Have you used Cobb County's Bioblend?

16 years ago

Heavens! I should have found my way here before now since I'm a Georgia resident, but I've been posting in the general forums for a couple of years.

Anyway, I'm wondering about Bioblend, offered by the Cobb County Recycling Center. Several things.

First, when you go to get it, is it easy to put into containers and get it back to your vehicle? A long distance? Is it heavy? How does getting it from the recycling center back home work?

Second, I've read a kazillion articles about the standards for recycled organics like Bioblend, talked to the people there, etc., and am still wondering if it's safe to use in a vegetable garden. According to the literature, the Bioblend is treated to meet the highest standards, so it should be safe for growing foodstuff, but I thought I'd check beyond reading. What's your take on its safety?

I can certainly use it for flower beds, I know.

Somebody on another forum mentioned the way it smells. Is it offensive?

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Comments (8)

Sharon4457
16 years ago
I found this information by doing a site search:

Here is a link that might be useful: More information
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, Sharon. That information pretty much answers the questions I had.

I did call the Cobb County Bioblend center to find out if I could get it since I'm in Cherokee County, and they said it would be fine. They also said that the stuff is heavy after rain, so it's easier to load when it's been dry a few days.

Now, to get there. It's a bit of a drive but worth it.
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I've used the Cobb County compost for a while, like GGG I used it in my non-edible beds. However this year I put a load on some of my raised beds. Prior to doing this I researched the compost, it's 'Class A', which is safe for food crops according to the EPA's regulations. Specifically, Class A compost has negligable levels of disease organisms left, vs Class B which has very very low levels. Years ago there was also a concern over compost from residential waste having elevated levels of heavy metals, but due to general EPA regs removing these from products that's no longer much of an issue. The real question is do you trust the facility to maintain their standards, so that it really is Class A with no variation. Only someone with intimate knowledge of the facility would be able to answer that. I guess I do trust it :) I regularly drink tap water over bottled and figure it's safe so there's an example of my mentality for you. As for what's in it - you name it. It's 'Bio Blend', which includes treated sewage sludge (poop!) and garbage, with the non-compostable bits filtered out. I've noticed that different batches have varying levels of 'bits' still in it, such as the odd plastic straw or some such. There is also sometimes a slight manure-like smell, which disappears in a few weeks. Overall, however, I think it's good stuff, a fabulous soil amendment for our clay. As for other chemicals in it, I'm not as concerned because I personally believe the concentrations would be slight. Our backyard has been churned up and used to have a pool in it, I figure there's as much unknown chemical crud in the soil already as there would be in that compost. More important to me is what fertilizers and chemicals I spray on my plants, which is next to none. Interestingly, I read articles about the Cobb facility regarding public perception of the compost, and the fact that it has an image problem because of the source of the raw materials. They'd need some marketing campaign to make people feel comfortable with it, as there is a general distrust of anything with human sludge in it. But with proper treatment, it's a safe as potting soil, but no one instinctively trusts it. We'll see how my veggies turn out this year.
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shot
16 years ago
Hi Anney... nice to meet you. Let us know how the Bioblend works out. There use to be a mushroom plant near where I live and we would go up there and load up the pickup for just a few dollars. Was great for the garden.

Shot
dirtjunky
16 years ago
If the compost has completed its composting process it should not have an offensive smell. That heat process is what sterilizes alot of the harmful weed seeds and disease organisms. My two cents! Good article to read when you have a minute... http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/c816-w.html#Maintain

Here is a link that might be useful: Uga Composting
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, today we went to the Cobb County Vegetative Waste Recycling facility and brought away about 5 square feet of compost in the back of my car. It did have a gaseous smell and was warm, probably around 100-110 degrees, so it hadn't quite finished composting.

It was in two large piles, about 8 feet tall, and you have to shovel it into whatever containers you bring. Or you can load it onto a tarp in the back of a truck or trailer and tie another tarp over it to transport it.

I won't need to plant anything in the majority of it for at least six more weeks, so I think it will be usable by then if combined with a soilless mixture, which I plan to get this week as a 3.8 cu. ft. compressed bale (ProMix BX). The two combined with our "native soil" will nicely fill two raised beds.

I do plan to use a little of it this week along with ProMix in eight five-gallon buckets to grow "patio potatoes". I think that just means potatoes that don't get very large because of constrained space. :-) I'll plant the potatoes themselves in ProMix and surround the lot on the sides with the compost. If it's still warm, maybe it will speed up the potato growth!

So that was my "collection experience" with Cobb County's Bioblend. I'll probably get this much again for some of my other beds, but later, now that I know where to go and how much my car can hold.
nyc_sod
16 years ago
I went there back in November expecting to come away with a truck load of compost.

One pile was dark with fine particles like the compost I find in my own pile.However, it surrounded by swarming flies with a nasty stink. There was no way I was shoveling this into my truck.

The other pile smelled earthy buy had large chunks of chipped wood. Not what I would call usable compost.

YMMV
blakeas
16 years ago
Sorry for asking a stupid question but is this stuff a soil additive? Or can I use it instead of soil to raise my beds? Or do I mix it with soil I buy?
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
blakeas

It's a soil additive, compost. It would probably be too much to use only it in a raised bed. I'm using it at a 50% rate in some beds, though I think that's a high percentage.

Have you used Cobb County's Bioblend?

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Sharon4457

anney
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Have you used Cobb County's Bioblend?

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Sharon4457

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