Compost safe for natives?

[Paulyd]

I’m trying to find out what the best compost is to buy that’s not going to kill natives plants in my garden 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Paulyd. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about compost.

Was it compost you were after or mulch? 

Manures and compost can adversely affect natives, and mushroom compost should be avoided entirely. If you want to add nutrients to the soil, then look towards products like Charlie Carp and slow-release fertilisers similar to Osmocote Native Controlled Release Fertiliser.

Wood chip like Pine bark or Eucalyptus mulch is good for natives, but don't pile the mulch up against the trunks and stems as it can lead to trunk rot.

Let me mention one of our gardening experts, @mich1972, to see if she has any recommendations.

Mitchell

[Paulyd]

It’s actually compost I’m looking for. I just need to boost the soil in my garden beds as I plant a range of new plants- a mix of native and non native. I don’t want to poison my natives so I’m looking for bags of compost that works all round 

[MitchellMc]

It's difficult to gauge the amount of nutrients released from compost @Paulyd. That's why composts aren't typically recommended for natives. 

If you are looking to boost nutrients in your soil, you can do that with organic native plant food or by mixing in Native potting mix. 

Mitchell

[mich1972 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Paulyd  Great question mate. I love soils !!!! When planting Australian Native plants either in the ground or in a pot, I always recommend and have used the Native Planting Mix as it’s a special Premium mix into the planting holes. Especially because it has a slow release fertiliser in it for Natives with no Phosphorus added. 
In my opinion I would be careful using Compost, unless it’s very old and mature . Otherwise it could be a bit to strong. Native plants need to grow in a well drained soil so you don’t want to add too much of one thing if that makes sense. I agree with Mitch’s advice. Don’t over do it with Natives. 😊

[mich1972]

This is what I planted my Lemon Myrtle trees in 😊 I always recommend this for Australian Native plants, whether you are planting in the ground or in a Pot 😊

[Paulyd]

Thanks