Is this enough variety for compost mix?

Putting in raised beds and using the square foot gardening method. Putting together my soil. For the compost, I have 1/3 garden compost (bagged), 1/3 mushroom compost (bagged) and 1/3 cow manure / compost mix (bagged). I’m following the book and also have the peat moss and vermiculite.  My question is relative to the compost. Is this enough of a mix? Is it ok to use the cow manure + compost?

Joedrenik wrote:Putting in raised beds and using the square foot gardening method. Putting together my soil. For the compost, I have 1/3 garden compost (bagged), 1/3 mushroom compost (bagged) and 1/3 cow manure / compost mix (bagged). I’m following the book and also have the peat moss and vermiculite.  My question is relative to the compost. Is this enough of a mix? Is it ok to use the cow manure + compost?

I would add biochar, blood and bone meal, and chickitty doo doo. in small quantities. maybe a bit of Azomite also.
Cow manure only if composted ...

What Jimmy Cee said!  I've amended all my beds with Biochar and Azomite, and use Bone Meal and Blood Meal as needed.

These might be good adds, but I’m trying to affordable balance my compost. Some of these don’t seem to be compost. Others are $40 per bag.

Joedrenik wrote:These might be good adds, but I’m trying to affordable balance my compost. Some of these don’t seem to be compost. Others are $40 per bag.

There are many different grades of compost. Great compost will allow microbes to feed plants nicely.
Not so great compost also allow, however the final plants output will be affected. It may be minimal however side by side it will be noticeable.
poor compost will also do as above, however final results will be poor. I used poor compost, however it looked great and was suitable for many gardeners. I am excessive, have been and always will in what ever jobs I tackle..
That was noted by me when I had to disassemble 7 years of raised beds improvement..
The extra ingredients I added to poor compost made it good compost in my opinion, all still fell under the one compost item in Mels Mix....The outcome was outstanding as my photos show.
I did not discover anything new, I only used more items to make my compost better. 5 items in Mel's Mix compost doesn't mean you cannot add more..in the case of compost more is better.
And it did not make it any more costly, if it did the price was very well worth it.

Welcome!  I also use blood and bone meals, chicken poo, I also use earthworm castings—expensive but very balanced.  I agree with all the advice you have been getting—sounds exciting!  Looking forward to hearing of your SFG journey!

Hope to see you on the N&C Midwest regional thread!

Bone meal, blood meal or Azomite are not needed in Mel's Mix. For last season and this season, having a manure-based compost, mushroom compost and one other is a major score. The national race to garden during Covid resulted in supplies flying off the shelves. Some bagged composts need to be screened through 1/4" hardware cloth to remove wood chips or wood fines. Limit worm castings to 10% of the compost blend.

jimmy cee wrote:

Joedrenik wrote:These might be good adds, but I’m trying to affordable balance my compost. Some of these don’t seem to be compost. Others are $40 per bag.

There are many different grades of compost. Great compost will allow microbes to feed plants nicely.
Not so great compost also allow, however the final plants output will be affected. It may be minimal however side by side it will be noticeable.
poor compost will also do as above, however final results will be poor. I used poor compost, however it looked great and was suitable for many gardeners. I am excessive, have been and always will in what ever jobs I tackle..
That was noted by me when I had to disassemble 7 years of raised beds improvement..
The extra ingredients I added to poor compost made it good compost in my opinion, all still fell under the one compost item in Mels Mix....The outcome was outstanding as my photos show.
I did not discover anything new, I only used more items to make my compost better. 5 items in Mel's Mix compost doesn't mean you cannot add more..in the case of compost more is better.
And it did not make it any more costly, if it did the price was very well worth it.

 Nice one .. I like your post .
Can I add to that Jimmy, try to make those extra new materials additional to your initial MM start up mix... to include as wide a range of nutrient and trace elements as possible so once mixed in with the basic five different ingredients  ( not vermiculite or peat/ coir ) you end up with a composted mix that makes your Pants think they are on steroids .

 That said you can make a home compost mix naturally or by using additives so rich it actually " burns plants " as too much nutrient can cause over growth of plant cells or kill them.  It can even be so strong that it kills the seeds as they try to germinate or gives you lanky wan useless seedlings .
 
 It's often worth while when you make up a big new batch of MM ( however you've done it ) to trial grow lettuce , radish & pea seeds to a few inches tall in a big pot a good three weeks before you put it on your beds to test  & prove its viability /quality . 
 There's not much sense in bunging  loads of useless  composted matter in your working beds if it's not up to specification is there ?

7 years ago I used my Mel's Mix for seedlings. A system of simple  T-5 lighting that would be to much light to look at.
I kept that lighting at tips of the plants as they grew, daily adjustments were needed. It wasn't a problem for me for I had everything in my workshop.
I used bottom watering containers that did a great job. Just simple plastic Sterling trays from Walmart.
The Mel's Mix used for planting was finely strained and that was the only difference from my garden mix.
My success was astounding, every plant that I planted went on to mature into productive plants, even did a few spinach plants.
I need to emphasize, when compost is properly made and used in Mel's Mix formula, there is no equal...

jimmy cee wrote:I need to emphasize, when compost is properly made and used in Mel's Mix formula, there is no equal...

So true!  Plant in it, and they will grow!