Welcome ,
You are indeed fortunate in getting any sort of analysis for your City compost. All one can hope for here is that it meets a standard known as pas100, and that its relatively free from junk.
You should notice when its delivered if its ‘hot’ to the touch, indicating that its still decomposing, and should be allowed to finish (ripen) before application.Ideally, get it early, and if possible, insert a compost thermometer to record the temperature trend. 60 deg C should be the maximum, falling back to ambient air temperature. Another indicator would be the population of the heap by woodlice- they like it ‘cosy’ but not hot!.
There is no definite definition of compost, beyond being a blend of plant based material in the process of decay.All will work to some extent for our purpose, which is to provide a natural environment for fungi, bacteria and organisms to perform Natures miracle, which requires air, moisture and minerals. Your compost feeds these, not the plants directly*
*research Dr Elaine Ingham
Yes, you can plant into the compost layer.Most plants are presown and grown on in pots or trays (modules) prior to planting out, especially in the early Spring period.See the books and videos produced by our host.
The plants will determine whether they require to go down into the soil.My experience of no-dig is that my plants thrive, and grow more roots,both directions ,sideways and down.When harvesting, cut off the plant, leave the roots intact in the ground.They will generally rot away, leaving a clear passage for other roots, organisms and water to travel
Cleansweep
