What is the best Compost to buy in stores?

GardeningMaster 4/4/2010, 4:26 am

What is the best Compost to buy in stores? I'm going to Make my first batch of Mel's mix. I have some already made from yard waste and leaves. I'm going to the recycle place and see what they have. I have some mix from a nursery that is a garden mix that I got last year. It has sand, mint, mushroom or mink poo, and I don't know what else it has. I don't know if I should use it.
Thank you Larry

**camprn** 4/4/2010, 8:30 am

Hi there! Wow, those are some fish! Shocked

I am not a pro, but it sounds like you have a good start. The recommendation is to use 5 types of compost in your Mel's mix. I only found three sources of compost, so that's what I went with. I don't know :scratch: about the mix you mention that you have from last year, but the mint in the list would ward me off. affraid

Mint can be very invasive. Perhaps I was misunderstanding what you were trying to say.
Let us know how you proceed. Cheers! flower

Lavender Debs 4/4/2010, 9:28 am

Hello master, and welcome !!!
Your mint-mink must be a local mix? Locals are always a favorite of mine. I am guessing that the mint has been composted and will not take over your bed but if in doubt, ask around. Otherwise it sounds like a great choice. Mix it right in with your homegrown.

The best choice for me is (#1) organic and (#2) local.

Many here love mushroom compost. I'm not sure that it is organic.
Cow or chicken poo is popular. So is the compost from the yard recycle place but again, if organic is important, you cannot get a guarantee from any of those that they are organic.

My local nursery and the local food co-op both sell bags of nice sounding mixes enhanced with local ingredients but they are not cheap.

I think that both Portland and Seattle sell "Zoo-do" that is somewhat composted. Horse farms often have composted horse poo (can be weedy if not really composted).

I had good home-grown for my first box and used only that. So far it has been ok.

Deborah ....in Everett, Washington; Happy Easter!

GardeningMaster 4/4/2010, 2:33 pm

The mint has been cooked and the oil is extracted out. My dad used this in the garden for years . Its great.

Momma Pajama 4/5/2010, 12:36 am

What is the best Compost to buy in stores? Oscar10

I can't resist chiming in: this is my new manure-maker, Oscar! I have read over and over that rabbit manure is the ultimate, chemistry-wise for gardens. I was able to score a free hutch from a neighbor and I picked up 8 week old Oscar 2 weeks ago. He is a New Zealand Red. Now I am adding his contributions to my vegetable compost twice a week. (I compost about 50-75 lbs of organic fruit and veggie "garbage" from the health food store per week.)

auntij 4/5/2010, 2:41 am

Has anyone had any experiences with shrimp and seaweed compost or lobster and seaweed compost. I bought a couple bags of the shrimp and will be getting more of both to finish filling my boxes. But I was curious if anyone else (outside the nursery) had anything good or bad to say about it. Also has anyone ever heard of a product called Chickety do do?

Lavender Debs 4/5/2010, 8:43 am

Awww, momma P! We used to raise bunnies back in our attempt to be self-sufficient days. (If it had a name it did not have a recipe). I also had chickens. Chicken house litter went right on the compost but the thing about bunny poo is it does not have to compost before it goes in the garden (did not try that with root veggies). My experience was that when I did put it on the pile I would still have pellets even though I had a hot pile that I turned weekly.

When I put a layer of grass clippings right under the hutch (and a small fence to keep the chickens, ducks and dogs out, the worms did a wonderful job of breaking down EVERYTHING. A nice, crumbly, ammonia-free green gold (not gold in color but in value) for my veggies and plants.

You do have a treasure! Was Oscar an Easter bunny?
Deborah. . . .wondering if the terriers would go cracker dogs if I got a bunny or chicken hutch?

Lavender Debs 4/5/2010, 8:50 am

We get kelp meal on the west coast auntij. It is VERY expensive but is really great in the garden. Vegan gardeners are willing to pay. It is that good. I still buy it for my garden. The lobsters are imports. I imagine they are terrific.

Deborah . . . .if you try some, keep records and share what you find out

LittleGardener 7/21/2011, 6:49 pm

Hi there,
Forgive newbie-questions: what is "Mel's mix" ?
and
re different Animal-poops for different foods & flowers: web-search no results.
I've heard
1. horse-poop: good for a Rose-garden; and
2. bunny-poop: good for Food growing
3. chicken-poop: ??

If someone has a Chart, addressing this, I really appreciate knowing Smile

littlejo 7/21/2011, 7:50 pm

LittleGardener wrote:Hi there,
Forgive newbie-questions: what is "Mel's mix" ?
and
re different Animal-poops for different foods & flowers: web-search no results.
I've heard
1. horse-poop: good for a Rose-garden; and
2. bunny-poop: good for Food growing
3. chicken-poop: ??

