Not another compost did I do ok post... yup

Hi folks... So I admit, I was a slow convert... My first SQ bed only has my local nurserys compost, cow manure, and a fertilizer mixed in... Plants are growing well but now I just got a 3 level strawberry pyramid planter that I am going full bore mel's mix in... So here we go...

Shopping for the items is a BLAST!!! I went to 2 garden stores and when I asked for vermiculite, the saleslady said, mel's mix eh?? LOL

I need 24ish Square feet for the planter total. So far I've bought the following:

3.8 CF of Peat Moss

8 CF of vermiculite/perlite

2CF Seafood Compost mix

2CF Cow Manure

I'll hit Home Depot tongiht and grab the scotts humus/manure mix, some forest floor compost and if they have it, some mushroom compost... I also have 2CF of soil left over that I may throw in as well... How'd I do??

So far...lookin good!

I tried to look at the ingredients on what you already have - make sure it's not too heavy on peat moss filler. If the humus/manure combo is also cow manure, I'd look for a chicken product. Chickety-Doo-Doo or Black Hen or ??? Can't smell any worse than the seaweed, right? LOL Just try to get as many DIFFERENT sources as you can...maybe throw a bag of worm castings in for good measure, if the budget allows...

When you say you have leftover "soil" - do you mean leftover MM or????

The seafood stinks lol... I'll check the peat moss components and adjust accordingly... I have chicky-doo doo fertilizer but its granular and in small bags, is that the same thing??

I also could not find worm casings anywhere... I checked two local nursery/garden stores... I'll see what home depot has tonight... If I can't get anything else, does forest floor or mushroom work if I drop my peat moss add-ons?

No,its not mel's mix, just some organic soil from Home Depot

LOL on the seafood - never had the compost - but have used fish fertilizer - YUCK! Chickety-doo-doo is pelleted and I am using it for the first time this year because they don't sell Black Hen in my part of the world and I don't have chickens. The way I understand it, it's basically pelleted chicken manure and another member told me once it got mixed in and wet it would be fine...and she was right.

Even if it's not a full 1/5 - I'd still throw it in because it would be very beneficial. Can you swing doing 1 cu ft of Chickety-Doo-Doo and 1 cu ft of worm castings? Those are both super beneficial! Not sure of your area, but check out hydroponics stores because they almost ALWAYS have worm castings. Also your local craigslist...look up worm castings, compost, manure, etc...

The other composts are good too - just wanting to try to suggest as much variety as I can...that is where I made my mistake my first year...there is a reason Mel says 5 GOOD and DIFFERENT sources!

I would not use the existing soil if it were me. The chances of it messing up the balance is just too great.

UnderTheBlackWalnut wrote:LOL on the seafood - never had the compost - but have used fish fertilizer - YUCK! Chickety-doo-doo is pelleted and I am using it for the first time this year because they don't sell Black Hen in my part of the world and I don't have chickens. The way I understand it, it's basically pelleted chicken manure and another member told me once it got mixed in and wet it would be fine...and she was right.

Even if it's not a full 1/5 - I'd still throw it in because it would be very beneficial. Can you swing doing 1 cu ft of Chickety-Doo-Doo and 1 cu ft of worm castings? Those are both super beneficial! Not sure of your area, but check out hydroponics stores because they almost ALWAYS have worm castings. Also your local craigslist...look up worm castings, compost, manure, etc...

The other composts are good too - just wanting to try to suggest as much variety as I can...that is where I made my mistake my first year...there is a reason Mel says 5 GOOD and DIFFERENT sources!

they had 40 lb bags at the local Agway of the chickey-doo-doo... If what I looked up was right, a 40lb bag is about a cubic foot... I can add 1 of them for sure. As for the casings, I have yet to find a place locally that has them..

Thanks for the tip on the soil, I'll leave it out

A while back a member figured a 40 lb bag to be about .75 cu ft...but I'd still throw in a bag...if the budget allows for 2, that's great...but even one is good!

Just stick with Mel's advice of 5 or more different sources and try to stay away from too much peat and you will be fine! You sound like a true SFGer now...getting excited over finding a different kind of manure!

philct call your local Agway store and they can check their supplier and order a lot of things that are not listed on the site. It takes about a week to get it in. Mine helped me find the coarse vermiculite and had Frey Brothers mushroom compost.

UnderTheBlackWalnut wrote:A while back a member figured a 40 lb bag to be about .75 cu ft...but I'd still throw in a bag...if the budget allows for 2, that's great...but even one is good!

Just stick with Mel's advice of 5 or more different sources and try to stay away from too much peat and you will be fine! You sound like a true SFGer now...getting excited over finding a different kind of manure!

haha my wife thinks im nuts, but we'll see what she says when I have oodles of crops and strawberries!!! I'll try to get at least one bag of each

Whelp, no mushroom or forest compost at Lowes or Home Depot... Here's what I can do...

I have already 4CF of shrimp and seaweed compost and cow manure. I also bought 0.75CF of scott's humus and manure. Locally I can add Chickety Doo Doo 40lb bags and lobster compost. Otherwise I need to fan out and look for other composts to add. What do you think?

It sounds like you have 5 different types to me!

Phil .. it seems good .

This is just my observation ....



Is forest floor compost composted bark without manures ?

ie

Just ground up bark & bits of wood from the saw mill thats had water on it long enough for it to start rotting enough to be sold as a compost .

If so it may be that it is only intended as a ground cover mulch as it will still be able to rob your MM of nitrogen for several years till it is fully composted when it will start putting nitrogen back into the MM

plantoid wrote:Phil .. it seems good .

This is just my observation ....



Is forest floor compost composted bark without manures ?

ie

Just ground up bark & bits of wood from the saw mill thats had water on it long enough for it to start rotting enough to be sold as a compost .

If so it may be that it is only intended as a ground cover mulch as it will still be able to rob your MM of nitrogen for several years till it is fully composted when it will start putting nitrogen back into the MM

Forest floor compost may have wood in it but it's mostly leaves and such.

UnderTheBlackWalnut wrote:It sounds like you have 5 different types to me!

haha thanks... With the shrimp, lobster, and seaweed, it sounds like I robbed the Red Lobster!!!! I wasn't sure if that was too much "seafood"... I'm waiting for the local hydrophonic store to open, if they have worm castings I'll add those in as well!! Thanks for all the help!!!

Ok here is my final compost mix:

4 SQ feet cow manure

4 SQ feet shrimp/seaweed compost

80 lbs chicketty doo doo

1.5 SQ feet cow manure with humus

4 SQ feet leaf compost

I was going to go with lobster, but wanted to save money and there is a free transfer station near my house where I can get leaf compost...

Where in ct are you? I'm trying to figure out where to get the different kinds of compost. I live by new haven.

Mastiff07 wrote:Where in ct are you? I'm trying to figure out where to get the different kinds of compost. I live by new haven.

The vermiculite, peat, shrimp/seaweed, chicketty-doo-doo, and manure I picked up at Agway on Rt 80 in North Branford. Van Wilgrens in Branford also has the manure and they have Lobster compost.

philct wrote:

Mastiff07 wrote:Where in ct are you? I'm trying to figure out where to get the different kinds of compost. I live by new haven.

The vermiculite ($30 for 4CF), peat, shrimp/seaweed, chicketty-doo-doo, and manure I picked up at Agway on Rt 80 in North Branford. Van Wilgrens in Branford also has the manure and they have Lobster compost.

PS there is a saleswoman there, short, thin with glasses who has horses and offered me horse manure compost as well... Ask for her!!!