I don't know what other people call compost in other areas than Florida, but what I have always made as compost was all old organic materials that have broken down for a year. Compost doesn't have dirt or clay in it at all, it is compost. If you take compost and mix it with dirt, soil, or sand, then it is soil that is amended with compost, which looks like what you have.
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Well ...pretty sure I just got hosed ...
- Thread starter OZZZ
- Start date
I never heard of a compost pile that didn't have soil in it.
But different methods can contain different amounts of soil in it.
In general,a compost pile needs the stuff in soil to break the organics down.
A pile of just organic stuff would probably be real nasty to have in general,even if you used the compost starter sold these days.
Some soils turn into what is referred to as black gold...
Loam soils here turn into black gold,but that isn't made in my area.
The Sacramento Valley and North of here have those soil types.
For centuries sediment built up in those areas to form some of the best soils in the world.
With things as they are,crop rotation is mandatory and with the trend for using non chemical ferts.,a lot of the small,not corporate owned farmers are going organic.
We have Adobe soil here. in the Valley(San Fernando Valley,Ca.).
Our compost would look more like yours does.
A lot of times the compost sold with a larger amount of soil in it is bagged up as Top Soil and sold as such.
Looks like you got commercial grade compost to me.
Bagged stuff is screened a lot of times to remove soil clumps.
Some is even steamed to somewhat sterilize it.
Probably depends on what the guys customers use his compost for.
Did you even notice what the soil looked like in general as you played with the dog?
Would have given you a clue as to what soil would be in the compost pile...
I don't think you got ripped off at all.
The guy used local materials,which in wherever - probably means clay soil.
I lived on the S.Rim of the Grand Canyon.Talk about crap soil.Pine needles and red clay with sand stone and some lime type rocks with sea fossils in it.
As far as straw etc. in it,those materials take longer to break down...could be from any farm animal poop - horse,cows,goats,sheep...
Although some commercial compost makers run their organic matter through a shreader and or screen it to get uniform size (makes for a more uniform end product,everything breaks down faster/at a more even rate).
I wouldn't use rabbit manure fresh from the cage.
I've had problems with ammonia from fresh manure that wasn't dried out first.
Might have been a urine/poop combo problem,I don't know.
But I think it was.
Whenever I saw white slime/stuff in the pile I knew it needed drying.
I don't know what the white stuff was but it seemed it went away as the poop dried out.
I think it had something to do with urine.
I saw it mostly on the poop in cooler temps.-winter/spring.
Didn't see it in late spring or summer.
Rabbit poop is great stuff.Just gotta use dry poop.
It breaks down pretty fast too,turns from pellets to powder in a compost pile fast so it gives a very even distribution through out the pile.
I think why it is so good is because people feed the rabbits Alfalfa or alfalfa pellets.At least the people I knew who raised rabbits.
Alfalfa is REALLY Great for plants and building up soil.
A lot of crop rotations include a winter/season of growing alfalfa to mow then till under.
At least in a LOT of places here.
It binds different stuff to the soil that plants love.
I personally never would again use compost for indoor plants.
Tried it a few times and the soil mixes were too hard to walk the line between getting an even moisture balance, not to mention bugs love moist soils with lots of organics in it.Part of the natural breaking down process I think.
Maybe compost that I used wasn't as old as it should have been or adding it to potting soil made the microbes go wild,I don't know.
Your growing methods and soil mix are probably different than mine.
But different methods can contain different amounts of soil in it.
In general,a compost pile needs the stuff in soil to break the organics down.
A pile of just organic stuff would probably be real nasty to have in general,even if you used the compost starter sold these days.
Some soils turn into what is referred to as black gold...
Loam soils here turn into black gold,but that isn't made in my area.
The Sacramento Valley and North of here have those soil types.
For centuries sediment built up in those areas to form some of the best soils in the world.
With things as they are,crop rotation is mandatory and with the trend for using non chemical ferts.,a lot of the small,not corporate owned farmers are going organic.
We have Adobe soil here. in the Valley(San Fernando Valley,Ca.).
Our compost would look more like yours does.
A lot of times the compost sold with a larger amount of soil in it is bagged up as Top Soil and sold as such.
Looks like you got commercial grade compost to me.
Bagged stuff is screened a lot of times to remove soil clumps.
Some is even steamed to somewhat sterilize it.
Probably depends on what the guys customers use his compost for.
Did you even notice what the soil looked like in general as you played with the dog?
Would have given you a clue as to what soil would be in the compost pile...
I don't think you got ripped off at all.
The guy used local materials,which in wherever - probably means clay soil.
I lived on the S.Rim of the Grand Canyon.Talk about crap soil.Pine needles and red clay with sand stone and some lime type rocks with sea fossils in it.
As far as straw etc. in it,those materials take longer to break down...could be from any farm animal poop - horse,cows,goats,sheep...
Although some commercial compost makers run their organic matter through a shreader and or screen it to get uniform size (makes for a more uniform end product,everything breaks down faster/at a more even rate).
I wouldn't use rabbit manure fresh from the cage.
I've had problems with ammonia from fresh manure that wasn't dried out first.
Might have been a urine/poop combo problem,I don't know.
But I think it was.
Whenever I saw white slime/stuff in the pile I knew it needed drying.
I don't know what the white stuff was but it seemed it went away as the poop dried out.
