Compost pile started

Richard 4/21/2011, 6:22 am

Well got to WalMart and got confused looking aat the compost....not sure what to get. The most part was the Miracle grow stuff... there was some top soil, humus, and one or two other things that I wasn't sure about. So I left without getting anything for a bit. I started me a compost pile...I got cabbagre leaves, Corn husks, tomatoes, a few onions, peppers, watermelons, some shredded letuce from the grocery I work at. Does that sound good? Hope so . Got to chop it up a little with a mechedie though. I hope I'm on the right track. I could only find the small bags of vermiculite at Lowes, is that fesible? Thanks for any help I'm kinda stumped.

**walshevak** 4/21/2011, 8:35 am

Small bags of vermiculite will work but cost soooo much. Have you checked the vermiculite database to see if there is a better source.

I walked away from Walmarts stuff as well. I got some Moo-nure from either Lowes or Home Depot, a mix of steer and forest humus. I like Black Kow brand and Black Hen if you can find it. Had to get the black hen from a nursery. And Black Kow brand is now packaging a mushroom compost.

Good luck and call around the nurseries and farmers supply places.

Kay

Blackrose 4/21/2011, 8:38 am

That sounds like a good start. Don't forget to add some grass clippings and leaves to round it out. Your compost will get really stinky if all you put in it is food scraps. Check out the Compost forum, there are a lot of great posts in there on how to compost and what to put in your pile.

As for the vermiculite, my suggestion would be to first check our vermiculite database. If there isn't anything listed in your area, you might want to start calling around. Check garden centres, farm supplies, etc. Make sure you get the coarse grade.

Oh and $glad you\'re here$ !!

Square 1 4/21/2011, 5:18 pm

Also, check to see if you have any wholesale greenhouse suppliers around. I bought 4cft for $20 for a wholesaler who also took 'walk in' traffic.

**Furbalsmom** 4/21/2011, 6:17 pm

Richard,

In your home compost pile, you may want to add some shredded newspaper or shredded computer paper (I use what I shred for security purposes at home) These are good sources of "browns" that I can find easily.

Another place to look for vermiculite is an Aquaponics store. That is where I found the best price for mine.
4 cu ft bags are sooooooooooo much cheaper than the little 8 and 16 qt bags.

Errol 4/22/2011, 9:27 am

Richard, I see you are in tennessee, same as I am, but if you are anywhere close to Mcminnville, tn you can get vermiculite in 3 cubic ft bags for $9.50 at Mortons. He's located about 1 block down from Lowes
Errol Very Happy

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	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.