It depends a lot on what you're trying to amend.

Around here our city "compost" is a lot of construction site scraped topsoil with a bit of yard waste (and other weird contaminates like plastic bits occasionally mixed), but we have a lot red clay around here and it amends just fine. Clay is awesome stuff as long as there's enough "other" types of soil to keep air available to roots and water moving in order to keep it from getting "sticky" or hard.

Good compost should have a dark chocolate color, smell of good rich earth, and be loose and crumbly. Compost should never stick together like clay soil.
Since "topsoil" is the top 4 to 6 inches of soil describing any soil as looking like "topsoil" is meaningless since that will vary from place to place. "Topsoil" around here can range from sand to light brown clay.
Does the compost look like something you would want to add to your soil?
Does the compost smell like something you would want to add to your soil?
Does the compost feel like something you would want to add to your soil?
If not, don't.

I've seen a lot of city composting operations all over the East coast. In many urban areas it's a lot of scraped top soil from construction areas where they're digging down for a more solid/level soil level for construction.

Unless it's priced like premium compost or you really need compost it's usually a decent soil amendment given it's generally cheap price. There's usually a good amount of organic matter in it, but it's rarely what we'd consider a pure compost product.

Have you checked the local landfill? Around my area, the local landfill separates green wastes from other wastes and then composts the green wastes. They do so by chipping wood waste, and mixing it with finer wastes like grass clippings, manures, etc. They make three or four different types of compost/mulches by chipping their premium compost finely whereas their mulches are composed of coursly chipped wood. The product I buy from them is the finest chipped compost, which is dark brown, almost black in color, and is mostly organics, with incedental small amounts of soils. I buy it for about $35.00 per full sized truckbed full. I am sure that this is also the source for a product at the local nurseries and material yards which themselves sell it for twice as much and call it Soil Pep.

What nc is describing is not compost.
Compost is compost and anyone that tries to sell you something they call "premium" compost is probably selling you something that is no better then their regular stuff and they are simply charging you more for the privilege of buying from them.
Far too many people do not seem to know the difference between mulch and compost.

We are adding two more 4'x8'x12" raised beds as soon as the weather permits. Might be awhile around here. I considered filling these beds half way with the city compost material. It does look and smell good as it looks like they do an excellent job of composting the materials. My concern is seeing what all goes into the piles they shred and compost. Any and all yard waste is used which would include any kind or amount of chemicals. It bothers me somewhat to use it for vegetables. I only produce enough of my own compost to top dress my beds. What are your thoughts about this? Thanks everyone and hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

What is and isn't compost vs what's sold as compost is what all my comments were about.

I know it isn't compost, but many municipalities (especially urban ones) sell it as compost. The stuff Rollen was describing sounds to me like the "compost-labeled" stuff found in many urban compost systems which is heavy in top soil.

That's why I said "Unless it's priced like premium compost or you really need compost it's usually a decent soil amendment given it's generally cheap price."...

I think you are on the right track about asking what goes in. One thing to keep in mind about chemicals: in a large operation like this, the compost usually gets pretty hot, and is well mixed during the process. Most (not all, but most) lawn chemicals break down reasonably fast in a very active pile. Also, lawns are sprayed, but tree limbs and leaves, not so much. If it's all going in, it's diluting whatever may be coming in from grass clippings.

I get what you mean, though. I used city compost initially to get my garden going, because I needed more than I could make that fast. After the first year, I made my own.

Re: compost being just topsoil scraped off of development sites. This seems very weird to me, for 2 reasons: 1) Soil is not compost, so that's just dumb, and 2) topsoil has value and where I come from, developers SELL it rather than GIVING it to the city to resell as compost. ????

Soil is not compost, but that doesn't stop an extremely large amount of cities selling their bulk pile "compost" as compost. It's mostly a mix of topsoil/compost in reality. Yard waste goes in, but a lot of it is scraped construction area top soil makes it's way in. You may be being told it's compost...the sign and website says compost...the guy who answers the phone at the waste place will call it compost...it sure as hell isn't pure compost, though.

In many urban areas it's a waste product of construction once topsoil dealers get more than they can handle or want to haul off a construction site. It becomes easier for developers to have the city pick it up or they haul it to the yard waste facilities so they can get on with their construction projects. In other areas, especially with more heavily used farmland, this topsoil would be worth money rather than being a burden sitting on a construction site.

One of the big downsides of our local city "compost" is all the plastic/construction/trash waste that seems to find it's way into the stuff. You're likely to find ground up food containers, cigarette butts, and other random stuff that was blow into a yard/field and uncovered years later when the site is razed to build something on it. I've seen plenty of plastic bits from products made in the 1980s (and before) mixed in with our local city "compost." It's not a huge amount, but it's still odd stuff.

The Original Poster (OP) was asking about what he/she found at their municipal site. I didn't search more about municipalities or anyone else selling or putting a label on their compost bags for sale. Assumed the OP was asking for input on the municipal compost avaible locally. Availble at their municipal site to the public to pick up. Hope I didn't hijack the OP's thread.

I don't think you did. The conclusion we came to is that it always pays to ask exactly what goes in.

Actually, if one is making raised beds, topsoil mixed with compost is better than 100% compost anyway, otherwise it will shrink considerably as it continues to decompose. Construction trash would be annoying, and if the stuff is part soil they should just say that, but it may be perfectly fine for making raised beds.

