Is City Compost safe?
wayland1985
12 years ago
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Comments (18)
obrionusa
12 years agokr222
12 years agoRelated Discussions
City Compost
Comments (21)I'm sorry but I think expecting a couple of inches of compost piled on top of hardpan creating a 'very soft' plantable soil in a 3 month time frame is optimistic in the extreme. Typically, it takes multiple seasons of layering or mulching with organic matter before a hard or heavy clay soil becomes workable. And the activity of worms, ground beetles and other soil organisms, plant roots and rainfall to draw that organic matter down into the soil. That just doesn't happen overnight (or 3 months)......at least not with any clay soils that I'm familiar with. And it's fine making comparisons to Ma Nature but understand that she has infinite patience and while she may very well be willing to wait years for OM to build up to create proper soil tilth, most gardeners expect a little bit faster turnaround. I know there are many who consider tilling to be the end of life as we know it, but it is a very rapid and efficient way to incorporate that organic matter into the soil to loosen it and to improve texture and drainage. An initial tilling will get you a whole lot farther down the road to a decent, plantable soil than piling a couple of inches on top and praying something good will happen in couple of months. It is repetitive tilling or over tilling that causes problems - a one-time shot won't hurt anything and you'll be able to plant on schedule. And I'm with Val on this one - incorporate as much as you can manage now, then mulch with compost going forward....See MoreEver use your local CITY's Compost?
Comments (20)Are your leaves mixed with stuff before they get to the dump? Here's the setup where I live (Actually it's not where I live---it's a nearby town that I learned had a nice composting setup.): Homeowners take their own yard waste to the site, then I go and bring it back to my place to make compost. For years I only took leaves and pumpkins, fearing chemical treatments, but eventually the bags of steaming grass clippings got to me, and I started bringing them home, too. I try to avoid the greenest, lushest clippings, assuming they are more likely to have been chemically managed. Primarily, I've decided not to think about it. Behind the mountain of yard waste is the prior season's yard waste, now composted. I rarely take that, preferring to see the ingredients that go into my compost. I did, however, have the local extension service test the finished compost for lead, and I can't remember what else they tested, and the results regarding that were reassuring. My biggest concern is pesticide residue on the grass clippings. My second biggest concern is bring home diseased leaves (many of which do not get composted at all; I use them intact as mulch on lawn areas) that might pass something onto the trees in the woods around me. I brought home blighted maple leaves last year, then ended up contacting a man from the university regarding my concerns. He said, in that instance---maple trees---the blight was so widespread I shouldn't worry about it. Plus the disease was not fatal to maples. If you have the option of visiting the drop-off place for your town, you might check it out. So far this year, I've gotten leaves, grass clippings mixed with chipped leaves, tons of apples, NOT ONE PUMPKIN YET; I blame mctoon, tons of dahlia bulbs, hydrangea blossoms, and the best score yet---a pile of dirty, blemished, black-spotted pears lying in tire tracks filled with oily compost leachate seeping from the pile. I gathered up the filthy pears and took them home for my chickens. My dog fought the chickens for the pears, and after seeing the especially pleased look on her face, I began to wonder just how good those pears were. I ended up taking the greasy pears into the house, washing them, peeling them, offering them to my mother (with full disclosure) and having one myself. One of the most delicious pears I've ever had in my life! I ended up going back out to the yard and taking back the best looking ones from the chickens. I am very tempted to write to the editorial page of the Bangor Daily News asking "who the heck are you that keeps putting those DeLiCious pears in the Brewer dump, for pete's sake? Are you totally mad?"...See MoreCity Compost Question
Comments (30)On thing to be aware of - human waste from the sewer treatment plant is added to the compost in most cities. Dept of Natural Resources says that it is a 'valuable resource'. The mulch is well composted with plant material after mixing and is tested. It is an excellent plant medium in my opion, even for veggies. When I pull into the composting facility, the sign out front says wastewater treatment facility. I only see the plant material they are working with, not the wastwater treatment plant. I'm not sure if it is in a different area even. But the composting facility is run by the wasterwater treatment department. When you buy commercial compost in bags, it contains the same things. Most such composting companies are located near major wastewater treatment facilities. The labels they use may call it something else, to eliminate the 'yuck' factor. Sooooo - all I am trying to say is to be aware. Get used to it. Its excellent fertilizer and tested for health concerns. If you don't like the idea, then municipal waste may not be for you. The charge for the screened compost is $16/cubic foot. MULCH, without the compost and consisting of schreded brush, including leaves and branches is $8/cf. They also sell a course mulch with a little compost added for $6/cf. It will take a long time to break down and is not suitable for gardens but is excellent around trees and berries. I use this compost in containers and raised beds, with the mulch over the top for moisture and weed control. If you have not watched the Back to Eden film, it covers this topic well and is inspirational. The link below is for that film to watch free online. Here is a link that might be useful: back to eden film...See Moregrowing potatoes in city compost bin
Comments (4)drmrsguild, Phx does offer them (no door on the bottom but I guess you could add that) for $5. You get them at the transfer station and have to show a current water bill to prove you are a Phx resident. I got one from the north valley transfer station, Deer Valley Rd and I-17. The other station is way south somewhere. Not always available so you might want to call first. And to answer the question, I think it could work. dunno why not. I would use straw though, not dirt as dirt will compact too much and inhibit the size of the potatoes. The voice of experience on that morsel if info. :-:...See MoreDan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago2ajsmama
12 years agodigdirt2
12 years agoDan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years agofranktank232
12 years agoopal52
12 years agogardenman101
12 years agojolj
12 years agoBelgianpup
12 years agonancyjane_gardener
12 years agosolidago1
12 years agokr222
12 years agochuck60
12 years agowayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
12 years agoBrian Driscoll
3 years ago
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