What can I use for the compost in Mel's mix...having trouble sourcing it.

Years ago I made a SFG and had no trouble sourcing various types of compost to add to my mix. Fast forward to last year and I had to abort my garden because I couldn't source several types of compost. I only found manure at home depot. I also tried making my own compost, but I don't have a yard so there are no leaf matter or grass clippings to add different layers to it. I had to abort my compost pile because all I was putting in it was veggie food waste, coffee grounds, and eggshells.

Does anyone know where I can find and buy several types of compost to make my "Mel's" mix. I already have a huge amount of grade 4 vermiculite and peat moss. I just need the compost. I don't want to go another year without starting my garden.

Please advise.

I live in Victorville, Califonria.

Thank you!

bvarbel wrote: I had to abort my compost pile because all I was putting in it was veggie food waste, coffee grounds, and eggshells.

Rather than not composting your kitchen scraps, check local farm or feed stores for pine pellets that can be added to the compost bin. I buy bags of pine pellets from Tractor Supply to add to my compost tumblers in order to get a balance of browns and greens.  There is a Tractor Supply in Hesperia, a short drive away. I think I also saw a Tractor Supply in Apple Valley last time I was there.

bvarbel wrote:Does anyone know where I can find and buy several types of compost to make my "Mel's" mix. I already have a huge amount of grade 4 vermiculite and peat moss. I just need the compost. I don't want to go another year without starting my garden.

Have you checked the contents/quality of the municipal compost that Victor Valley MRF sells?  Have you checked local mulch companies or nurseries to see if they sell compost in addition to mulch?   Check Yelp for the "Best Compost in Victorville" to see if any have what you need:
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=compost&find_loc=Victorville%2C+CA

I'm surprised OH didn't mention coffee grounds.  

I can certainly relate to the difficulty in obtaining materials for a compost. One thing I've been trying this year is to dry some of my kitchen waste, so that it will keep until I have enough material for a full compost load. Material that isn't dried tends to undergo a fair deal of anaerobic composting.

If it's any consolation, by August, if the State has its way, you should be able to steal compost material from your neighbors' trash:

California Requiring Residents to Recycle Food Waste, Plans to Convert Into Energy Source

Our waste management company promised us earlier that we would be getting our own personal cans for kitchen food waste. Then there was a month-long strike. I'm a bit skeptical of the project. Kitchen waste that sits out for a week is going to smell bad and attract animals. Also, if you don't scrub your waste containers, they get really bad after a couple months.

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Which browns ae you using in your compost bin?  Shredded paper, torn toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, and the like can be used.  Could you make a trip in the fall to visit friends in other locales who'd be happy to get rid of their bagged leaves?  

As for more greens, only one of your five composts should be manure-based.  Mushroom compost can probably be found in a more agricultural area (be sure that it doesn't contain peat moss), and a visit to a local grow store might yield some treasures, especially plant-based composts.  If there's a Whole Foods near you, check with them periodically as to the availability of waste produce.  Please keep in mind that egg shells can take several years to break down, so they're not a valuable addition to your compost operation.

bvarbel,  I'm in Fresno and I had a heck of a time these last 2 years finding real composts.  This comes right after I hung up my manure fork and sold the large compost cage and large tumbler!  

Two composts that I used to use to supplement my homemade compost have been discontinued in CA.  Ecoscraps Compost and Nature's Care Really Good Compost.  Some Ace Hardware Stores carry generic compost and manure compost.  The closest one to me is outside of Sacramento, so I stock up on the Ace generic when I visit kiddies.

A nursery that carries Gardener & Bloome products may be able to order the G&B Purely Compost.

Check out the closest mushroom farm for mushroom compost.  But, there may not be one close to you. There is one in SoCal but I think it is between SD and OC if memory serves me.

Manure composts are the easiest to find, but they need to be screened. In fact, with quality control down, I recommend screening ALL composts with 1/4" hardware cloth over a wood frame. Toss the wood pieces back into the next compost pile.

If you have room for a 3'x3'x3' compost cage (I recommend two side by side cages for ease of turning compost from one to the other) you can make a hot compost using the Berkeley 18-day method. Fill it all at once, watering each layer. That means collecting the drier materials leading up to building it and getting the wet materials in the final hours. Dry materials can be leaves and bedding straw run over with the mower, plain wood pellets soaked and expanded before adding. Wet materials can be Starbucks used coffee grounds, farmer market produce culls (especially during a heat wave!!), your kitchen produce scraps bagged and frozen until it's time, alfalfa pellets soaked before adding, alfalfa hay run over with your lawn mower, and farm manure like cow, horse and poultry. You need a ratio of lots of browns to the greens.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t18500-compost-berkeley-18-day-hot-method?highlight=berkeley