Tropical and subtropical soils are notorious for their lack of this material. Leaf compost used for mulch at the NCSU Arboretum. Adding compost to your garden soil can also assure you that your garden is supplied with micronutrients such as iron, iodine, cobalt, boron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, and manganese. Use compost as a top dressing for your raised beds to help reduce runoff. Here are 5 ways we use compost to keep our plants growing strong and healthy – and keep our soil fertile: 1. Use it to reduce runoff. Use the chunkier material that does not make it through the mesh as a top layer of mulch to retain moisture. Learn More. If you don’t garden, don’t have a lawn, or have only potted plants, you may struggle with what to do with compost. Limit your ash usage to two gallons per 3x3x3 container. You can use finely shredded newspaper in your material, but make sure to take out the slick color pages. Small amounts of fireplace or wood stove ashes can be added to you pile. Whereas temperate soils may have up to 50 percent organic matter, sub-tropical soils typically have 1 percent or less. This layer of mulch did an excellent job of preventing weeds from popping up. Here’s what you can do with it: Make potting soil by mixing compost with basic, bagged soil. Get the MasterClass Annual Membership and learn how to cultivate … Compost creates a spongy, absorbent layer for your soil, which can trap water and moisture and protect your garden from soil erosion. You can even use this type of mulch in more formal flower or landscaping beds – skip the pine bark mulch and use leaf litter instead. As a Winter Mulch. Organic matter is critical for plant development and growth (see benefits of compost). Start by sifting and sorting the compost. You can use the lint from your dryer in compost. Photo via JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University. Compost has nutrients that plants use in order for them to grow to their fullest potential, like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. When You Plant. This is number 1 on the list – and for good reason! “If you are not going to use it, maybe you have a neighbor or somebody that wants it,” says Platt. If you have a lot, it’s better to take it for recycling. It’s still worthwhile making compost out of kitchen waste. Shovel the compost onto a mesh and sift out the finer material for use in soil. Once you’ve determined that your compost is ripe for use, you can use this powerful, natural substance to give your plants and vegetables a nutritional boost. There is simply no better way to get your plants off to a great start than working in compost at the time of planting. How to Use Compost if You Don’t Garden. Once you’ve made compost, you’ve got to decide what to do with it. Some folks compost as a way to get rid of food waste, while avid gardeners compost in order to have that rich, soil additive. How to Use Compost. Bang out the compost from around the roots and use this on top of other pots or plants in the garden. Use compost as a soil amendment to increase the organic matter in the soil. Amend the soil of your potted plants for better growth. Used with permission. Grow your own food with Ron Finley, the self-described "Gangster Gardener."