When to spread compost: a seasonal guide

Autumn: let winter do the work

Spreading compost in autumn, once beds have been cleared, gives it all winter to be worked into the soil by worms, rain and frost, so the goodness is already available when growth picks up in spring. It is also a practical time in the gardening calendar, since many beds are naturally free of crops or bedding plants at this point.

Early spring: a strong start for the growing season

A spring dressing, applied a few weeks before planting or as new growth starts, gives beds and borders a boost right when plants need it most. This works particularly well for vegetable beds and containers being planted up for the season ahead.

What to avoid

Avoid spreading onto frozen or waterlogged ground, since compost cannot be worked in properly and nutrients are more likely to wash away rather than reach the soil. In a hard frost or heavy waterlogging, it is better to wait a week or two for conditions to improve than to spread compost that will just sit on the surface.

Lawns, raised beds and allotments

For lawns, a thin top-dressing of compost in early autumn helps recovery after summer wear and improves soil structure ahead of the wetter months. For raised beds and allotments, either autumn or spring works well; the main thing is consistency, since beds that get an annual dressing build up better soil structure over several years than beds fed only occasionally.

Storing compost until you're ready

Compost stores perfectly well in the bag for weeks or months, so there is no need to spread it all the moment it arrives. Keeping the bag somewhere dry is ideal, though it will keep well either way, which means you can take delivery when it suits you and spread it when the timing and weather are right.