Compost nub

I am brand new to not only SFG but gardening in general. I just bought the first 2 boards for a couple boxes. Now I need a composter etc for the soil. Where is a good place to pick up starter compost so I can build my perfect mix for starting my boxes?

Are you asking how to start you own compost or where to buy it?

If you're a new SFGer and need to make your Mel's Mix- you need 5 different types of compost.

Look anywhere and everywhere and make sure they are:

all different sources, like cow manure would be one type, composted leaves another, earthworm castings, other types of manure or poultry droppings, composted food scraps, mushroom compost, etc..

pure compost- on the bag it will say if it contains other stuff like peat- I accidentally bought a few bags last year that in large print said composted manure but when I got it home, i noticed the small print listing the peat and other filler in it. So I didn't use that in my MM and just used it to plant a sage bush!

I found compost at hardware big box stores, Walmart, garden centers, feed and seed stores, Tractor Supply Co., hydroponics supply stores and this year some of us Cincinnati folks are hoping to score some ZOO Poo!

And if you're looking to start your own compost- just start throwing everything in a pile! haha-seriously though- It's never too cold to start- you could just throw scraps in a big garbage can with a few holes drilled in it til spring when you can "build" or throw together a bin.

Ha yah I really need to get my compost going...I have 2 giant bags of leaves and a garbage bag full of the past few months' worth of kitchen scraps in the garage. Suffice it to say my wife isn't terribly pleased.

Anyway I just wanted to add that you don't actually need starter compost to get your pile going...the bacteria you need will find it all on their own. Adding some starter will expedite the process a bit though, so if you want to go that route any compost you can find should work fine.

Like GG said though - you most likely won't be able to make enough of your own compost in time for this year's planting, so you'll probably have to buy it. Make sure you follow the directions exactly!

Mike

A local garden center or home improvement center will have various types of compost that you can use immediately in Mels Mix (along with coarse Vermiculite and Peat Moss). The types of compost you can purchase include mushroom, cotton boll, cow manure, chicken manure, etc. Start your own compost bin asap and it will save you $$$, time, trips to the store, etc.

kesugeo wrote:I am brand new to not only SFG but gardening in general. I just bought the first 2 boards for a couple boxes. Now I need a composter etc for the soil. Where is a good place to pick up starter compost so I can build my perfect mix for starting my boxes?

MELS MIX <
kesugeo, call around to big box stores, discount stores, nurseries, as well as farm and garden stores to see what types they have available.

Before you buy, make sure the compost ingredients do NOT include fillers like peat (not a lot anyway) because they may throw your 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 ratio off. Also be sure the compost does not include topsoil or sand. You do not want these in your Mels Mix at all.

Girlfriend wanted to know if the seed part of green peppers was ok to throw in the composter.

kesugeo wrote:Girlfriend wanted to know if the seed part of green peppers was ok to throw in the composter.

Yes. All food scraps can go into compost except for fats and oils and meat products.
Here is a good read about What to not put in the compost pile.

Forgot to tell you guys. The girlfriend and I finished building our new composter. What a blast got to use a few tools city folk like us haven't had a chance to. A post hole digger and cement ... who knew it would wash off skin with just water from the hose

NIIIIICE!