If someone has a Chart, addressing this, I really appreciate knowing

Welcome to the forum!

Have you read the book"All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew?
It explains most and the forum answers the rest!
Mel's mix is an organic set of ingedients to grow our veggies in: 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost(5 different kinds-mixed together)
As for the list of poops: If you Google manures. rather than poop, you will get better results.
Jo

LittleGardener 7/21/2011, 8:04 pm

littlejo wrote:
LittleGardener wrote:Hi there,
Forgive newbie-questions: what is "Mel's mix" ?
and
re different Animal-poops for different foods & flowers: web-search no results.
I've heard
1. horse-poop: good for a Rose-garden; and
2. bunny-poop: good for Food growing
3. chicken-poop: ??

If someone has a Chart, addressing this, I really appreciate knowing
Welcome to the forum!

Have you read the book "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew?
It explains most and the forum answers the rest!
Mel's mix is an organic set of ingedients to grow our veggies in: 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost(5 different kinds-mixed together)
As for the list of poops: If you Google manures. rather than poop, you will get better results.
Jo

No, haven't read that, as just arrived here today; also we use Ixquick,
not 'google'.
too
was raised in Grandpa's garden, & have played in different gardens,
1st. referencing "Complete 5-acre Homestead", a book.

Thank you for answering about 'Mel's mix' Smile

**Furbalsmom** 7/22/2011, 1:22 am

What is the best Compost to buy in stores? 654548

Littlegardener

Glad to have another member from the PNW. Hope you get and read ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING very soon. It defines SFG and how best o make you boxes and fill them. There is also great info on when to start seedlings indoors and the correct spacing for your plants for optimum growth.

A really good read for making your mel's Mix is this HOW STRONG IS YOUR BACKBONE . It will really help you out when making Mel's Mix for a SFG.

Please feel free to ask questions, but remember, the book has many answers.

Again, Welcome!

Goosegirl 7/22/2011, 8:43 am

GardeningMaster wrote:I have some mix from a nursery that is a garden mix that I got last year. It has sand, mint, mushroom or mink poo, and I don't know what else it has. I don't know if I should use it.
Thank you Larry

I would be most concerned with the mink poo, as feces from predators/carnivores can carry diseases that do not necessarily compost out . That is why dog and cat droppings are not recommended to be added to the compost pile.

GG

AprilakaCCIL 7/22/2011, 8:55 am

Be sure to add worm castings to your mix...and if you buy any compost from the stores, be sure to read what's in the bag.

cachecrashers4 7/22/2011, 7:47 pm

auntij wrote:Has anyone had any experiences with shrimp and seaweed compost or lobster and seaweed compost. I bought a couple bags of the shrimp and will be getting more of both to finish filling my boxes. But I was curious if anyone else (outside the nursery) had anything good or bad to say about it. Also has anyone ever heard of a product called Chickety do do?

I used both the Coast of Maine Lobster Compost and the Fafard Shrimp and Seaweed Compost in my mix. It seems to be good stuff. I've had issues with parts of my garden, but I think it's the amount of sun (or lack of it) the garden is getting. Others on here love the stuff as well.

sherryeo 7/22/2011, 8:11 pm

auntij & cachecrashers4,

Was the shrimp compost you bought already finished compost? I recently went to buy some and found that it was only pretty finely ground shrimp hulls, cleanly washed and dried, but still pink & identifiable as shrimp hulls. It was also sold in bulk, but I got a smaller amount for what I thought was a really good price - about 32 cents per pound. They threw in extra so they wouldn't have to divide it up, so it came to less per pound than the usual price. Anyway, I bought some and am putting it in my composter. I hope it'll work out ok. It's really not even terribly smelly, so I don't think I'll get any complaints from the neighbors, lol.

Goosegirl 7/22/2011, 9:59 pm

Forgot to mention earlier - Oscar is ADORABLE!

auntij 7/23/2011, 12:56 pm

Sherryeo

The shrimp & seaweed and Lobster & seaweed I got was fully composted. I purchased it at Whole foods and at my local nursery. It has a wonderful black color and a very powerful odor. I have yet to find anything that resembles any type of sea life in it (except maybe the smell).

sherryeo 7/23/2011, 1:10 pm

Thanks, auntij. I'm a little surprised to hear it still has that powerful a smell after being fully composted! I haven't been able to find any here that's fully composted, but you'd think there'd be plenty here on the Gulf Coast. I envy you guys the lobster compost. I'm trying to do a better job of getting a good variety of composts for my 3 new sfg beds than I did with my first 2. I think I got some of the not-so-good kind before. Thanks again.

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What is the best Compost to buy in stores?