How to buy hummus and how much does hummus cost? Here are the answers for all new garden owners, raised bed builders or flower box planters.
If you need high-quality hummus quickly, for example to fill a planting hole for shrubs or perennials, to equip flower boxes or flower pots or simply to improve an entire bed, you can buy hummus instead of producing hummus yourself. There are many ways to buy hummus, but the origin of the hummus can be a crucial factor in your choice: it affects what humus costs, how good its quality is and whether it makes ecological sense to use it. In this article you will get an overview of humus properties and hummus prices, but also on the correct application, i.e. the hummus application.
Origin of humus: everything you need to know at a glance
It is well known that humus is formed from organic material. You can read here exactly how this happens. Various materials can serve as the starting material for hummus. Below we list the materials used in the industrial production of hummus.
Recycled waste
One possibility is waste that ends up at recycling and recycling centers. This waste consists of the contents of your organic waste bin and the green waste from gardening and landscaping, green space or large tree care. The starting material is therefore a colorful mix and represents a reuse of our waste, very similar to running a compost heap yourself. One should keep in mind: The starting material from which the compost is made at recycling centers varies. Consequently, the nature of the end product is not uniform. Composition and nutrient content can sometimes vary greatly. However, the production of compost is subject to controls, so you can expect to get neither "too rich" nor "too lean" compost. However, it may be necessary to fertilize or thin depending on the quality obtained.
Some users have had bad experiences with pests - especially when the compost is too fresh. However, due to the high heat generated during composting, this is more the exception than the rule.
Tip: At some recycling centers, nutrient-poor green waste is composted separately from nutrient-rich organic waste. The result is compost with completely different nutrient contents: the green compost is low in nutrients, the organic compost is very rich in nutrients.
peat
Peat is a widely used raw material. Peat is already a so-called "moist humus". Its properties can be changed by further decomposition and additives. The usual peat-containing potting soil is produced with peat as the starting material. Of course, this is not real humus: potting soil is made up of humus and material that has not been decomposed to a great extent, as well as fertilizers and additives. However, the material is converted into humus over time. The industrial production of the potting soil guarantees a consistent, defined quality.
Alternatives to peat
As an environmentally friendly alternative to peat, other materials are now often used: Coconut fibre, wood fibre, bark humus and rice husks are possible starting materials for hummus. The same applies to potting soil on a peat-free basis: it consists of humus as well as poorly or not at all decomposed material, fertilizers and additives. Finished compost is also mixed in. The organic part can be completely converted into humus over time. The fertilizers used are usually organic due to the sustainable approach of the peat-free soils.
Aggregates
Aggregates are materials that are added to soils to improve their properties in various ways. They don't make up the lion's share of the mix, but they often have a big impact.
These additives are found in both peat and peat-free potting soils:
- Coconut flour (to increase water capacity)
- Sand, perlite or pumice (to improve aeration and stability)
- Ton (also in the form of granules; to improve water andnutrient storage).
- Xylitol (as a substitute, has similar properties to peat)
Buy hummus and hummus prices
Compost or humus made from garden waste can be obtained from local recycling or recycling centers. Depending on the offer, delivery may or may not be possible. Find out in advance the volume that the amount you need will take up so that you can estimate how to transport the humus. The costs start at a manageable 10 euros/m3, i.e. one euro per 100 liters.
Buy humus as potting soil
Humus in the form of peat-containing or peat-free potting soil is available in every hardware store and garden center. The Grün-erleben garden centers, the Bellandris chain, Hagebau, Obi, Hornbach and Raiffeisen markets all carry peat-free potting soil. Depending on the product, the pH value, the nutrient content, the form of the nutrients and also the degree of decomposition can vary. It is very worthwhile to study the goods declaration. In order to assess the quality of this potting soil, one should pay particular attention to the starting materials: the more stable they are, the slower the material is broken down and the more likely humus is to form. A table and an explanation of this fact can be found here. Some products have no fertilizer added at all, so they can be fertilized as needed. An example of this are "humus bricks" that consist only of coconut fiber and are made to swell with water.
If you have an idea of the needs of the plants that you plan to grow using the potting soil, you can choose the most suitable product using the given data. Inferior fertilizers are often used, especially with cheap products. Pay attention to whether they contain organic or mineral fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are preferable to mineral ones, as they are released more slowly and are more likely to lead to humus formation. The costs are around 8 to 25 euros for 70 liters of potting soil, the peat-free alternatives are now not much more expensive than their environmentally harmful predecessors.
How to use hummus and when to apply hummus?
Depending on the purpose for which you purchase humus, you need a different product. Below you will find the three most common uses for humus and our recommendations for use.
Bed Improvement
- In the spring, it is advisable to spread organic compost or fertilizedPotting soil in combination with material that is difficult to decompose. Organic fertilization is always possible.
- In autumn, nutrient-poor humus should be used in the form of green compost. It is also possible to use nutrient-free materials (humus bricks, soil for cuttings) with some organic fertilizer - the Potassium-rich Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, for example, is well suited.
- Spread the humus over the entire surface and work it in superficially, but do not dig in too deeply.
Bags and boxes
- When planting in tubs, the choice of humus-rich soil depends on the plant.
- Plants with high requirements can be planted in organic compost and pure, fertilized potting soil. Should fertilization become necessary later, our organic flower fertilizer is a good choice.
- Low need plants should be planted in green compost mixes or mixes of nutrient-free potting soil. The use of organic fertilizers is always possible. We recommend the more potassium-rich organic tomato fertilizer from Plantura.
Planting
- The nutrient requirement of shrubs and perennials is relatively low, but seasonal plantings with annual plants can have a higher nutrient requirement. They can also be supplied with the Plantura organic flower fertilizer.
- Plantings in spring can be done with nutrient-rich humus: organic compost or fertilized potting soil are ideal. In addition, we always recommend the use of organic fertilizers. In this case, too, our organic universal fertilizer is a good choice.
- Planting in autumn should be done with nutrient-poor humus: green compost, nutrient-free potting soil or humus bricks. In this case, too, we recommend the use of tomato fertilizer. It contains more potassium, which better prepares your plants for winter by increasing frost hardiness.
PreserveHumus
If you have purchased humus, you will enjoy it all the longer if it stays where it is needed. You can read about what promotes the formation or decomposition of humus in our special article on humus management.
In this article we explain the environmental benefits of building humus in the garden.