Kristimama wrote: > Is an all-plant compost (OMRI certified or not) sufficient OM for a productive veggie garden? I'm a complete beginner, but I don't think an all-plant compost is inferior in the least. Not sure but you seem to want to give all-plant composts an inferiority complex :-) Here's a quote from Ann Whitman's and Suzanne DeJohn's book called "Organic Gardening for Dummies" (for dummies like me): "Before buying the compost, ask about the primary organic-matter sources that were used to make the compost. Compost made from yard waste (leaves and grass clippings) is considered to be the safest and best. Other compost may contain ingredients that had contaminants, such as herbicides from agricultural crop residues and heavy metals from municipal wastes, which may affect the growth of your plants or accumulate toxins in your soil. Ask if the finished product is tested for contaminants." When I read above that "Compost made from yard waste (leaves and grass clippings) is considered to be the safest and best," I was spurred on to make my own compost. I don't think there's anything inferior about plain old leaves and grass. To the contrary, they seem to be really good stuff. So good in fact, that tomorrow I'm going to transfer the 3 cubic feet of chopped leaves, grass, and fruit peels from my small trash can to a much bigger round plastic barrel and add even more leaves and grass, doubling the size of the organic matter from 3 cubic feet to 6 cubic feet. "Let It Rot!" seems to be a popular book on Amazon.com about composting. Ordered it a couple days ago.

Not everyone has the inclination, the time or the space to home compost. Yes, you can buy excellent bagged or bulk compost. You can also buy some pretty crappy stuff. What is available commercially tends to be rather regionally based in nature. Here in the very organically minded PNW, there are commercial composting operations all over - some that sell in bulk and others that sell bagged product, primarily through local nurseries and garden centers. Depending on the quantity you need, bagged may be easiest to access, store and move, but bulk will give you a far better price for the quantity. If you have local municipal composting operations, that would be the first place to look. In some areas, this product is given away, in others it becomes a commodity and is sold, with the returns supporting the composting plant. You can also check at local landscape supply outfits as well as a trip through the yellow pages under "soils". Not all compost is created equally, especially the commercially prepared stuff. I prefer to buy a known quality and here you can visit landscape supply yards or composting facilities and see the process and examine the results. What you want is something dark in color with a fairly uniform texture (some chunks or woody pieces OK but you don't want anything really identifiable) and a rich earthy smell - no strong ammonia or manure odor. There are purists out there that will insist that nothing is a good as homemade compost but it is very easy to acquire an excellent commercially prepared product as well. The compost I buy (at 10cy a pop) is certified, has been held at sufficiently high temperatures to neutralize pests, pathogens and weed seeds and is carefully finished and aged. It's also not cheap. How easy it may be to locate something similar depends on your intent and where exactly you are located.

I'm not sure where you are in the Bay Area. I buy all my soil and compost from Wheeler Zamaroni in Santa Rosa. I filled my beds with their "veggie mix" soil. This year, I've amended it with their Compost Plus compost. Have been extremely happy with both. There's also Sonoma Compost company in Petaluma where friends have bought their Mallard Plus compost to amend their in-ground garden beds. And I know of another one in Santa Rosa but can't recall the name. They sell Mango Mulch which is supposed to be very good (Renee?). Here is a link that might be useful: Loribees Garden Blog

thanks, I know that Forsyth county doesn't have free anything. And I can't pile it up anywhere, I have no flat surfaces except part of my driveway. I am already worrying that my neighbors are going to have a fit when I have it delivered if it stinks at all. I know that the mushroom compost I buy in bags still stinks pretty bad and I have neighbors whose kids regularly run across my front lawn while they are playing (I don't mind since they are usually playing with my kid) so I am also wondering if the compost topdressing is going to become a huge issue with litle feet tracking it into the house? Do I want to do this? Will it be worth the effort? I know the sod went down on pure fill dirt, we have no topsoil so I am guessing I should do it, but since bermuda is such a weed anyway will it be worth it. If I just continue to fertilize but use something organic like corn meal now, will that be enough? We had a lawn service for a couple of years so our lawn is okay looking. I know I should post this in the organinc forum, but figure since not too many areas use Bermuda grass you guys might know better.