Confounding, compounding compost!

I'm a new gardener and a new member of the community. I'm interested in flower gardening, and I've most recently been reading up on the importance of good soil and the value of compost.

I have a question that might seem really silly to some of the more experienced members here, but perhaps someone could enlighten me.

It's recommended that you add several inches of compost to your garden yearly, but wouldn't there come a time when it would be necessary to REMOVE some dirt, to accommodate the added inches? I mean, how do you keep adding compost and not eventually build the soil level up too high?

I'm sure I sound like the complete novice that I am, but I'm hoping that someone can answer my question.

Thank you!

It does seem perplexing at first. Compost continues to break down with rain, weather, earthworms and other tiny, almost invisible creatures and the nutrients filter down, helping the soil below. If you've ever started a yard waste pile (ultimately for compost), it will shrink over a few months as the components are broken down. Adding compost isn't a "one and done" thing but something that's done continually.

I don't think it would be possible to remove compost; it becomes one with what's underneath.

Welcome to Daves Gardening Forums adh123, I know you will learn lots and pick up many hints and tips as you go along.

You right when you say it seems strange to have to add composted materials to your garden soil each year, and strange when your told you should.
Compost is a natural compound that at the dying down and break up of all the solids we throw onto our compost heaps it breaks up into small particles resembling store purchased potting compost,
and the large heap you started off as your compost heap soon resemble just a few bucket loads of compost to add to your bed / border,

When you add say 3-4 inch layer of compost to the borders, you fork it into the soil, this changes the soil texture by adding humus, air, food, it fluffs up the depleted nutritious sparse soil and this in turn gives the plants in the border already or going to plant in the border, goodness, you will then know that your soil is enriched with NON chemical feeds, the soil texture is corrected and your plants will reward you.
End of season, your border plants will need some more composted rich nutritious compost added, as you will notice the old soil level is well below the level it was when you add the compost last year.

My own routine for compost being added to my beds, veg areas and borders are: depending on the type of nutrients / compost I'm adding, will depend when and how it is added.
My own favourite type of stuff I like is HORSE manure, the horse manure should be well rotted down (maybe 10-12 months rotting) by then it will have become odourless, the way it should be, this well rotted manure will crumble in your hand, I throw a good thick layer of this along the borders, it cant burn the leaves / stems of plants as all the acidic matter has run out / away.
IF there is a small amount of this manure that has NOT rotted down as well, then this small amount will be laid along the surface and will be done / laid there in autumn, the winter temps will reduce the matter and will be ready to be dug into the soil come spring.
Any other types of compost, home made, store purchased, any animal manures can be done either spring or end of season like Autumn or Winter, when sone in winter, this layer of humus helps prevent the germination of weed seeds BUT not all weeds LOL.

Hope this helps you out a little, and PLEASE dont think ANY questions are silly, we are all here to help, learn new things and IF nothing else, give plenty of encouragement. Hope thats what you can get here on Daves, there are many old timer gardeners and like myself, after around 50 years, I'm still learning new stuff so please enjoy your new found gardening adventure.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

The first time you blend compost with the soil, or mulch (put compost on the surface) this will raise the level of the bed.
But, as noted above, the compost and mulch break down over time, and becomes a very small amount of organic matter called humus. This improves the soil a lot, but you do have to keep adding it.

If the soil is already high enough before you start, then I would remove enough so the bed ends up 4-6" too low. Then add as much as 3" thick layer of compost and blend it with the soil. When you plant, prepare each hole by adding more compost to blend with the soil below the level you were able to rototill. This can raise the soil level in the bed another inch or more, depending on how many plants you are planting.
Then add coarser material (such as bark chips, or less broken down compost) a couple of inches thick on the surface.
The end result will be about 6" of really good soil, and a couple of inches of mulch that is breaking down to take the place of the compost that was blended with the soil.

If you never added any more mulch or compost, and never turned over the soil the organic matter would decompose, and the soil would compact and you would end up where you started. (4-6" low, if you set it up that way).

By constantly adding more compost, though, whether you mix it in or not, it gets blended with the soil (earthworms and many other critters are good at this), and the soil keeps on getting better. But the soil does not keep on getting higher. The good effects of the organic matter will work their way deeper into the soil, too.

Thank you all so very much for your thoughtful answers and kind welcome. What you say makes perfect sense, as I have been adding to my compost pile for a couple months now, and it doesn't seem to be growing! Lol!

Once again, thank you very much. I think I'm going to like it in this place! Hopefully, some day, I will be answering newbie questions, myself!!

You will!

To make HOME MADE compost can take a while, it all depends on the amount of garden & household waste you have to add to your compost pile and the temp the pile can reach will define how quick or slow the process will take.

The things I add to my compost BIN'S are all the fruit and veg peelings or past sell -by-date, all must be UNCOOKED, cooked food attracts things like mice / rats or other unwanted creatures you have around your area so always avoid this type of household stuff.
Add shredded news paper or if you have time, tear the newspaper pages into strips to allow the rotting to speed up, large thick bundles of paper will smother the pile because no air can circulate.
Add the dust etc from vacuum cleaner, fluff from tumble drier and anything that is NOT man made.

From the garden, use grass cuttings (but NOT in thick layers) if you have a large lawn, place layers of about 2 inches thick, then add say twiggy cuttings or veg trimmings, this is again to allow air to flow and prevent the grass layers from turning into a smelly sludge.
When the pile gets higher, you are advised to use the garden fork and turn the pile, do this by getting the wheel barrow, fork the pile into the barrow, so the top of the heap will be places back into the pile at the bottom when you replace the rotting compost back, this helps speed up the process depending on how large a heap you have.
IF the heap is allowed to dry out, use a watering can to dampen it, too dry will slow down the composting BUT too wet will cause a smelly sludgy mess, it's just getting a balance, AND if you get it wrong, what are you loosing, NOTHING but time, effort etc, and you just start again.

Here I use those very large PLASTIC compost bins, simply because I can store it closer to the back door where I can easily fill it us from kitchen / Household waste, especially in our winter weather. I never have to turn the compost when using the large plastic bins.

I also have a couple of wire cages made from chicken wire and garden canes to form the shape, I use these for leaf fall and these take a couple of years to rot down before adding this to my SHRUB borders for a warm blanket type AND weed suppress. these are placed around the garden as my plot is huge.

I think you are trying out new skills you are not yet used to and believe me, you will get there, it all sound a bit complicated when you first take up gardening, BUT the reality is, it is just NOT that complicated at all, we make it more difficult by trying too hard, nature is a wonderful thing and new Gardeners usually kill more plants with kindness than neglect, ALL plants / shrubs / tree's will fight to survive, all we have to do is learn to help them along by watering, feeding pruning, or weeding.
I think before long you will be able to relax and enjoy your new hobby of gardening, and make sure you just keep asking for help, advice, or even just bursting to show us you wonderful results.

No one learns everything over a few months as I say many time here, I've been gardening for many years and am still learning from new methods, other peoples ideas, and anyway adh123, a garden is never finished, it's a plan in progress LOL.
Good luck and try relax and remember to enjoy.enjoy.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.