compost quality

[AKmark]

You can add this to Worth's nice post explaining fertilizer components, but you will find they do calculate in the atomic weight of oxygen, so you P and K ratios are not quite what they appear to be. You also can have different N that is really a big deal when you increase strengths of your sauce

A (20-20-20) fertilizer is not equal parts N:K.
P and K are calculated as P2O5 and K2O.
The label factors in the atomic weight of oxygen

P is 43.6% of what is labeled.

P=31 O=16.

P2O5 = (2 x 31) + (5 x 16) = 142.
P = (2 x 31)=62.
62/142 = 43.6% P in P2O5.


K is 83% of what is labeled.

K=39 O=16.

K2O = (2 x 39) + (16) = 94.
K = (2 x 39)=78.
78/94 = 83% K in K2O.
More fun to digest

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AKmark

You can add this to Worth's nice post explaining fertilizer components, but you will find they do calculate in the atomic weight of oxygen, so you P and K ratios are not quite what they appear to be. You also can have different N that is really a big deal when you increase strengths of your sauce

A (20-20-20) fertilizer is not equal parts N:K.
P and K are calculated as P2O5 and K2O.
The label factors in the atomic weight of oxygen

P is 43.6% of what is labeled.

P=31 O=16.

P2O5 = (2 x 31) + (5 x 16) = 142.
P = (2 x 31)=62.
62/142 = 43.6% P in P2O5.


K is 83% of what is labeled.

K=39 O=16.

K2O = (2 x 39) + (16) = 94.
K = (2 x 39)=78.
78/94 = 83% K in K2O.
More fun to digest

I am no fertilizer expert by far.

One thing I can say is my neighbor uses the wrong nitrogen fertilizer for his yard.
He rakes his grass and leaves up and waters with city water.
He sprays poison on it that kills about everything big enough to die.
Urea nitrate breaks down by way of micro organisms he and the chlorine water has killed.
The dividing line between his place and mine are totally different.
My soil now has about one inch of nice dark soil on top.
His is hard red clay.
Most of the dry weather cracks in the soil stop at this boundary line.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by AKmark

You can add this to Worth's nice post explaining fertilizer components, but you will find they do calculate in the atomic weight of oxygen, so you P and K ratios are not quite what they appear to be. You also can have different N that is really a big deal when you increase strengths of your sauce

A (20-20-20) fertilizer is not equal parts N:K.
P and K are calculated as P2O5 and K2O.
The label factors in the atomic weight of oxygen

P is 43.6% of what is labeled.

P=31 O=16.

P2O5 = (2 x 31) + (5 x 16) = 142.
P = (2 x 31)=62.
62/142 = 43.6% P in P2O5.


K is 83% of what is labeled.

K=39 O=16.

K2O = (2 x 39) + (16) = 94.
K = (2 x 39)=78.
78/94 = 83% K in K2O.
More fun to digest

That is right.
They say "avaialable" phosphate and and soluble Potash:
Here is an example : MG 24-8- 16 all purpose

[AKmark]

I think some of you may enjoy this, there is a lot of good info. . At the end is animal manure sources listed.
http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/supp...ium_basics.htm

[True Timbers]

Good link... AKmark
Never considered my low K impacting N fixation of legume cover crops.... Cool!

Worth.. Great story!

[Worth1]

Many many moons ago I used to be able to buy real honest to god sheep manure from the store.
The stuff they sell now looks like it was scraped off the bottom of a wet mud hole.
What is wrong?
Worth.

[Gardeneer]

In GA I used to get composted horse manure, Free. I had to load my truck, as much as I wanted, ..Come back for more If I needed more.
That was my BEST compost experience.