I think it had something to do with urine.
I saw it mostly on the poop in cooler temps.-winter/spring.
Didn't see it in late spring or summer.
Rabbit poop is great stuff.Just gotta use dry poop.
It breaks down pretty fast too,turns from pellets to powder in a compost pile fast so it gives a very even distribution through out the pile.
I think why it is so good is because people feed the rabbits Alfalfa or alfalfa pellets.At least the people I knew who raised rabbits.
Alfalfa is REALLY Great for plants and building up soil.
A lot of crop rotations include a winter/season of growing alfalfa to mow then till under.
At least in a LOT of places here.
It binds different stuff to the soil that plants love.
I personally never would again use compost for indoor plants.
Tried it a few times and the soil mixes were too hard to walk the line between getting an even moisture balance, not to mention bugs love moist soils with lots of organics in it.Part of the natural breaking down process I think.
Maybe compost that I used wasn't as old as it should have been or adding it to potting soil made the microbes go wild,I don't know.
Your growing methods and soil mix are probably different than mine.
millworkman
eXtreme
I agree with some others. That stuff looks pretty good.
I appreciate the input everyone.
Al - I the rabbit poo I used was "pretty" fresh. Keep in mind though I recycle my soil and let it cook for a month or even two sometimes ..in plastic bins. I have several large bins. When I harvest I break up the rootballs and soil in the pots roots and all. Then I take another bin and mix it with 1/3 castings, 1/3 perilite and use 1/3 of that old soil. I amend with tomato tone or other ammendments (in the past I've used blood/bone/kelp meals) then water it down with an ACT and let it set. By the time I need it all the old stray leaves and rootballs are completely broken down.
So when I used the rabbit poo it went through that process too but it was fresh when it got mixed.
I just mixed my next batch up. 5 gallons of rabbit poo, 2.5 gallons unfinished vermicompost (still has bits of paper and cardboard in it), 7 gallons recycled soil and 7 gallons perilite. I added tomato tone at 1 cup per 5 gallons, then some local volcanic sand that I get naturally outdoors around here @1 cup per 5 gallons. Watered it down with 4 gallons frothy ACT and its now setting in the bins for probably another two months before I need it. When I get around to using it there won't be any trace of cardboard or paper ...it will heat up and finish in the bins. There's often rouge escapee red wigglers in there too that I missed when I harvested the worm castings. I expect it will be an awesome mix. Everything I add that much organic material the grow goes flawless.
As for this compost I had an area that needed tended too badly. last summer I planted about 5 berry bushes against one side of the house and yesterday I noticed they are starting to bud out but were surrounded by weeds and grass remnants ...I weeded the area and made a bed / border with a spare pile of river rock and used 6 wheel burrows full in there.
After I got digging in it its not bad at all...still wouldnt use it indoors in my pots but worked out well for that outdoor bed. looks great! It was pretty fluffy for the most part and full of orgAnic matter - some of which wasn't broken down but that doesn't matter now that its outdoors. should work well there. Next week ill grab some mulch and mulch over it but for now the compost is acting as mulch so all is well...
I was just pissy from the day I had previously I think lol. Well...that and now that I have this rabbit poo I have the organic material I need for my containers so all my bases are covered.
Al - I the rabbit poo I used was "pretty" fresh. Keep in mind though I recycle my soil and let it cook for a month or even two sometimes ..in plastic bins. I have several large bins. When I harvest I break up the rootballs and soil in the pots roots and all. Then I take another bin and mix it with 1/3 castings, 1/3 perilite and use 1/3 of that old soil. I amend with tomato tone or other ammendments (in the past I've used blood/bone/kelp meals) then water it down with an ACT and let it set. By the time I need it all the old stray leaves and rootballs are completely broken down.
So when I used the rabbit poo it went through that process too but it was fresh when it got mixed.
I just mixed my next batch up. 5 gallons of rabbit poo, 2.5 gallons unfinished vermicompost (still has bits of paper and cardboard in it), 7 gallons recycled soil and 7 gallons perilite. I added tomato tone at 1 cup per 5 gallons, then some local volcanic sand that I get naturally outdoors around here @1 cup per 5 gallons. Watered it down with 4 gallons frothy ACT and its now setting in the bins for probably another two months before I need it. When I get around to using it there won't be any trace of cardboard or paper ...it will heat up and finish in the bins. There's often rouge escapee red wigglers in there too that I missed when I harvested the worm castings. I expect it will be an awesome mix. Everything I add that much organic material the grow goes flawless.
As for this compost I had an area that needed tended too badly. last summer I planted about 5 berry bushes against one side of the house and yesterday I noticed they are starting to bud out but were surrounded by weeds and grass remnants ...I weeded the area and made a bed / border with a spare pile of river rock and used 6 wheel burrows full in there.
After I got digging in it its not bad at all...still wouldnt use it indoors in my pots but worked out well for that outdoor bed. looks great! It was pretty fluffy for the most part and full of orgAnic matter - some of which wasn't broken down but that doesn't matter now that its outdoors. should work well there. Next week ill grab some mulch and mulch over it but for now the compost is acting as mulch so all is well...
I was just pissy from the day I had previously I think lol. Well...that and now that I have this rabbit poo I have the organic material I need for my containers so all my bases are covered.
