Soil 3 Compost

I have not had much success with my own compost pile partly due to my own laziness and because I have an overwhelming abundance of browns vs greens. So far I have not found any local city or county programs offering compost.

I was wondering if anyone else in the southeast has any experience with soil 3 compost? www.soil3.com

Its $149 for 1 cubic foot of compost delivered. Not sure if thats expensive or a good deal.

Here's what I found one Soil3:
Soil3 is compost comprised of grass clippings from our sod farm, wheat straw from our farm, and cow manure from a local dairy that we compost using a high heat method. We also add beneficial microorganisms.
Wonder what the "added beneficial microorganisms" are?
Not really sure what the proportions are of each ingredient or what else is added, which is pretty typical of bagged compost. At best, I would count it as one type of compost in your Mel's Mix.

I have my beds built with five different types. I was pretty fortunate in finding different ones. I was more thinking of this as an amendment. We are supposed to add compost each year to replace what the plants have used, and while I do have a compost pile, im not going to have anywhere near a useable amount of finished compost to use in the two beds I have from last year.

I just finished building four new beds and got 5 different ingredients for all of them. Should I just add more of my original five ingredients to my old beds?

If you don't have enough of your finished compost (which is best of course) remember to replenish each square after you harvest with a trowel of your 5 types blended composts.

JK wrote:I have not had much success with my own compost pile partly due to my own laziness and because I have an overwhelming abundance of browns vs greens. So far I have not found any local city or county programs offering compost.

I was wondering if anyone else in the southeast has any experience with soil 3 compost? www.soil3.com

Its $149 for 1 cubic foot of compost delivered. Not sure if thats expensive or a good deal.

I think you meant for 1 cubic YARD. I have not bought it by the cu yard but that does sound high. Doesn't that work out to more than $16 per cubic foot? Most bagged composts are less than that.

Ouch, $16/ft3. Sounds like a sting. I have found 3-ft3 bags for a lot less n-rich for example cost me about $7. The others came in 1.5 ft3 bags and range from $3 upward. Keep looking. Have fun with it.

Lindacol wrote:
I think you meant for 1 cubic YARD. I have not bought it by the cu yard but that does sound high. Doesn't that work out to more than $16 per cubic foot? Most bagged composts are less than that.

Assuming that it is $149 per 1 cubic yard.
1 cubic yard is 3x3x3=27 cubic feet.
$149/27cubic feet = $5.52/cubic foot

So maybe a third less than the bagged composts. I have no idea what costs are for bagged composts though.

Sorry about that, I did mean yard, not foot. I think im going to just stick with buying the seperate types and mixing them myself.

Still trying to figure my compost out. I dont generate enough greens to feed my compost pile by myself. I tried asking some local stores about their bad produce but none seem to interested in going to the effort of changing their routine or even thinking about it. I have been able to get some coffee grounds here and there. Guess I will keep looking and asking. Thanks for the input everyone

Turan wrote:

Lindacol wrote:
I think you meant for 1 cubic YARD. I have not bought it by the cu yard but that does sound high. Doesn't that work out to more than $16 per cubic foot? Most bagged composts are less than that.

Assuming that it is $149 per 1 cubic yard.
1 cubic yard is 3x3x3=27 cubic feet.
$149/27cubic feet = $5.52/cubic foot

So maybe a third less than the bagged composts. I have no idea what costs are for bagged composts though.

Oops, sorry, I shouldn't do math in my head.

Also I would wonder what chemicals were used on the sod especially herbicides and insecticides.

JK wrote:Sorry about that, I did mean yard, not foot. I think im going to just stick with buying the seperate types and mixing them myself.

Still trying to figure my compost out. I dont generate enough greens to feed my compost pile by myself. I tried asking some local stores about their bad produce but none seem to interested in going to the effort of changing their routine or even thinking about it. I have been able to get some coffee grounds here and there. Guess I will keep looking and asking. Thanks for the input everyone

You can use things like bloodmeal, cornmeal, alfalfa pellets or even some cheap dog food to help generate heat in your pile.

Turan wrote:

Assuming that it is $149 per 1 cubic yard.
1 cubic yard is 3x3x3=27 cubic feet.
$149/27cubic feet = $5.52/cubic foot

So maybe a third less than the bagged composts. I have no idea what costs are for bagged composts though.

Ecoscraps was about $6. Steer & chicken composts are way less around here.

JK wrote:...and because I have an overwhelming abundance of browns vs greens...

Actually the ratio of browns to greens is supposed to be very high. 30:1 is a basic number to shoot for, though if you break it down by specific materials it varies quite a bit. Old leaves practically compost themselves, for instance, with a ratio of 80:1.

I actually got a list showing the ratios for different materials awhile back so I can keep it 30:1, but trying to build the pile up to the 3ft x3ft it gets thrown way off in favor of carbon due to lack of green materials. I may just pile way up with the leaves and add what green stuff I can as it comes. Now that I have 6 beds instead of two the garden may produce enough later in the season to help.

A coworker just told me to bring a container and she will bring it back full of horse manure so my problem may have just been solved

I find that as I talk to people about composting, especially neighbours or co-workers, I find that as time goes on they catch my enthusiasm and start saving their coffee grounds, eggshells and veggie trimmings, grass trimmings and fall leaves. Naturally I do reward them with ready-finished compost and worm castings for those that garden or tend their pot plants.
Through talking, I now will have a source for horse manure as well. Just get people in the habit of putting aside their stuff and make it easy for them. I find that as a single person now, it is a great way to make new friends.
Most days I find little packets of stuff on my door step which I put in my old freezer until I can add it to the 70 bags of fall leaves I collected last year.
I also have that list of ratios, and it is fascinating to play around with it. Compost does not have to be perfect, but just like our own selves, we make the best of it.

JK wrote:Sorry about that, I did mean yard, not foot. I think im going to just stick with buying the seperate types and mixing them myself.

Still trying to figure my compost out. I dont generate enough greens to feed my compost pile by myself. I tried asking some local stores about their bad produce but none seem to interested in going to the effort of changing their routine or even thinking about it. I have been able to get some coffee grounds here and there. Guess I will keep looking and asking. Thanks for the input everyone

My answers won't help with this year's compost, but might help you get some homemade compost by year's end.

Manure is a green (and cheap)
So are grass clippings (Let's make a deal...You come mow my lawn n i will let you have the clippings )
Rabbit food is a green. I think there's a lot of alfalfa in there and a big old bag is inexpensive. I'd probably soak the stuff and make a soupy tea.

I've even heard of folks using dried dog or cat kibble in their compost pile. The cheap stuff has a lot of corn in there and any animal product is going to be cooked at a high temperature.

Lastly...urine can often jump start a pile.

TN_GARDENER wrote:
Lastly...urine can often jump start a pile.

I was heading in that direction, too, since it's convenient and free. Here's a thread on using urine.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t14320-urine-the-ultimate-organic-fertiliser?highlight=urine

CC

Dried blood is always my go to compost starter, after fresh grass clippings. The pile needs very little of it it get going really quickly.

But to get back to the original post, I have never heard of soil 3 compost.