[sjamesNorway]

Originally Posted by jillian

What a wealth of information here, thanks everyone! Please keep it coming, I am like a sponge absorbing it all. I love the whole composting process, especially when it is done and ready to be sifted.
This year it was so hot and dry and there was just no grass to mow. I do not have access to any type manure, so I had to think of another nitrogen source and here in the south there is an abundance....of.........the dreaded KUDZU. I did some web searches and found where some had used it (there was even someone here at tv). My daughter was about to be swallowed up by it so I collected a truck load, there were no seed pods at that time to worry about thankfully.
I shredded it and added to the compost bin. I was very excited when the pile heated up and started steaming. That compost was finished in a few weeks. And the garden loved it. No kudzu growing, hallejuah. But I will probably not do it again, quite a bit of effort.
I have a pile going now that I may add some alfafa pellets to, I have added blood meal and coffee grounds as well as vegetation but it has not heated up. And I do turn it and keep it moist. Maybe I should not be so impatient? lol I know it will get there eventually.
As far as huge wall of leaves I have in the back yard, I keep it moist and have added vegetation, food scraps, and blood meal. Not sure about using the blood meal now but it is already there so hopefully will be alright.
Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

I wonder if you have enough "browns" (carbon) in your bin. You should have about 2 parts greens (nitrogen) to one part browns in volume. You could use some of the leaves from your back yard for browns. Other browns are: straw, sawdust (from non-treated wood!), wood chips, torn newspaper, and bark fines.

Steve

[jillian]

Steve, I have many maple and oak trees so I always have an abundance of leaves. I have pine trees as well and I add a small amount of shredded pine needles. I never have to be concerned about having enough brown/carbon, it is the nitrogen source I lack. Very hot and dry summers means no grass to mow. And I could never produce enough food scraps to suffice.
Maybe next year I will just have to seek out a good source of manure, lol.

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by sjamesNorway

I wonder if you have enough "browns" (carbon) in your bin. You should have about 2 parts greens (nitrogen) to one part browns in volume. You could use some of the leaves from your back yard for browns. Other browns are: straw, sawdust (from non-treated wood!), wood chips, torn newspaper, and bark fines.

Steve

I think it's the other way around Steve, 30 parts carbon to ONE part nitrogen. At least that is what is written in one of my favourite books on the subject "Let it Rot" by Stu Campbell.

It seems amazing to have that much brown stuff and I know that my own compost is heavy on the nitrogen since it's mostly kitchen waste with the occasional (saved) brown leaves thrown in. It degrades just fine and I'm in no hurry to harvest it.

Linda

[jillian]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

I think it's the other way around Steve, 30 parts carbon to ONE part nitrogen. At least that is what is written in one of my favourite books on the subject "Let it Rot" by Stu Campbell.

It seems amazing to have that much brown stuff and I know that my own compost is heavy on the nitrogen since it's mostly kitchen waste with the occasional (saved) brown leaves thrown in. It degrades just fine and I'm in no hurry to harvest it.

Linda

This is my understanding as well, I have never read or heard of anyone using 2 parts green to 1 part brown

Indeed it is amazing to have all the brown that I do, I love my trees! This summer it was so hot and dry that the leaves turned brown and began to fall early August.

[sjamesNorway]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

I think it's the other way around Steve, 30 parts carbon to ONE part nitrogen. At least that is what is written in one of my favourite books on the subject "Let it Rot" by Stu Campbell.

It seems amazing to have that much brown stuff and I know that my own compost is heavy on the nitrogen since it's mostly kitchen waste with the occasional (saved) brown leaves thrown in. It degrades just fine and I'm in no hurry to harvest it.

Linda

Hi Linda! You're correct, but it's my understanding that what we call "greens" actually have quite a bit of carbon - chemically. See this chart from Planet Natural:

http://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/c-n-ratio/

I read somewhere that to get a chemical C:N ratio of 30:1, you need a "ball park" ratio of 1 part browns to 2 parts greens by volume. For all I know, this may be incorrect, and I'd be happy for any expert advice. It has, however, worked fine for me in my insulated composter.

Steve

[Labradors2]

Great link Steve. Thanks for posting!

How stupid of me to think that things are either nitrogen or carbon. No wonder my composter works well no matter what I put in it (emphasizing that there's never too much of any one item - except for the windfall apples in the fall).

Everything has carbon in it, so we don't really need to stress too much about correct proportions. I probably read that way back when, and then forgot..........

Linda