How to get enough compost

I'm waiting for the half off on bulbs to plant in December rain or snow to replace the bulbs the squirrels have eaten. I did the same thing last fall/winter - dug up - lots of compost -bulbs - compost - cover - mulch - dead leaves. I need the chicken poo. I'm tempted to drive to Philly to get the chicken poo - it works better and faster than horse manure. Also, it may sound disgusting to some but my grandpa use to use horse pee in his vegetable garden and flower garden as well, what I usually do is since I don't have horses I use my own - I collect early morning urine good for the soil - it works - I never ask what it does but I just did it - it's too late to ask granpa does anyone know what urine does for the soil. Thanks

Don't know about horses - but dog pee will kill the grass in your lawn!

I"ve heard of people applying it directly to weeds. I'm fascinated. Share with us when you find out its use as a more general amendment. It seems as though I've seen urea for sale in garden catalogs...?

Here's what one source says about this Compost Ingredient...

U

urine
Nitrogen (2:1). Mix one part urine with two parts water before adding to pile. (Can also be added directly to pile, but your chances for problems with odor are less if you dilute first with water.) Adds nitrogen and potash. Includes human urine.

Well, now were really getting earthy!
Thanks Soozer. I assume that refers to adding urine to your compst pile, which I always thought was fairly common practice among men ;^). Can you assume its the same going straight on you soil?
I'm also curious about the implied benefits of the "early morning" variety.
Dave

Thanks Soozer

I think the first pee is more concentrated because that's what I use to do other stuff but as for the garden I need to do more research on this.
I was just following what the old folks used to do...(LOL)

My mom is really into sheep & everything wool. She swears by the wash water from
cleaning the shearings. I guess you rinse the wool in water a number of times. She
throws it on any plants needing a little boost and swears they respond like crazy. Maybe
find someone who has sheep or buys the wool "fresh from the sheep". She also uses
the nastiest parts of the wool as mulch. She gave me some to try but it ended up
blowing away - I guess you need to put it under some other heavier mulch.
Tam

Dog spots are just N burn.
Perhaps the wool is like feathers- an oddly high-N compost.

And yes, males rarely have nitrogen deficient compost. It works.

If someone knows the chemical composition of carotin (I don't remember how to spell it) -the substance of hair and fingernails, we could be enlightened into it's compost qualities.

K. J.

Found this, step 1:

Our fingernails are made of protein, keratin and sulfur. They grow about .05 to 1.2 millimeters a week.

Keratin is a tough, fibrous, insoluble protein that makes up skin, hair, and nails.

Whether or not they go into the compost...

I'd heard that hair is good for composting. But those fingernails don't sound all that great.

And the wool & wash water from cleaning the wool is good 'cause of what is stuck in it.

Tam

I am new to Daves but I am surprised at all the things people put into compost. I have twin drum composters and pretty much use Alfalfa meal,sawdust and grass clippings. From may thru september I can turn out loads of compost every 3 to 4 weeks. I have a problem with tree leaf stuff. To begin with I got far far to many. I have Oak,Hickory,Cedar and one Ash and they start at about 50 ft high and go up from there. A couple have been here since the Osage Indians ran these hills. I have thought a lot about the fish parts. In the spring there is a annual die off of shad in the lake and some years I could maybe collect a drum full. I just have misgivings about shade in the compost. There is nothing stinks more than shad. As far a urine goes I have never tried it in compost. But I will admit to peeing in the yard a lot because it repels deer. I have over 100 hosta. Deer would make short work of them. We have deer coming out our ears around here. I am going to keep watching this string a lot of interesting things on here.

You guys, how about Pig Poo? Do any of you use it? There are hog farms (BIG ONES) a couple of hours from my house. that would be a nice Saturday jaunt.

Anyone know about Pig Poo?

All I know is it has a very fragrant odor!

Polyface Farm uses their pigs as "pigaerators." Their (organic) hogs go through the compost, and as anyone who has seen a pig root well knows, they will turn that pile over in no time, searching for yummies, while contributing their own fertilizer.

I heard a story on NPR last year that the antibiotics given to (non-organic)
animals is stunting crop growth in the fields where their urine/poo is spread.
Perhaps it would compost out but I'd check into using a non-organic pig
or beef farm's output before using too much.

The manure from livestock on unnatural diets seems to be bad all-around. Salt is a major consideration, too. I ask the owners what all they feed their animals before I collect. I love to hear "just hay, alfalfa, etc."
Kenton

Thanks! I appreciate your feedback.

Hey Dave47 I'm sure you have enough ideas but I believe you said you lived on the "coast" of Maine. You can get all the compost you need off the beach. I once saw an art film about a man who built up his field with compost from the seaweed off the beach.

A very industious and resourceful idea, Soferdig.
Potential compost is anything dead that once was alive!

