Texasrockgarden, I didn't know there was a gardenville in San Marcos. We've been using the ones in San Antonio for years because we go there often. Malcolm Beck is fun person to talk to and very good source of practical information on organics. He is usually at the Evans road location. He told us they use sand from the Poteet area in their rose soil to increase the acidity.
What type of compost would you buy?
silverfluter
The San Marcos Gardenville is on rr12 on the West side of town.
Can someone explain the purpose of the molasses? This is the first I've heard of using it in compost.
You can check with Round Rock Gardens at 901 Sam Bass. or call them at 512 - 255 - 3353 . They carry Soil Therapy Compost. Happy Gardening !
Very well put Coco.:)
I went to Garden-Ville in San Marcos yesterday to pick up a Central Texas Vegetable and Herb Planting Calendar, a small Coir Brick, and 5 lbs. of Garden-Ville's Rocket Fuel. I will start seeding in a couple weeks and will put a pinch of the Rocket Fuel under each seed.
While I was there, I took the opportunity to look closely at all the different bulk soils, sands, rocks, composts and mulches. After looking at there GV Compost and picking up several hands full, I will definitely use this for my garden. It costs $28.95 per yard and one yard makes a nice load in the bed of my P/U....easy for me to handle.
If there are any potters or ceramists reading this thread, please go to http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/934068/ and voice your support for a Pottery and Ceramic Forum.
Inspired by this thread I decided to try composting oak leaves again this fall. This time I did everything by suggested by in most composting literature. I used shredded leaves and as a source of nitrogen I used coffee ground from Starbucks (they give it away). I turned the pile every week or two and now its pretty much ready. I can't believe how fast it composted! And it is free! This is all stuff that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
Yes, compost is truly wonderful.
Josephine.
Horticultural molasses might be the best, but I've read you can also use cheaper plain white sugar. The sugar provides the basic "food/fuel" nutrients for the beneficial bacteria to thrive.
I do agree that the carbon-nitrogen ratio levels are important in breaking down the oak leaves quicker, and turning or aerating the compost pile does help a lot. It does take a while to break them down in a compost pile. Generally, I just turn the oak leaves into the soil. After the deluge of the Feb/Mar leaf and tassel fall, I hit them with the mower and dump them on top of the beds. Then I cover with mulch later in the spring for the summer heat. The bacteria and worms will do the hard work and they are gone by the fall..
About Vermiculite-Perlite - Expanded shale is a fairly new product I've used that is really helpful and replaces both of these. It's not as cheap as those two, but is ideal for beds and potted plants. Will last about ten years in the beds, provides water absorption, air and helps keeps the soil loose. Ideal in heavy clay beds. The A&M experiments with side by side plantings of soil and a soil and shale mix are amazing.
Gypsum - go by any local construction site and pick up pieces of drywall/plaster board. Take out your frustrations and bust it up into smaller pieces, then mix them into the soil paper included.
Chuck
Since I can't have a compost pile here - don't ask why just believe me - I was wondering if Walmart, HD, or Lowes has something called compost (or whatever) that I can put on my beds just as a sort of mulch. I have lots of pine needles and I am thinking that compost on top of those would result in some really good mulch. I need something that comes in bags that can be put in the trunk of my car. In the past I have used composted cow manure but Jim objected to that. Guess it wasn't composted enough. I want to improve the soil as far as my being able to dig in it. The stuff we have is acidic enough but it's just not diggable.
Ann
Ann, you are kinda confusing me as to what you want, but there are non-animal sources of compost. Look for Mushroom (which I suppose COULD have a little horse manure in it) or Cotton Burr.
Could you have a composting tumbler (like Envirocycle) at your place? Mine works pretty well and never smells unless I src3w up and put something wrong in it.(only did that twice)
http://www.livingearth.net/living_earth.html
This is where I got the Texas soil last year. Was like Jack in the Beanstalk to my plants.
Contained: Texas green sand, lava sand, native hardwood mulch.
I also added dried molasses from the feed store...real cheap.
Thanks for your answer. Can't have ANY type of composter/compost pile here. Will seek another avenue for the answer I need.
Ann
LouC, thanks for your response. I may go that route. Will have to see.
Ann
Ann I have found that cotton burr compost, sold in a bag works great. Sometimes I add other stuff to it too like alfafa pellets, but its not necessary. I've found that I get lots of earth worms when I use it and plants love it. This year I am going to try and get DH to use his trailer and buy it by the bulk to save money, but I have always bought it by the bag in the past. If you have a lot of beds, it could get costly. I think the cheapest I have found it is around $5 a bag (pretty good sized bag).
Good luck,
Patty
Just wanted to add that the "dirt" company is all organic and based in Houston. Has more Houston locations than anywhere, even has a mixture just for the Houston area.
thanx for posting that link LouC - I think they will 'recycle' some limbs I need to trim off my cypress!
Carl
Carl, did you see the part where they actually bag a product called "Arlington Mulch"? Puts the natural hardwoods right back where they started the way nature does.
Hope you find it is useful as I have.
Christi
And they have Houston Mulch in the Houston area.
I saw Dallas Soil or something - but it appears Lowes only carries a limited number of products and it isn't clear if they have a 'retail' store at their Arlington facility or a commercial distribution center/w'ever.
i may call them.
Carl
Hey Christi do you know what the green sand is for? We don't have anything like what you guys can find in the bigger cities. I did see a fertilizer at two of the local nurseries down here and what caught my eye was that is contained fish humus. It also had green sand and I wasn't sure what that is for. It was pricey like $25 a bag. I know regular sand helps with drainage but why the green sand and the lava sand versus a regular sand? Does this make sense? I know RJ talks about using lava sand. Down here I have never seen it sold. This is the first time I have seen green sand.
