Re: Compost

**"* S* <m*@gmail.com>**

Hi,

We were working with Woods End Lab --
http://woodsend.org/pdf-files/Analysis_overview.pdf -- and put the composts
through their analysis. Please follow the link to see what they test--I
can't say enough good things about this lab. If you are interested in
learning about your composts, they are invaluable.

In short, our well-constructed and well-tended piles had a more balanced
nutrient content, higher OM content, and became biologically stable much
earlier than the haphazard ones. I have no idea what happened to our test
results, but it was clear that quality was influenced by initial ingredients
and technique. The Composting Council
http://www.compostingcouncil.org/section.cfm?id=39 has a fair amount of
information about quality, too. And, Cornell has great composting
information: http://compost.css.cornell.edu/Compost_Resources.html .

Naturally, my orientation is towards farm-scale composting. That's hardly
relevant to gardeners, unless they are buying composts, in which case, it's
REALLY relevant. I have had some unfortunate experiences in this regard--one
year, a well-respected dairy farm/commercial compost operation sold an
organic potting soil made with a compost that was still so active that it
killed most of the seeds planted in it. Scores of farmers were affected--it
put a lot of people behind on their starting schedules. The silver lining
was that we all became much more aware of compost quality.

I agree that you don't need to be picky about composts if you are applying
them to soil; it's when they are the major ingredient in a potting mix or
you are using them to suppress plant pathogens that you want to take care.
For those reasons, it's worthwhile to educate readers--let them know that
different composts have different uses; as long as the compost is
appropriate to the use, you can't go wrong.

Miranda

On Jan 15, 2008 7:36 AM, Lee Reich <garden@leereich.com> wrote:

> What kind of "testing" did you do to see the differences in your
> composts? And was the only difference imposed in curing time?
>
> Lee Reich, PhD
> http://leereich.com/
>
> Books by Lee Reich:
> The Pruning Book
> Weedless Gardening
> Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
> A Northeast Gardener's Year
>
>
> On Jan 14, 2008, at 12:07 PM, Miranda Smith wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Yes, the way that you compost determines the quality of the finished
> > project. I've done enough research, complete with testing all the way
> > through and at the time that it was stockpiled for curing, 3 months
> > after
> > that time, and 6 months after that, to know that is so--the
> > "formal" way,
> > with or without composters in tuxedos and tiaras, gives the highest
> > quality
> > product.
> >
> > But there is a huge caveat. Unless you are using the compost as a
> > disease
> > suppressant, in greenhouse containers or starting mixes, or composting
> > something smelly in a suburban environment, does improved quality
> > matter
> > enough to inspire you to monitor the piles every day and adjust
> > accordingly?
> > I don't think so. For ordinary uses, sloppy compost works fine--as
> > long as
> > it's really broken down. And you can tell that with a simple "cress
> > test."
> > Before you buy compost, do a cress test with it: take a sample,
> > plant land
> > cress in it--no additives like peat moss or vermiculite--and see
> > how they
> > do. If they are fine, you can use it in starting mixes. If not, you
> > know
> > that it requires a few more months of curing before it is safe to
> > use for
> > sensitive applications.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Miranda
> >
> > On Jan 14, 2008 11:37 AM, <loisdan@juno.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Everyone,
> >>
> >> Last week I posted a piece to my blog on troublefree composting.
> >> Out of
> >> curiosity, I browsed several GWL member sites to see what you all
> >> have to
> >> say on the topic. Of those I read, while most gave at least an
> >> obligatory
> >> nod to the "rules" of composting, nearly everyone seemed to use
> >> some type
> >> of desultory method similar to my own. What say you? Do any of you
> >> compost only by the rules? It might be an interesting exercise for
> >> us to
> >> discuss whether formal composting actually has much effect on the
> >> final
> >> product.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Lois
> >> Visit http://loisdevries.blogspot.com
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