Re: [compost_tea] Re: Re: My compost

From: Jack Hickman <jackhickman_at_bellsouth.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2005 11:20:08 -0600

The only place I can think of is the nursery.Do you think they would have g=
ood compost?
                                     Jack
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Kirk Leonard
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 10:43 AM
  Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Re: My compost


  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 long=
er
  (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 coo=
ked
  at 150dF for an hour and dried to 12%. Processes like this have been use=
d
  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 basica=
lly
  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, hormone=
s,
  etc, used regularly in feedlots? (Isn't this just another "dilution
  solution?") And is 150dF for an hour enough to destroy pathogens? Even w=
ith
  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 - 01:16:17 EST

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