[compost_tea] Re: Re: My compost

From: Kirk Leonard <kirkleon_at_open.org>
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2005 08:43:46 -0800
I agree with Butch.

> Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 13:22:20 -0800 (PST)
> From: butch ragland <wilddog_202_at_yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: My compost
>
> The one thing I know a great deal about is "big box"
> bags and it is not likely that it really is composted
> manure. Not that it is bad, it just probably isn't
> what it says on the bag.

Jack - can you find a local source of good compost?  Someone who can tell
you what's in it, whether or not it got done thermally, maybe even tested
it?  If there is manure in the compost, it should have been
thermophyllically composted, achieved 131dF for at least 3 days, and longer
(10-15 days) with temps up to 160dF is better.

There's a nefarious category of "compost" NOP has been pushing called
"processed manure materials" - factory feedlot manures that have been cooked
at 150dF for an hour and dried to 12%.  Processes like this have been used
to make so-called composts for a long time, and I think this is the kind of
stuff you'll get from mass merchandisers - NOT real compost, not good for
teas, but potentially useful as mulch.  The cooking/drying routine basically
destroys the microbiology, but healthy soil, or mixing with good compost as
Ted suggests, can eventually re-populate it with beneficials.

The potential problem I keep coming back to on this stuff, though, is
wondering what happens to the synthetics - antibiotics, steroids, hormones,
etc, used regularly in feedlots? (Isn't this just another "dilution
solution?") And is 150dF for an hour enough to destroy pathogens?  Even with
drying, sure seems to me there's still a pathogen re-growth risk there.

Kirk


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Received on Sun Mar 06 2005 - 01:16:16 EST

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