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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] compost

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Ryan Albinger" <ryalbinger@earthlink.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] compost
  • Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 17:21:58 -0500

Quality compost contains humus. There are techniques and material
formulation that increase the amount of humus compost contains.
Inncoulation with key microbes also has been shown to increase the use
value of "humified" compost.
Compost is not cheap judging by nutrient value or biological content. But
together it offers value. You need different equipment to handle it
compared to rock powders and fertilizers. It takes time, equipment, fuel
to handle the quanity of material to apply. It takes time building
windrows, turning windrows, evaluating when to turn windrows, and managing
the pile. It takes money and time to source and buy materials to balance
the pile and complete the desired nutrient profile of finished product.
Compost is lower cost than the value it provides, but it is expensive. My
estimate for myself is around $105 per ton applied of a nutrient enhanced
compost material. That will provide value to replace other inputs of maybe
$200. That may sound expensive to some.
Ryan


> [Original Message]
> From: TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net>

> According to my information, bacteria do not make humus which holds
> moisture; it's certain myccorrhyzae that form the glomalin that does. And
> that is not formed by compost tea. Maybe there's confusion about terms;
> humus isn't "hauled to the fields", compost or organic matter can be.
> Glomalin which makes humus is formed naturally by most plant roots in
> organic matter soils. In my experience finished compost by itself does
give
> sandy soil more moisture holding capacity and clay better drainage and
> percolation. And I can't understand why people keep telling us how
> expensive compost is - are they actually buying it commercially?







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