Best homemade compost

littlejo 6/10/2011, 12:18 pm

In making my beds, I found even with using 5 different composts, that they were really lacking, rocks and sand, peat(didn't need any more of that) and weed seeds!

I need at least a couple more beds! If I make my own, do I still have to use 5 different ones?

What constitutes a different kind?

If I gather all different kinds of stuff to compost, like the ingredients on the 5 bags, will I still have to buy more?

How is the best way, using the 5 kinds, after screening out the rocks, to reheat/compost the compost, to get rid of the seeds?

I prob. won't add new boxes til next year, so I have some time.

Thanks,
Jo

**Furbalsmom** 6/10/2011, 1:58 pm

Littlejo, did you find rocks, sand and peat in your purchased compost? How disheartening Sad

When you make your own compost, you usually would end up with enough various ingredients that your homemade compost is well rounded and you would not need to add any other "types". Ingredients in your homemade compost might include: grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegging peelings from preparing dinner (lots of variety there), veggies debris from harvesting your garden, egg shells, perhaps some fresh manure, shredded papers, and the list just goes on.

Afraid I haven't had experience with weed seeds in purchased compost. If you do decide to recompost it, it will need to get hot to kill the seed.

westie42 6/10/2011, 6:45 pm

Well at least you didn't mention broken light bulbs and milk carton tops like I found in bought compost. By then it was too late to pin the culprit down to one producer. So Guess they will ALL sacrifice my future business.

Miss M 6/11/2011, 2:02 am

@westie42 wrote:Well at least you didn't mention broken light bulbs and milk carton tops like I found in bought compost.

That is just bad on so many levels. Evil or Very Mad

Barkie 6/11/2011, 4:27 am

Jo and Westie, that's terrible. Out of seven I have only found two producers that make something approaching decent compost but none of it contains household refuse.

shannon1 6/11/2011, 5:41 am

@westie42 wrote:Well at least you didn't mention broken light bulbs and milk carton tops like I found in bought compost. By then it was too late to pin the culprit down to one producer. So Guess they will ALL sacrifice my future business.

Well now I feel lucky. I only found three different kinds but at least they were all good.

littlejo 6/11/2011, 9:54 am

Well, now I don't feel so bad, for I'm not the only one to have bad stuff in the compost.

I think we are in the wrong business. Make some good compost and sell some veggies!
Even tho the compost was full of stuff to make it heavier, and I could not get enough vermiculite, I have way too many veggies. I'm freezing and giving away all kinds of veggies!

Hubby says I planted too much! But, I finally got him convinced to SFG!
He says "well, we need some more boxes!"
Jo

jmosciaro 6/11/2011, 2:02 pm

I have 4 beds made with 5 kinds of purchased compost and 4 beds with home grown compost. The home grown compost beds are much much better. There is mostly leaves and yard waste in the homegrown with a little cow manure mixed in; not much diversity but much better.

martha 6/12/2011, 2:10 pm

@westie42 wrote:Well at least you didn't mention broken light bulbs and milk carton tops like I found in bought compost. By then it was too late to pin the culprit down to one producer. So Guess they will ALL sacrifice my future business.

Wow, all of a sudden Boffer's horseshoe looks a lot better than it did!

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