Possibly you can find it at Lowe's. When I just need one or two bags that is where I get it.
It is called Texas Green Sand and is supposed to be full of iron. Guess I really need to research it more. The Lava Sand is also at Lowe's. Another I need to research. In that the islands are all lava and grow the most beautiful plants of the world, got to be something special. Those who visited my garden last summer were astounded as was I. We had purchased 8 cu. yds. and had the yard crew deliver and spread it. When the weather is more stable we are considering doing it again this year. We have hard black clay on top of caliche and have been trying to change it for 40 years. This was the absolute best of any. Sometimes I get mushroom compost at Lowes too.
I found this info on green sand
http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/greensand.html
I couldn't an article on greensand, I must be thinking of this article http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/727/
Here is another: www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=488
This message was edited Jan 27, 2009 1:21 PM
www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=488
This message was edited Jan 27, 2009 1:24 PM
Well, I'm sorry I can't get the link to work. Go to Dirt Doctor and ask about TEXAS green sand.
The first link worked for me; I just read the article. I sure hope my Lowe's carries it. I don't recall ever seeing it there, but this sounds like good stuff.
I have found feed stores to be more willing to order organic stuff than anybody else. I bought lava sand once at Lowes and found it to be full of rocks, not lava rocks either. Most feed stores are more likely to listen to customer requests than Walmart and places like that. If people asking for things they don't have they'll begin to get the idea that there's a market out there they can tap into. If you have other gardener friends you might try ganging up on a particular feed store and let them know what you're looking for. Phughes what bigger town are you close to? I have no idea where Portland is.
I have heard Howard Garrett say that the best defense against non-native ants of any kind is good healthy fertile soil. Green sand and lava sand are probably good ideas, but I think even if you have those something like alfalfa pellets to mix in the dirt or alfalfa tea once a month would help a lot.
This is such a long thread that I can't remember what all has been said already. Hope I'm not repeating something somebody else said already.
Lucky for me the Lowe's nearest is also near the "dirt yard" of Living Earth and buy from them. The Living Earth nearest my home only sells in cubic yards. I can't always have a way to move that much. Guess your experience illustrates what we all know...all things described are not necessarily the same.
I am in South Texas near Corpus Christi. Portland is less than 10 miles from CC. We have a WM and one pitiful nursery in my town. Lucky for me that the surrounding towns have Lowe's and HD and bigger, nicer nurseries. I still find that I love to go to Houston to plant shop and usually plan at least one trip in the spring.
Do you have feed stores in Portland? You may have to stock up on stuff when you go to Houston.
None in Portland, but in surrounding area.
Silver has a really good point about feed stores. Most organic amendments such as molasses, alfalfa, kelp, and minerals are sold as livestock fodder or farming. I wouldn't be surprised if specialty organic nurseries bought from feed stores and doubled their prices on some items. It could be, they just don't order as much as feed stores do and are unable to match prices. Even veggie seeds are about 1/4 the cost of larger stores. Think of feed store amendments as adding manure to the garden without running feed through the animal first ;0)
I've bought my alfafa pellets at a feed store or sometimes at Turf and Irrigation in Corpus. I used to work in Rockport (about 25 miles from me) and they had a great feed store where I could get a lot my amendments. When I go plant shopping in that area, I stop by and pick up a few things.
I'll have to take issue with Garrett about the good soil/bad soil and non-native ants. In my experience in Central, South and North Texas, it seems they prefer bad soil only because it is harder and holds better for their underground tunnels and center core. A good loose crumbly soil with a lot of organic material or humus will not hold up to the weight of large mounds as easily.
Fire ants preferably locate their mounds next to existing structures like walls, rocks, objects and curbs that provide strength, but also ones that hold heat. The primary preference for fire ants is sun and some moisture to incubate the eggs. I've found them in any type of soil though. They much prefer the rocks or curbs around my beds with a Southern exposure just for that reason.
The bigger cities have all started mulching programs to handle the yard waste materials, and will gladly sell you yards of the stuff at much cheaper prices than bags, or even companies like Living Earth (LETCO). They also use it to mulch city parks and other uses for themselves. Plano, TX and the allied cities started Plano Pure products and sell it at the local Wal Marts.
I just picked up 4 yds for under a $100 (3 compost - $26 /1 brown colored mulch $22). I used the compost for topdressing shaded areas under the trees and on beds. Topdressing is great for established lawns, but I preferred the compost for the higher ratio of humus in the more barren areas.
What I also like about buying from them is their one yard is more like a yard and a half. They all but give it away.
Chuck
Hello Chuck, you are so informative and write so well, is your line of work related to gardening? Just curious.
Josephine.
I wondered also, Josephine.
Christi
Here too, what about it Chuck...inquiring minds want to know? LOL!
I worked for a city venue that had a lot of equestrian shows; we did business with LETCO in Pineland TX. They picked up our stall waste by-products, mega loads of it and we paid them to do it! I wasn't aware they sold mulch to individuals. They were great people to work with on my end, and the facility has been on contract with them for many years.
I really like the cotton burr compost. The mushroom compost works great, but is a bit pricey. I most recently used the cow manure. When using any bagged compost, I like it to sit in the garage for a year so more grass/weed seeds die off. I have a small yard, so I just use compost, blood meal, epson salts, bone meal, alfalfa, green sand, etc for additives. When I started using compost to fertilize the grass, I noticed a lot of weeds popping up. By keeping the compost in the garage for a year is one way to decrease your chance of weed seeds, etc.