i am presently preparing a new perennial bed. i want to use my well-rotted compost but about a year ago clippings from a lawn that had weed 'n feed applied ended up in the compost. is this compost useable?
Herbicides in compost will affect seedlings more than mature plants. Test the compost by sprouting some peas or beans and checking to see whether there is any deformity in the plants. If not, then fill your bed.
It will be a great day when garden herbicides are removed from the market. I consider them a blight- My view.
How does one know when compost is well-rotted? Is it by length of time or is it by the appearance of the compost? Thanks
What a good and simple answer! I will check out the compost in my containers. Just in case, what if is not 'done?" What does it need?
More time..... Watering it & mixing it with a pitchfork every ~10 days will increase the decomposition rate.
Practical Composting. http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?WRHWG 20 June 2008 Practical Composting. All garden waste is chopped into small pieces and placed in the composting bin. A bin must be readily accessible for placing waste into, and also for ease of removing, plus convenient for mixing. A block and a machete will suffice for chopping if the quantity doesn't warrant the expense of a chipper/shredder. The bin is rototilled for mixing purposes periodically. All vegetation is added until the Fall season, and left to brew until Spring, then put onto the garden beds. It takes a lot of vegetation to make any reasonable quantity of compost. Urban compost initiatives are about selling silly containers, rather than a practical aim. From my 0.4 acre of garden the compost quantity is about four cubic yards, for all practical purposes almost nothing. Kitchen vegetative waste should NEVER be put into an urban compost pile. It stinks, attracts rodents and insects, and is such a small quantity as to be useless. Never turn a well working compost pile. Let it finish brewing then mix. http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?APEVH 20 April 2008 Practical composting and use. All vegetation is chopped on a block with a machette, or put through the chipper/shreddeer to make small pieces. This facilitates the brewing of the vegetation. The open end pile is easy to service for turning over, and for removing for placing on the garden beds. Five wheelbarrel loads were put on this bed and worked in with the Honda FG110 tiller. The effort from start to finish took one hour. Note: Eight wheelbarrow full are about one cubic yard.
I didn't realize how lucky I am! I have very little space and have 2 of the round tumblers. I dump everything in them (except meat stuff) and only cut things if they don't fit in the opening and tumble when I remember. With this I get good finished compost every 2 months or so. The weather must have something to do with it!
