Around here, we have 2 types of "City" compost. One is made with sewage from the wast water treatment plant, the other is made with yard waste from the landfill.

I use whatever available, but this time last year, I was worried like you. The reason I chose to not worry about it was the testing involved.

After I spoke with a certified organic farmer, I found that municipal compost has to be tested before it can be sold. And like my state, your state should have strict regulations for municipal compost. Here, the compost is tested throughout the process of it being made. Not just for heat, but for pathogens, metals and such.

That organic farmer told me, if he had a source for municipal compost, he would use it without question because he feels it is better then the compost he makes. Yes he knows what goes into his compost, but he doesn't test it for anything.

Do what you feel is best, but I'll take all the municipal compost I can get. And if it were free or more readily available, I'd wouldn't bother making my own.

I would use it. But I could also understand why someone might not want to use it. I think if you were trying to become "certified" organic, that you wouldn't want to use it either.

And a topic like this is one reason why Dave's garden is not that great of a site to learn anything. Poster's aren't allowed to provide a differing points of view. I learn more from varying view points, that when everyone nods in compulsory agreement.

I also would interpret that as a rather ignorant statement referring to compost made from sewage sludge and/or compost which isn't tested.

The source or raw ingredients of compost doesn't matter, but the testing it is given matters a whole lot.

I have used municipal compost for about 5 years and am very happy with it. Ours is free, people take it by the truck-load. No problem with weed seeds, as the pile is massive, (about one city block), and turned routinly with heavy equipment. Lots of junk in it though (aluminum cans, plastic, etc.), that I pick out. Obviously a lot of the material is city lawn clippings which have been treated with 2-4-d chemicals to control "weeds". Our compost also has a lot of sand mixed into it (dredge spoils from the Mississippi River). An organic gardener would be concerened with urban material treated with a lot of chemicals to control dandilions, and potentially contaminated sand from the river, I am not. I have no idea if the compost is tested. I suspect not since it is free.

Crabjoe
I'm in MD too. Could you tell me how to get the compost. Where is it and who do I need to call to find out more?

Thanks!

Crabjoe,
I was going to ask, too! Is it the Orgro stuff? Can we buy it in a store, or in small quantities from the city?

Thanks,
Jessica

g'day,

ok can't vouch for waht may or may not happen over where you are, but over here that recycled stuff from the city is generated from all sorts of timber (old furniture included) and garden/tree waste that ends up on the landfill/refuse station site, so i guess in that case it could contain old cca treated lumber that has been dumped?. but they do add the solids from the sewerage treatment plant into and also what they term as low grade industrial liquid waste, that tells me they could add anything that they get that needs to be disposed of.

i have bought bags of it from the nursery and used it, because sometimes you've just got to use what is available at the end of the day, there is viable seeds in it so you could end up with some weeds or even cucumbers or pumpkins popping up, we've had cucumbers and weeds not many as we mulch heavily.

so under the premise that you need to do whatever you need to do, maybe wise yourself up on what is likely to go into it's production where you are and then use it with knowledge or don't use it what ever one chooses? after all it is recycling in the true sense hey? and as most live in cities with lots of air borne pollutants or get the wind drift of those pollutants from traffic or industry using the stuff may not be any more detrimental?

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page