The Irish did that to build soil on the high cliffs above the sea where there was no soil at all. After a hundred years, there was an organic clay-based topsoil. I understand that this anomalous clay is the result from the fact that seaweed has fine silica in it, so that it actually composts into inorganic material as well.
Kenton

Thank you Soferdig. It's the coast of Connecticut not Maine but a good idea to check out. I'll check on what the town does with its excess seaweed.
Is the salt is an issue?
Dave

That was going to be my suggestion exactly. I am a fellow CT gardener, just up the coast. I have taken garbage bags to the beach and filled them to bring home to the gardens. Usually I do this in Fall. Getting beach access can actually be a bit tricky nowadays because of the population density. I have noticed no ill effects from salt but have been known to rinse the stuff off in a "utility" section of my yard. I spread over the perennial or garden beds then sometimes layer on unshredded maple leaves....have fun! Take the kids for a walk on the beach on a mild winter day....

I would love to know the results of a lab-test on Seaweed. I am curious, but have a stong feeling that there would not be but residual salt on the leaves, and not actually containg any. I'll bet it is high in nitrogen.

Seaweed is high in nitrogen but better yet it is high in trace minerals. Bull kelp also is rich in iron. The only way I know is, the movie was about the envy the neighbor had for the high production that the seaweed soil had. I looked up the advantages in my soil book. The salt is almost gone when the material is dry. Rinsing is a good idea but watch the run off. We here are deficient in Iron/Mg and others and the usual source is Ironite for me but you have the whole ocean delivering goodies.

How do you mean: "The salt is almost gone when the material is dry. "?

I am a very lucky dog with my extremely heavy clay soil. (

When collected on the beach the material has been treated by rain then aggitation gulls rodents etc. When it moves up to the high water mark not much NaCl left. Of course I have lived on the shores of Puget sound.

Celtic,
Thank you. Where is Quaker Hill? Mystic area?
Dave

Quaker Hill is a "village" in the town of Waterford...right near Connecticut College, the Thames River (and associated Gold Star Bridge). So before Mystic...

I actually lived in Guilford when I was a kid, have great memories of the place because our house bordered mucho forested land and a lovely lake...

Guilford Lakes?
FYI, I started a thread on the Dave's Garden forum in the hopes of starting a Northeast Gardening forum. The Big Dave said if 10 people express interest he will start a new forum. If you are interested, post onto my thread.

The New Alchemy Institute's gardens used a lot of seaweed for mulch. They used it without rinsing and had little problems with a slight, temporary elevation in salt levels. They reported problems with two crops, strawberries and lettuce.

Wayne

Ah yes, Guilford Lakes. The elementary school there was my debut into the public education system...they wanted to keep me back in Kindegarten, said I was an underachiever...because I would not use a purple crayon to mark my answers (only purple was allowed). Luckily their predictions had no bearing on my future path and successes!

I will post to the NE forum

Linda

Adkgardener, Thanks for the research.
Celtic, If we can overcome the time dimension, we'd be neighbors!
The purple crayon story is too much! Schools can be dangerous. Fortunately, my kids have had much better experiences at Lakes and you weren't stygmied by their mistake (Have you had a strange aversion to the book/movie The Color Purple?).
See you around DG.

Llama poop has no odor , no bugs, scare deer and can use it green, because it dosn't burn, google Llama beans and you can get great imfo and sales
sue

One reason people use compost tea is because we can never make too much compost.

Compost Tea is an attempt to maximize the benefits of compost by its spreading its benefits over a larger area.

I think there is tea thread already started on this forum. And there is tons of information about compost tea if you search for it on the web.

Thanks, Joe.That would many situations, but I need to build my soil. Lots of clay, poor drainage.
Dave47

One of the best sources of compost here in Ottawa is the local mushroom growing factory (Continental Mushrooms).

www.continentalmushroom.ca/compost.php

They produce a compost to grow their mushrooms, and then discard it when it has exhausted whatever the mushrooms need. They bag it up and sell it locally or you can go out there and bag it yourself for very little $$. I made the mistake of going after a rainfall.

I used it when I moved to my new place and established my two gardens. (Otherwise the soil was 6" of average topsoil over building rubble). I used only mushroom compost in my beds and it has been a terrific growing medium. Now that I'm into vermicomposting, I'll be using worm castings to supplement the soil starting this spring.

I own a horse farm. It would be my pleasure to have someone come get the daily horse pickings from stalls. And let me tell you that is some black dirt after it breaks down.

I have about 120 yards of composted manure that I am moving from the horse farm to my hosue.But I still ahve fresh pickings that pile high. There may be a horse farm near you that would give it to you.... I would...

So anyone in West TN, Memphis, that wants some, PM me.....

A good way to get lots of compost (sheap!) is to build lasagna beds or interbay mulch. Can't beat it.

Karen

i second the horse poo votes ...
schlepping truckloads from the local riding stable helps
sculpt my legendary hourglass figure & keeps the veggies happy.

just say feh to gym memberships!

I have used horse manure and sawdust composted in my garden and I get way too much plant and not enough bloom. My radishes are hot and my carrots are bitter. Any ideas out there to make it better. The compost and garden are over 5 years old. I want to grow those big white radishes and it doesn't seen to work.

What about if I add composted cow manure? I saw it at our lowes store. Would that be a good manure to use?