Does this Worm Compost count as two of the 5 Mel's Mix Compost sources?

camprn wrote:This really doesn't need to be complicated.
Animal manure is often composted with other things like straw or shavings and each animal will make manure of varying quality. Generally manure composts are more beneficial to the mix than mushroom or cotton boll compost. Do not include humus as a compost, because it is not and offers no real nutrition to your mix...
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002121127011493.html


+1, as stated above, take your time, do some homework, resist impulse buys, do use at least 5 different types of compost and you will have success with your garden.


Also, topsoil is not compost.

BrianDorry55 wrote:Hello everyone,

I found a source very close to where I live that seems like a great source for my compost needs.

The website is bestbuyworms dot com, I cannot post a direct link because I am new.

This is BestBuyWorms in Masaryktown, FL. They sell a "composted worm manure". They also run a rabbit farm. I called and asked what the base manure of their product is and they said that their worm compost comes from directly under their rabbit cages.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this should suffice as two sources for Mel's Mix right? Hopefully this comes out at around 50% worm castings and 50% rabbit manure. 

Is this a good source or would I be better off going with 100% rabbit manure and 100% worm castings from separate sources?

Does anyone see any issues with this source? I am a newbie so obviously I am frantically trying to settle on good sources for my mix...any help is appreciated!

Brian

BrianDorry55 wrote:

I'm just having trouble understanding how I can make a mix of 5 different compost sources...but only one of them can be manure? What else is there other than organic matter? Does it have to be 5 different forms of blended composts or just containing 5 different ingredients...as soon as I thought I was starting to get the concept down I am back to being completely confused.

Thank you all for any help...without it I would probably spend a lot of money and not get my money's worth and end up very disappointed.

Mel Barthalomew wrote:Those are all good questions, and they prove the point that the best compost is your own compost cause you know what went into it. We could give you many complicated answers, but the simplest solution is that you want to get as many sources as possible, and I understand you don't want to overlap or get too much of one source, but without knowing the percentage of each item, it will be impossible to know. They aren’t going to tell you and you know by the price if they have loaded it up with wood products, the cheapest thing except dirt. So here's what I would do:

I would buy all five of those composts ( I like your other idea of a plain all chicken manure as one) and mix equal volume and try a planting trial, quickly, with some lettuce and radish seeds. Within two weeks, you'll know if they're doing well, having good color, growing vigorously, and then you can expand your garden.

If you just can't wait and you want to do everything now, I would still buy all five, mix them equally with peat moss/coir, and vermiculite to make you Mel’s Mix, and just hope for the best. Most people can't find more than one or two blended composts. You've apparently come up with many and even read the contents, so you know what's in them. Either that or you have done some wishful thinking of what might be in some of them.

I'm sure you could guess that the expensive ingredients are not going to be large in volume. For example, when they say "Contains Worm Castings" or "Bat Guano" it's going to be in there, but probably not much of it. I could tell from your letter that you are concerned about too much of one thing, and that would be wood products. The best thing you could add to all of those "blended composts" would be to add some of yours or neighbors (I don't mean a midnight reqresition) just a borrow till you get your compost pile humming.) homemade compost and since you probably wouldn't be putting in wood chips or any bark products in your own pile, you are going to have a better, richer growing soil than anyone on the block.

All that being said, I would highly recommend you start small, make up a batch( it could be just the 5 composts for a seed sprouting test or go ahead and do the Mel’s mix but just a small batch for one box or 2), see how your plants do. In addition to the seeds sprouting and growing, you might also try some small transplants. Either from the store or ones you have, and see how well they adjust to the new mixture.

If everything grows like crazy, let me know and we'll bag it as Mel's Compost. We'll make you rich overnight. Thanks for your questions and do let me know which direction you go in and what your results are. Everyone is waiting with baited breath.

One last idea. Unless the store makes their own mix which they will push, most places have a feel for which is best and which have had complaints. And it’s easier to take back for a refund if they recommended it. Don’t tell them I told you that. Good Luck.

Mel

BrianDorry55 wrote:Is there anybody who has 5 composts with only one coming from a manure source?

yolos wrote:

BrianDorry55 wrote:Is there anybody who has 5 composts with only one coming from a manure source?

 
For the initial beds I used:
 
Composted cow manure
Worm castings
Chicken manure compost (with bedding)
Mushroom compost
Forest products compost
 
I now have my own compost.  It is just vegetative waste (leaves, grass, kitchen scraps) so I use it with the above composts but no longer use the forest products compost.

yolos wrote:

BrianDorry55 wrote:Is there anybody who has 5 composts with only one coming from a manure source?

 
For the initial beds I used:
 
Composted cow manure
Worm castings
Chicken manure compost (with bedding)
Mushroom compost
Forest products compost
 
I now have my own compost.  It is just vegetative waste (leaves, grass, kitchen scraps) so I use it with the above composts but no longer use the forest products compost.

Mushroom Compost is a by-product from Ostrom’s Mushroom Farm in Lacey, Washington. It consists of 60% wheatstraw, 25% poultry litter, 10% gypsum, and 5% dried urea, which are combined and composted.

donnainzone10 wrote:Some supermarkets, as well as Whole Foods, now operate compost operations, and you may be able to find composted fruit and vegetable scraps, sometimes blended with garden prunings or other non-manure sources.  

You might also try local hydroponics stores, which sometimes carry a compost you could use.  I recently stumbled upon one of those here in Central Oregon.  

BrianDorry55 wrote:

donnainzone10 wrote:Some supermarkets, as well as Whole Foods, now operate compost operations, and you may be able to find composted fruit and vegetable scraps, sometimes blended with garden prunings or other non-manure sources.  

You might also try local hydroponics stores, which sometimes carry a compost you could use.  I recently stumbled upon one of those here in Central Oregon.  

I have a few Whole Foods in Tampa that I shop at from time to time...who would I got about asking for something like that? They have a floral department and a produce department but no garden center. I will check around for some hydroponics stores in my area.