Need some compost info

17 years ago

Will the bagged cow manure compost they have at the bigbox stores add microbes and microbial activity back into the soil enough for a quick after-fungus-treated issue last fall solution ... or am I gonna have to get some chicken/turkey/cow/horse HOT compost locally to do this? I'd prefer to do this the easy way right now from the bigbox store, and get the real stuff in the fall. The fungus problem I had last fall to treat really zapped the soil in parts where there was heavy runoff from tropical rains.

I know the truck delivered stuff is much better, but I wasn't sure if the compost process for the store brand was such that it would be beneficial enough to the soil, as opposed to fresh compost delivered from the garden center on the truck? I really don't have room for that, and my neighbors wouldn't even know what I was talking about.

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Comments (3)

transplanted2scin07
17 years ago
Jim
What will you be growing in the area referred to? How large is the area?

For small areas, if there is any other soil (or a compost pile) on your property that was not treated, you should be able to mix it with the bagged compost from the box store. Get both cow manure and mushroom compost. The existing, untreated soil will have microbes that will multiply rapidly when mixed with the bagged compost.

For large areas, go ahead and get the good stuff trucked in and spread it now. Mix thoroughly into the existing area. If the trucked in stuff has not been composted, you'd be better off waiting to plant until next Spring.
dottie_in_charlotte
17 years ago
I agree. That hot stuff needs more cooking. Mixing it with the existing soil now will stop the composting process and you can wind up with other problems with anaerobic bacteria and difficulties getting micronutrients and fertilizer additives to absorb and be taken up by what you plant.
The bagged stuff at the big box stores is little better than the bagged soil conditioners. Good for loosening your soil but will float right away if you try to use bagged compost for a top dressing. If you're talking about a fairly large soil area needing help, you might consider renting a cement mixer to mix the amendments with the existing soil.
I still could consider getting a smaller quantity of the hot stuff. Get it into an elevated composter and add the drys and the greens and draw off the manure/compost tea to water the area you're trying to rehab.
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jimtnc
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks folks. No, this is just a several small areas I'm talking about down one side of my house where heavy rain runoff has caused fungal problems I had to treat. I have a small trench that runs the length of my fence from the very back of the backyard down past my house on one side that generally is where all the heavy rain runoff goes.

I've not done anything about it since it takes the heavy water away from the house, but now the trench is getting slightly deeper than I would like and some soil runoff is also occuring.

The areas around there are the areas that I had to treat for fungal condiions. The trees on the other side of the fence have grown so tall (100') that in fall with heavy rains and shade makes for a really bad damp fungal situation. It's not been like that for over 15 years when I started treating the soil then, so he I go again.