I'd ask the guy/gal running the compost operation if they had had their product tested and if so, could I look at the report. I'd also ask what materials were used in making the compost, their procedures as well as timelines.

Lloyd

I'd be interested to know what Percentage of these type of questions get a knowledgeable answer. Doubt if its very high.

Thanks for all the replies. The city doesn't charge anything for the compost. You just have it load it yourself. I was just asking because it didn't seem that great, but wanted to know if others had used their city's compost piles before. I'm going to call this week to ask someone there what goes in the compost and if its basically just top soil from construction sites. Doesn't seem likely in my small town, but I'll see what they say.

Well my city has compost but it looks like GOOD compost so I use it.

If it just looked like dirt I probably wouldn't bother.

It varies a lot depending on how much the city cares about the whole thing. My town (100,000 pop., BTW) has a fairly sophisticated system of shredding and composting yard waste and clean lumber and drywall scrap. They charge for the compost but they also test it now and then and post the results on a web page. This is probably towards one end of the spectrum.

My county landfill actually has compost that is labeled "organic". How they do that I certainly don't know!
Sonoma County is a very organic/ag/wine country type area, so I'm sure they couldn't get away with "saying" they are organic if they aren't! Nancy

There are no regulations for how to make 'Organic' compost, so virtually anything made of vegetative matter can be labelled as both organic and Organic.

I'd have no problem using municipal compost for trees and shrubs, but I'd be leery of using it on veggies. As pointed out above, a lot of it is probably soil, and you have no idea what's in it. There could be lead from traffic years ago, or pollutants from a factory that closed down before you were born. Unless you use truckloads it probably wouldn't be a problem even then, but I'd still look elsewhere. Even if they've had their stuff 'tested,' that just accounts for what they tested. They're getting in new stuff from different sources all the time, and unless you have a 'green' zealot working at the facility, they probably don't care what goes in.

Agreed...I've used it on my lawn and flower beds. My biggest concern with our city compost and mulch, is the weed seeds, diseases and treated or painted lumber. We have yard waste dropoff points where the stuff is shredded into free mulch, and is not thoroughly composted at all. People dump diseased plants and trimmings, demo debris and all kinds of stuff. The crew tries to separate out the treated wood, as required by state regs and their permits, but they probably don't get it all. At least with the compost facility, it's cooked in windrows so the seeds and diseases are knocked down.

There are two municipal sites near me. One has two large piles. One pile is chipped and shredded limbs. The other pile is leaves only except where some twigs and such might be in some contributions. This pile is beautiful compost. You can see the leaf composting area nearby. Only one problem...it contains about 8% small rocks!!

The other city mixes their leaves and limbs and sells it for mulch.

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

Some of the local municipal compost here is yard waste mixed with horse manure and biosolids from sewage treatment.

I'm all for properly composted humanure, but absolutely no way I am using anything that came through municipal sewer system. I'm not so worried about disease (it's been hot composted) or chemicals (it's been hot composted), but more about toxic elements such as lead (from old plumbing) that persist in the environment and may concentrate in vegetable leaves, especially spinach.

Lead may also be present in topsoil pulled from construction sites, particular if there are older buildings involved.

I get fall leaves and shredded wood from our local Municipal waste site. It is all free, most is far from a composted product. There is no section of fully composted.... well, compost. I gladly take some leaves in fall and chipped wood for mulch. I would be afraid to use Humanure compost, they may have not followed guidelines as they should have.

Since we're sharing our local systems, my city has both 'mulch sites' and compost. The mulch sites are free for all dump sites for yard waste which is then shredded and the mulch is free for the taking. I think I got a lot of weeds and diseases from it over the years so I've cut back on it since my flower beds are in much better shape now.

The compost is made at the city-owned landfill from yard waste picked up curbside, shredded and mixed with shredded clean lumber scrap and clean (unpainted) drywall scrap. To my knowledge they do not add any sewage sludge. It's composted, screened and sold for $12/cu yard. They run tests every now and then for toxics, and post the results on the web site. It's pretty good stuff. Last time I think I got close to 2 yards for my $12.

I would not assume anything about the ingredients, but rather, ask what is in it if you are interested.

another_buffalo, your statement that most cities add sewage sludge to their compost disturbs me. How many specific cities do you know for a fact that use sewage sudge? Or are you assuming that most do based on your experience with one or two?

toxcrusadr,

if you are looking for cast iron evidence then forget it, that they use humus from the sewerage farm and add in medium industrial liquid waste in the dead of night, comes as privileged information.

do they all do it? who knows? they aren't exactly going to make it public now are they.

all waste is big business, so if one town has too much they will look to sell their excess to another town.

believe it or not it is your call

on occasion i have used that waste, but i feel as i am aware of what could be in it i do so with that knowledge.

it all bulks up potting mixes.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

I don't know how things go down in Aussie-land, but most US cities/municipalities are rather up front about the issue of whether they use composted human waste or not. It's not like you can compost this stuff in open pits, it requires infrastructure and specialized equipment (though not extremely fancy stuff).

Really just wondering what another_buffalo's experience is.

I, myself, don't have a problem using my city's compost in my veggie garden, but I may if I lived where the STATE doesn't even recycle plastics, aluminum, and glass --- like much of the United States The fact that California is VERY proactive in the "green" movement allows me to feel a tad safer about my municipal compost. I find maybe 1-2 pieces of small plastic in each cubic yard I pick up. Hell! I probably drop more plastic in my garden than that!

Kevin

Kevin