Here's an apparently obscure comparison, but only insubject matter. the gnostic gospels of the first century and most the gardening books i see for sale today. and perhaps i was unclear earlier. my objection is to the implication that you somehow have a secret that has been acquired. the invocation of (whoever) is just a sales tool. and it's been used for at least two thousand years. Soils are by far the most complex component of growing plants. they are by far the least understood. too often we seem to focus on a dichotomous approach, that is to say, only organic or only modern synthetic agronomic inputs, when the truth is both have value, and depending on the specific problem you have, a combo approach may be best. think we could.feed ourselves without modern fertilizers? think you can't screw up your soil by only using organic methods?

Trillium, Compost is very much a product of time, and of course input. It is very hard to get the numbers mentioned "7.2N6.2P6K kg ha-1" referred to as "Starter Solution Technology" in compost. These numbers are for seed crops or short term crops so don't worry to much about the numbers. Just use compost from the most diverse input such as a yardwaste compost facility, varied input will lead to a better chance that you have the micronutrients mentioned. AND most soils have the micronutrients. Now to low quality compost, something from a simple input such as composted horse manure will be good but probably not have the numbers to qualify as SST which is a combination of inputs to get to the numbers that have been determined to work best with a specific such as tomatoes or corn, etc. AND they have to make it work right now this season and don't enjoy the time we have with a perennial garden. Look at a field or forest, who fertilizes them, God will take care of it if we add organic matter. Denny, "What is the best compost?" Truly you give me more credit that I deserve. Now to the question, whatever is cheap and varied as possible. Everything you are doing and have is great except the Osmocote that was developed for pot culture and very expensive for the soil, BTW beer is great as well as soft drinks. "Is there a proven mix for the best compost?" The expense of composting is much greater than someone outside the business could understand and everyone assumes it is all free so the selling price is held down. I made an effort to seek out a varied input but that can't always be controlled. "Are the fomentioned nutrients in compost or must they be added?" They would test the compost then add to reach the numbers, doing this in volume for a short term crop can work but not for something like hosta and it hasn't been studied so one must guess. Add as many things as you can get your hands on, mulch, manure, coffee ground, grass clippings, anything that will decompose and throw it on the surface. Is this more than you wanted to hear?

PurinaOne Large Breed Adult Crude Protein (MIN) 26.0% Phosphorus (P) (MIN) 0.8% Crude Fat (MIN) 12.0% Selenium (Se) (MIN) 0.30 mg/kg Crude Fiber (MAX) 4.5% Vitamin A (MIN) 15,000 IU/kg Moisture (MAX) 12.0% Vitamin E (MIN) 460 IU/kg Linoleic Acid (MIN) 1.3% Ascorbic Acid (MIN)* 70 mg/kg Calcium (Ca) (MIN) 1.0% Glucosamine (MIN)* 400 ppm *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles Ingredients Chicken (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), pea fiber, oat meal, fish meal, animal digest, salt, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, potassium citrate, Vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. PurinaOne Adult Chicken and Rice Crude Protein (MIN) 26.0% Phosphorus (P) (MIN) 0.8% Crude Fat (MIN) 16.0% Selenium (Se) (MIN) 0.30 mg/kg Crude Fiber (MAX) 3.0% Vitamin A (MIN) 13,000 IU/kg Moisture (MAX) 12.0% Vitamin E (MIN) 100 IU/kg Linoleic Acid (MIN) 1.4% Glucosamine (MIN)* 400 ppm Calcium (Ca) (MIN) 1.0% *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles Ingredients Chicken (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), animal digest, calcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, calcium carbonate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. The major difference is slightly more fiber and less fat in the Large Breed formula compared to regular chicken and rice. More fiber=more poop. Neither has artificial flavors or preservatives which is good. Both contain corn, corn gluten meal, and animal digest which is questionable. But I don't think there is a significant difference between the two.

I was reading the December issue of Health magazine this a.m. It had a list of superfood add-ins that made me think of this thread. I'll share a few things here but recommend you look for a copy of the magazine at your library so you can see the whole article. Three steps to pick a better protein powder check the ingredients: skip products with unwanted additives, such as artificial flavors and sweeteners or added sugars. Some brands also have a lot of caffeine per serving. watch your portions: most women don't need more than 15-25 grams in a meal. if your powder has more than that per serving, use less. go organic: if you prefer dairy whey, choose one that's grass fed and USDA-certified organic; they tend to have more omega-3 fatty acids Pea Protein Powder: made from yellow split peas, this lactose- and gluten-free powder has become a popular plant-based alternative to whey - and it may help control hunger. A 2011 study in Nutrition Journal found that people felt fuller after consuming pea protein than an equal amount of some other sources, including whey protein and egg whites. Add it: the author typically puts 1/4 cup in pancake mix or energy bites. Too much can make a dish chalky or pasty. Stick with an unsweetened version for the best versatility and the "cleanest" ingredient list (it should have only pea protein isolate - that's it). 3 in 1 power smoothies (each uses three superfoods):Add a handful of ice and blend until smooth. (I don't drink smoothies so I haven't tried any of these, just passing them along.) Mango Avocado Kicker 3/4 cup frozen mango, 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/4 ripe Haas avocado, 1 inch chunk fresh, peeled ginger root, 1/4 tsp turmeric Sweet Pea Sesame 3/4 cup frozen cherries, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 cup pea protein, 1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses, 2 Thsp sesame seeds Seedy Chocolate Banana Strawberry 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 3/4 cup frozen banana slices, 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 2 Tbsp non-Dutched cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp hemp seeds, 1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses.