Phosphate

bigtoad wrote:
I mostly use my own compost with veggie scraps, lawn clippings and manure from our pet rabbit.  I've mixed in some Black Kow on the occasions that I was short on compost.
Maybe that is what I was missing in reading that section.  Pavlis says plants absorb nutrients in the ratio of 3-1-2, so it seems like my homemade compost would be ok and not build up P or K if that's the case.

Best practices for adding compost and manure

• Avoid excess applications of animal-based composts (composted manure), which tend to be high in phosphorus and calcium. 
  
• Test your soil regularly to make sure you are not over-applying certain nutrients. 
  
• Deep compost mulch systems can be effective but should be used with primarily plant-based composts to avoid the problems described above. 
  
• Do not rely on compost as your primary or only soil building strategy. Use cover crops to build organic matter in your soil, and account for the nutrients provided by both cover crops and compost in your decisions about fertilizer use. 
  
• Make sure that any compost you apply to your farm or garden has fully completed the composting process.
  
  • The compost should resemble the texture of the soil, with no chunks of un-decomposed organic matter.
    
  • It should also be more or less the ambient temperature. Compost that is over 100 degrees F is likely not finished.