Concentrates, Inc. Where to go for composts

Just visiting Concentrates in Milwaukie, OR, made me feel like it was Christmas in May. Not five, but around 8 different composts are available! Also on hand: vermiculite (both coarse and medium), and too many choices of bag-your-own fertilizer meal to choose without research. For instance, bulk regular bone meal and fish bone meal $1.00 a lb.; blood meal: $1.60/lb.. A 1 cubic foot of worm castings for $11.40. Medium vermiculite 3.5 cf: $28. The only exotic compost I bought was Oly Mountain Fish Compost, 1 cf for $5.25. AND, if this isn't enough, right in front was a large display of Seed Savers Exchange seed packets. Not the easiest business to find, but if you ever go to Bob's Red Mill, you are just a long block from Concentrates (address 5505 S.E. International Way, Milwaukie).

I confess to cheating to get PapaVino to drive out there after a doctor's appointment. Just offered to get him chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from Bob's Red Mill AFTER visiting Concentrates. Nonna

Oooh! A reason to schedule my trip to Portland sooner than later!

Did they have oak leaf mold?

Concentrates Inc. is where I have to go to buy coarse grade vermiculite. I discovered it from the vermiculite database a couple of years ago and bought it at their old location. Last year when I made more MM, I had to go to their new location. It is in a kind of odd place, an industrial area. They are a wonderful little company with a treasure trove of gardening/farming stuff for sure. But donna, I don't see oak leaf mold on their product list. They have lots of chicken keeping stuff too, and you can buy row cover by the foot I believe.

BTW, just goes to show how little I pay attention to where I am when I count on my GPS to get me around. I had no idea I was that close to Concentrates when I went to Bob's Red Mill earlier. Oh well, I was carpooling and wouldn't have been able to stop in anyway. Next time!

And right across the street from Bob's is Dave's Killer Bread. I like to get some of the "seedy" whole wheat and break it down into two-day servings to freeze. Anyway, we usually make it a full-meal deal: Bobs, then Dave's, then Concentrates. Some for us, some for the garden. Nonna

What a wonderful trip you had! Makes me want to make a long distance trip!

They have a great selection and good prices. Does anyone know of a similar place in the Seattle area?

Geek Gardener wrote:...Does anyone know of a similar place in the Seattle area?

I shop at McLendons in Puyallup. They have most everything Nonna mentioned in bags, not bulk.

I've been to Mclendons in Woodinville; it's a smaller store, and I didn't check out the garden section, so I'm not familiar with their inventory.

I buy my vermiculite at McConkeys in Sumner; it's cheaper than McLendons.

If you need some 5 way compost in a hurry, I have some to spare. Shoot me a PM.

I'll take it. Oh wait, you mean for someone who lives close by!

Triciasgarden wrote:I'll take it. Oh wait, you mean for someone who lives close by!

Well...the price is right, but it doesn't quite cover the transportation costs to Utah!

Boffer, thank you for the generous offer of the compost. I'm in decent shape at the moment.

It took awhile, but I was able to assemble what I hope is a balanced blend after going to many stores. It would sure be nice to have a one-stop place in the area, but next year should be easier since I'll be starting to make make my own over the summer.

I've been to McLendon's. The selection and prices seem good, just not wow like Concentrates.

You worked fast!

Think of the costs this way: if you amortize them over a lifetime, the cost per year is pretty small. By making your own compost, it costs next to nothing to maintain your existing boxes year-to-year.

Of course, some of us don't know when to stop making more boxes, but that's a story for another day!

Boffer, I think I resemble that remark. Although I moved to buckets to free up bed space.