Class A-biosolids compost

This type of compost is obtained from a composting operation, usually by a city or county, as a means to recycle vegetation, usually hauled off to a dump. It is processed into compost and in an alloted time sold by the load to anyone who will come and get it.The beneficial use of Class A biosolids on farmland, in landscaping, and for tree cultivation is one of the highest.

I was wondering if there is anyone else who might know the nutritional value for a vegetable garden.

A quick google check showed this:

Biosolids — The soil-like residue of materials removed from sewage during the treatment process. During treatment, bacteria and other tiny organisms break sewage down into simpler, harmless organic matter. The organic matter combined with bacterial cell masses, settles out to form biosolids.

Class A Biosolids
Class A biosolids contain minute levels of pathogens. To achieve Class A certification, biosolids must undergo heating, composting, digestion or increased pH that reduces pathogens to below detectable levels. Some treatment processes change the composition of the biosolids to a pellet or granular substance, which can be used as a commercial fertilizer. Once these goals are achieved, Class A biosolids can be land applied without any pathogen-related restrictions at the site. Class A biosolids can be bagged and marketed to the public for application to lawns and gardens.

That's a far cry from composting trees and grass. Are we talking about two different things?

bio-solids, A, B or extra fancy, is sewer sludge. A and 'extra' has been treated to prevent pathogens from hurting people.



Several yrs. ago a major farm in SC got the Grade A and put on the crops and e-coli was transmitted with the crop. The farmer lost the whole crop.



I don't think I'd use it on vegetables, maybe on trees or flowerbeds

I would like to use the formula from Mel's suggestion of mixing 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I do not have enough materials or time to make enough compost to have what I need. Can I buy the right compost, or several kinds to mix together to make the right blend. And can I purchase different kinds of compost. Where I live we are very limited to gardening outlets. We live so far away from everything, that when it is Thursday where you are it is still Wednesday here.

Thanx

Hello,
I work on the issue of sewage sludge for Center for Media & Democracy's Food Rights Network so I can help with this topic. Class A Biosolids is a classification set by the EPA for a very unregulated toxic stew of lightly treated sewage sludge. They regulate about 10 heavy metals plus fecal coliform and salmonella and THAT'S IT. Anything else that goes down the drain is unregulated and can (and is!) be found in this: dioxins, perfluorinated compounds, flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, etc, etc. Is that what you want to put in your garden?

You can see here what the EPA found in a study of 80 samples of sludge from around the country by looking for the 2005 Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey.

As a gardener myself, I feel that my compost bin and my soil are sacred. I am very careful about what goes into them, both because I care about the health of the soil organisms that make up the ecosystem in my soil and because I care about what goes into my body and the bodies of my family members. Furthermore, as gardeners, we all end up touching and eating the soil, so chemicals in soil reach us directly as well as indirectly through our food. Why would you risk putting an unregulated chemical cocktail like sewage sludge in your soil??

Hi Jill, to the SFG Forum! and thanks for the good info!

Bud Alexis wrote:I would like to use the formula from Mel's suggestion of mixing 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I do not have enough materials or time to make enough compost to have what I need. Can I buy the right compost, or several kinds to mix together to make the right blend. And can I purchase different kinds of compost. Where I live we are very limited to gardening outlets. We live so far away from everything, that when it is Thursday where you are it is still Wednesday here.
Thanx

I imagine it wasn't Bud's intent in his first post to talk about bio-sludge, so he re-framed his question.

Can anyone help him?

Bud Alexis wrote:I would like to use the formula from Mel's suggestion of mixing 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I do not have enough materials or time to make enough compost to have what I need. Can I buy the right compost, or several kinds to mix together to make the right blend. And can I purchase different kinds of compost. Where I live we are very limited to gardening outlets. We live so far away from everything, that when it is Thursday where you are it is still Wednesday here.

Thanx

Bud, many of us do not have enough home grown compost to create Mel's Mix. That means we have to go out and buy various types in order to create the blended compost that makes great Mel's Mix. Please check this link >>> HOW STRONG IS YOUR BACKBONE There is a lot of good information on how to select compost and the reason why we use at least five varieties of compost.

Hope this helps.

Bud Alexis wrote:I would like to use the formula from Mel's suggestion of mixing 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I do not have enough materials or time to make enough compost to have what I need. Can I buy the right compost, or several kinds to mix together to make the right blend. And can I purchase different kinds of compost. Where I live we are very limited to gardening outlets. We live so far away from everything, that when it is Thursday where you are it is still Wednesday here.

Thanx

Bud, my hardest to source was the vermiculite, and it is worth it to find it.

you might call garden centers/nurseries and ask about compost by the truckload. Or even your county(just state to them that you do not want the bio stuff) They might have other compost. Or try the next county over. Or just buy bags at the store. Just look at the ingridients and try to get kinds that are made from different stuff-chicken poo, bat guano, yard debrie, etc. This will give a diversity and better ratio of nutrients.



One problem I had: the compost in some of the bags was not quite finished.

It took a couple weeks for my garden to perk up. I suggest, if ya buy bags, is to get them home, and set out in the sun to cook for a while, a couple days anyway.