Compost Blends

Hi All:

This weekend I built another 15 raised beds. They range in length from 12 feet to 16 feet. I some cases, a few went into areas where there was an existing garden so the soil was fine. Most of them however are in areas where the soild is not very good.

When I put in my first set of beds, I was able to get most of my soil from other places on the property which I just amended. Can't do that this time. I was thinking of ordering some of the bulk compost blends carried by garden centers. I'll probably need 10 yards or more.

But before I buy, wanted to hear opinions as to whether this stuff is any good from an organic standpoint.


Thanks
BB

BB~ I made 4 raised beds in my backyard that are 4 ft. wide by 12 ft. long and needed to put in a little over 5 yards of soil. (The soil out here is straight clay!!) I went to a local garden center and got a nice soil that had Nutrimulch mixed in with it. I am not sure what they called the soil. I just know that it had turkey manure in it. I am sure if you go in and tell them what you are doing they can point you to a good bulk soil to add to your beds. After you find a good soil, I would amend every year with good compost. (hopefully compost that you make yourself. It is fun!!)

I grew great tomatoes this year using that soil mix. I am going to continue to amend this soild with compost that I make.

15 beds! Wow that is impressive. I know how long it took me to build my 4 beds. Did that take you forever to do? I would love to see a pic of them.

Lissy

It depends upon the compost facility. Each facility is different and they get their organic matter from various sources.

If you are a "die hard" organic purist - you may be more picky about what goes into your compost.

We have a few different places where one can get bulk compost. And I usually call them and ask what is their source of material.

One commercial place uses cow manure (from a regular farm, not-organic) and the city yard waste collection program. Their compost is available at different prices depending upon how finely it is screened. You can get 3", 1", and 1/2" screenings. I forget the actual prices, but the 1/2" screen is about twice the price of the 3" screen. I have used their compost and found it nice and crumbly. It is probably not "pure" from a "strict" organic standpoint as the manure was not from organic cows and the city yard waste probably has some trace lawn chemicals in it. But for what I was using it for, it was fine.

Another municipal compost facility in our area uses municipal sludge mixed with yard waste and tree trimmings from line clearing operations. Their compost is free but its only available in a rough form, its not screened finely like the commercial compost. I have used it also. It was nice, though I did screen a bit for my own use. It had a few metal bits and plastic pieces (probably from the yard waste)that I had to throw away. Some of the larger chuncks of organics where tossed back into my own compost pile. And from an "organic" standpoint this compost is probably not purely organic because of the trace metals that can be municipal sludge and the lawn chemicals that are potentially in the yard waste. But it was for what I was using it for, it was fine.

I prefer to use my own compost as much as possible on my own lawn, because I know exactly what goes into it. When I have purchased compost or used the free municipal compost it was for large landscaping or grading projects on large commerical projects. I've never really gone to the bother of moving,storing, hauling compost from someplace else for "personal" use.

Thanks Guys:

Lissy: I'll post a pic. My son and I actually have it down to a science. It took us a day to do the 16 beds including tilling the existing soil in the new beds. My beds are 4x16 or 4x12. I thought all I needed was about 10 yards of blend but shows you what I know

Hi Joe: I usually do make my own but the size of the project prohibited it.

BB