Possible City Compost Problem
toxcrusadr
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
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Jean
4 years agotoxcrusadr
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Risk using city dump compost?
Comments (37)In an ideal world, people would not be applying herbicides and pesticides on their lawn and all that town made compost would be a great resource. I would actually feel it was more beneficial if they made leaf mold with all the collected leaves, because no one adds chemicals to their leaves. Until then I am always short on compost but if you have land to have a garden you can usually find space for a small compost pile. Even if you just have a passive one, and leave it to break down, it's a great resource. The past few years I've been building Berms. I collect branches broken in smaller pieces, grass, leaves, weeds, and kitchen scraps in two plastic bins and when they are half finished, I empty them into a wheel barrel, pile them up along the lower end of my full sun bed, and shape it like a sausage about 1.5 to 2ft high, top it off with leaves and then bagged bark mulch and it's done. I leave it in place and it actually helps keep the rainwater in the bed and doesn't allow it to run off. And I was very surprised at how good the soil was before the summer was even over. What I love about it, is it is so easy to do and I know what is in it. This past fall, I covered 3 vegetable beds for next year with it's own 2ft high berm and instead of bark mulch, I put a thick layer of salt marsh high as a topper. I'm excited to see how the soil is in the spring....See Morecity compost....crap
Comments (22)Through the wisdom of a friend I figured out what the issue with this compost is. TOO MUCH SALT! Since this is purely made from the city wide organics and we consume too much salt and others like me will only put in items that are not healthy for either our worm bins or composters, the result is too much salty foods. That is why after about a year once the salt has diluted the soil is good. It's not acidic because if it was then my Hydrangea would be blue in colour and it is pink. The worms really don't like salt and it also acts like a preserver so even though it has lots of organic pieces like twigs it wont break down that quickly until the salt leaches away. Obviously some of you will get great compost from the city but most of us will find really lousy material, and are best to make your own or sometimes buy the expensive bagged stuff(which has never given me any problems before) So I have a stunted watermelon plant as a result of this and a Zuchinni plant that is dying also. But not too bad for this year. By next year the results should improve....See MoreCity wants to remove my compost bin. Help!
Comments (55)I agree with Rott, however now the City is involved in the dispute. If you give the city officials who visit you enough ammunition to educate the people they report to re: their own municipal standards for composting, it will most likely take care of the problem if you following the composting guidelines. You don't want to make a "lid" however, if you simply lay another pallet on top, both light and water will get in the bin and screen it a bit and still create good compost. It's a thought. I don't know the height of your homes, or your restrictions for screening, but you could consider planting a cheap hedge. My immediate neighbors party 24/7 on the front lawn with about 20 other men. Day and night. Not too loud but whenever I go outside they are all there staring at me,cat calls and other rudeness. Nothing can be done except HEDGE. I can't wait until it's cool enough to plant a very fast growing hedge, since I can not install a tall fence in that area. My property is very large for an urban property and my front yard equals the width of 3 normal small front yards. All of it is gardened - one purely veggies ringged in flowers, the other a potager and the third is mostly herbs (although looks like a flower garden). The garden has inspired 4 neighbors to remove lawns and plant gardens, and a 5th is planning on it this fall (out of 11 people on our end of the street besides us). Everyone loves it!...See MoreCity Compost Question
Comments (30)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...See Moretoxcrusadr
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agotoxcrusadr
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoarmoured
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years agotoxcrusadr
4 years agotoxcrusadr
4 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
4 years ago
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