes and plants.