Do you put mulch on top of compost or compost alone is sufficient? They both seem to hold water fine so I don't know if you need both or one (compost) is enough? Thanks

I prefer to add mulch over the top of the compost.

I usually have seeds in my compost...

But, sometimes I don't have mulch... compost alone beats nothing.

In my climate — and possibly yours? — the harsh summer sun & wind break down exposed compost and organic matter quickly. A layer of mulch like leaves or shredded bark on top protects the OM on and in the soil.

Other thing with mulch is making a layer of very carbon rich (nitrogen poor) material, and coarse textured material, which makes it less friendly to unwanted seedlings from drifted seed.
I also seem to see that wire grass under mulch gets tricked into growing up and being easier to pull.

Agreed, I like to try and get the compost INTO the root zone for my good plants, preferably dig it in. If I don't dig it in, then mulch on top, keeping compost under it moist, does that.

Mulch sort of eventually becomes compost.

I think it all depends. Pre-existing plants and landscaping, it's pretty easy to do a top dressing of compost. I'd like to do it just before a big rain, in the root circle plant. Remember the sprinkle it inn a ring around the main stem so it hits the entirety of the root system. If you wanna fun project, you can make some compost tea and use your watering can to get it to the roots versus waiting for nature in the rain. Good luck.

Does adding compost yearly raise the soil level? Like, do you have to worry about the plant getting lower over time compared to the surrounding soil?

I suppose that depends on how much you apply and other factors, like wind (erosion ) and climate. Here OM tends to just — poof! — disappear by the end of the season, but my conditions are extreme. I need to add large amounts of soil amendments to increase bed volume long term.

Wow!

I guess if I think about it, trees in the forest don't get buried from all that leaf litter over the years.

Yep, I thought about pointing that out, but leaves compress and break down quickly. When we humans make and apply compost, we're adding a much more condensed version of what Nature makes in the wild.

you COULD, obviously, if it is possible to build a compost pile, it is possible to pile compost anywhere, effectively raising soil level.
But I'd guess that normal gardening efforts stop short of that, so top dressing with compost doesn't typically raise the soil.

Can plants raise their crown over time, if conditions call for it?

I think daylilies will reseat themselves if they're too high, but I'm not sure if plants pull themselves up.

Hm. Of course, plant to plant...
and those with a distinct crown, I can't really picture growing that 'up' but if they send out runners, those would adjust to the surface.

I am guessing, even in 'non-Zoe-circle of hell-garden-zones' most people don't pile up so much compost between plants because it would look funny, and a couple inches goes away in a season or two.

Agree, even IF we could produce enough compost to do that. I never have more than enough for a light top dressing

Just to add (slightly defensively 😄) I'm not in anything CLOSE to the Circle of Hell conditions we hear about from our Texas gardeners. It can be harsh here, largely because our altitude makes for more intense sun, and yeah, this summer in particular was brutal, and drought is a constant worry. But we have our moments of bliss. Rarely cloudy: average 278 clear days a year, our snows are usually light and melt in a few hours. Low humidity. Being from California, I probably whine more than is justified because, well, there is nothing like California for easy gardening.

The last 3-4 weeks here have been exquisite — mild, sunny, just a bit of precipitation.

On Garden Answer, a you tube channel I've recently started watching almost obsessively, they have started using compost alone on most of their garden areas. However, they are in a fairly dry area and use drip irrigation, so I think that keeps weeds down (most of the exposesd bed areas are just too dry even for weeds).

Mulch on top of compost, or just mulch alone, does a better job of suppressing weeds for me. I haven't been able to add mulch consistently hte past few years, and it shows! As Sally said, mulch does turn into compost eventually. I must have pretty active worms, too. Compost disappears into the soil fairly quickly, and the 4" layer of unshredded fall leaves I put down last fall was mostly gone by June.

You can mulch with compost or compost your mulch.

Hamwild said: Does adding compost yearly raise the soil level? Like, do you have to worry about the plant getting lower over time compared to the surrounding soil?

It takes years but it does happen.
My garden and lawn Down South are now a goodly amount higher than the sidewalks/curb nearby.
New curbs were put in in the early seventies , similar for the sidewalk by the garden.

I will also take a shovel and cut down the level of the garden next to the peonies by several inches as it is now that much higher than they are and some were planted in the eighties.
My rose garden which was 4 inches lower than the railroad ties I bordered it with, twenty years ago, is now within two inches of the top of the ties.

😯

Everybody gave you great info. For me... mulch and compost serve 2 different purposes. Mulch helps to keep the roots cooler or warmer, depending. It slows down evaporation, invites lots of worms which are almost always awesome and slowly will break down and become great dirt for your plant. I add my compost because it is super duper fertilizer with microbes and such for my plants. I also dig it into the soil a bit, side dress it so that it won't blow away and the nitrogen in it will be absorbed into the soil.

Mulch is anything, organic or not, placed on the soil surface to slow evaporation and suppress weeds. Compost is one of the things you can use as mulch.