Afforadable mail order sources of compost.

Some folks have had trouble finding all five types of composts for their gardens.....and while homemade compost is best some of us have to rely on purchased products for various reasons so I thought I might share some relatively inexpensive sources of purchased compost that you can buy online.

I asked Mel awhile ago about guano's and kelp meal and he said they definitely count as compost types and are perfectly "kosher" to add to your Mel's Mix formulations.

Peruvian Seabird Guano

http://homeharvest.com/guano.htm

It seems a bit expensive at first but you have to keep in mind this is an utra rich type of manure that you do not need mix in equal amounts with other composts...you only need 2 pounds of the stuff for 100 square feet of garden.

Seabird Guano is fantastic stuff and with a NPK rating of 13·12·2 its the perfect manure to add to your mix if your not quite sure if the other composts in your mix are up to snuff NPK wise or you need to fix a batch of "bad" Mel's Mix.

Don't go overboard with it though...it will burn if used to much

Desert Bat Guano (NPK 8-4-1) is also good and is used exactly as the seabird guano above with the same danger of burning if you over use it.

http://homeharvest.com/guano.htm

There are other types of Bat and Seabird Guanos on the market but be sure to read the labels carefully...not all guanos have the same NPK ratings. Some only supply High amounts of Nitrogen while other supply only Potassium.

Kelp Meal

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0063YSYZK/ref=asc_df_B0063YSYZK2142022?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1160-86-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B0063YSYZK

Kelp Meal only has a NPK rating of 1-0-2 but is an excellent source of trace minerals your plants need and it also great source for nutrients your compost mix might otherwise lack and its useful for fixing "bad" batches of Mel's Mix...especially when combined with the seabird or desert bat guanos above.

Its used at a rate of only 1 pound per 100 square feet.

Kelp can other seaweeds can of course also be found for free on the beach if you live near the ocean and be added to a compost pile....but be aware that local laws often restrict how much you can harvest...be sure to check with local authorities before harvesting.

All these products can be found online...and I am quite sure you can find them listed cheaper than in the links I gave above if you shop around a bit.

Thanks for the info Daniel, I need to top off some seriously settled boxes before next spring and can't get any of these in stores here in SD. I will remember to keep this in mind! I did start my own compost but I have no idea what I will have ready by next spring.