substitute for compost

[wrs1]

Originally Posted by mrkosar

i know how good compost is as a topdressing and everyone makes sure to include it in their suggested organic programs...but what about if you don't have a quality compost supplier near you? or if you do, but you can't apply it to customer's lawns because it is cost prohibitive? then what?

what can i apply as a similar type substitute? most will say compost teas probably right? again, what if you don't have a supplier around you? anything else out there?

Try a product called turfprousa,it is a natural product organic certified naturally high in carbon and humus and other minerals and nutriants and it has natural active biology in it, tested by soil food web, this is active biology with out anything being added to it.
check it out give it a try very good stuff I think Good Luck wrs1

[ICT Bill]

Hey WRS1 (its funny to see those initials because they are mine too)

There is a thread on here about humates, it does some great things but has its place and application

Tom J, has years and years of experience with them

[wrs1]

Originally Posted by ICT Bill

Hey WRS1 (its funny to see those initials because they are mine too)

There is a thread on here about humates, it does some great things but has its place and application

Tom J, has years and years of experience with them

Good morning Ict
those are my initials , lol , I was just trying to offer what I thought was a viable option for not haveing a source of quality compost. at least to get started in the right direction till something else can be found to use.
I like the idea of just old sawdust if nothing else, we have been useing old sawdust for years ( since i was a kid working in the yard for my mom) it was cheap and inexpensive, to plant grass in. it always came in great the grass seed, it gives something for the biology to survive on,the roots to grow threw , it helps retain moisture, it breaks down and returns to the soil, not new sawdust but old it has to be atleast a year old.
anyway not to change subject but I also posted in compost tea I see you have your own product at market and I would like to get some more info from you.
have a good day wrs1

[Tom Jaszewski]

Bill we need to talk....what's a good time and number?

tom@livesoil.com

Tom

[Newby08]

what about Mushroom compost? I've been looking at bulk supply places here in Ga and they all seem to have this stuff but I haven't heard anything from anyone on this site about it. Is this a local type stuff or do yall have it and have any thoughts about it? Also one of the guys said they have Horse manure on hand, but I would think that it will have all kinds of grasses mixed in and weeds along with some possible diseases... am I correct in my assumption?

[ICT Bill]

mushroom compost is a funny thing. you can use it as a base but it should mixed with other composts, it is mostly sterile and some practices in the mushroom industry are not good

[Newby08]

so I take it its not that great of a product for what I want... what about the horse manure?

[ICT Bill]

There is actually a group that represents composters http://www.compostingcouncil.org/index.cfm and has a whole lot of information about composting and people you can get it from

[muddstopper]

Most mushroom compost I have seen is simply a straw/manure based composting material, meaning its isnt completely composted and is usually pretty hot. I like to use it tilled into steril subsoil areas where the original topsoil has been removed. This procedure adds organic material to the soil as well as a good doze of N. I havent had the material checked, but it is usually very biologicaly active and breaks down pretty fast. It also has a pissy manure smell, especially if the pile hasnt been stired in a while. The smell isnt a problem if tilled into the soil, but I dont know how it would be if used as a topdress.

Horse manure is also considered a hot manure, high in N but pretty balanced in P,K levels. I get it fresh from my brothers horse stalls and use in on my garden every year. Coming fresh from the stalles, its mixed with uncomposted wood shaveings. Dont think I would use it in this manner for topdressing a lawn, might be a tad to messy and smelly.

A suggestion I might make is if you have horse manure or mushroom compost readily available, just buy the material and finish composting it yourself before applying it to the lawns. If you compost it completely yourself, you can control the harmful pathogens as well as any potential weed seeds the manures might contain. Also after the material has completly composted, you can add extra beneficial microbes to the mix during application and sell a superior compost product. Might be a bit more work than you want to do, but I thought I would throw the suggestion out there and see what other comments we can generate.

[Newby08]

I might have an idea of where I can do that. How do you finish the composting process? I've never messed with it before but if I can use the space I'm thinking of it might be something I would be interested in.