I need compost for my garden this year. I have a large pile but it will not be well composted in time. Where can I find like a trailer load of it at a cheap price or free? A place 24 miles from us charges 10 per yard. I also need top soil but will have to buy that also. I do not have a whole lot of money. Bummer.
Please let me know if you can help out in any way. I need a lot of advice. I have some goat manure that is not well composted but it is said to be able to go on a garden fresh and not harm plants. I will be picking up some more manure in a week or so.
2007-04-06 05:45:12 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Contact your local sanitation district. That's right, the sewer people. Sludge is about the only bio solid material that you can get for free. The only reason it's free is because no one wants it. You're actually paying for it, though (with your tax dollars).
Do peel your carrots and radishes before eating them......
Compost takes a lot of work to produce on a mass basis. Large pieces of equipment are needed to grind, turn and process compost. Loading and trucking are expensive.. with fuel costs escalating, they are likely to get even MORE expensive. To expect to get this all for free isn't reasonable.
That considered, $10 per yard is a DEAL!
2007-04-06 06:09:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Where to buy it now, I don't know. But for the future you can build your own. And if you know anyone in the restaurant business, you can maybe work out an agreement where they put all vegetable scraps in a bin for you to pick up on a regualr basis. If you've got the time and muscle, you can make huge amounts of compost for free! You wouldn't believe how many fruit and vegetable scraps restaurants throw away on a daily basis (and I'm talking about prep in the kitchen, stuff that went bad before it could be served, and cooked vegetables thrown away at the end of the day, *not* gross stuff that came off someone's plate.) Look into vermiculture (composting with worms.) It's a lot less work than traditional composting which requires a lot of turning.
P.S. I would be careful using uncomposted manure on food crops. E-coli, salmanella, etc. Yuk! Plus, you could die.
2007-04-06 07:30:12 · answer #2 · answered by what's with that 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Be careful using fresh manure, it can burn your plants up pretty quick. $10 per yard is about 1/2 what I'm paying for composted cow manure. Contact your county commisioner. They are often in need of places to dispose of excess soil. If there is a feedlot or dairy anywhere in your area check there. I can get uncomposted feedlot manure for about $25 for an 8 yard truckload.
2007-04-06 06:17:06 · answer #3 · answered by J P 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes you can stop by a construction site where they are removing dirt from the site and if you live near by you can get a load a whole lot cheaper. I did this and got 10 dump trucks full for $200.
The compost might be a city thing our city has compost piles for city residents only and it's free.
2007-04-06 06:04:54 · answer #4 · answered by LucySD 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No offense in this,,, and JP I hope you read this. TY for the comment to my Q. I noticed 3 negs to a valid answer about where to get fabric, which you also answered. Sigh.
To answer this as best I can.... I'm an old time, long time farmer, and JP is most correct. care in choosing will keep you from burning anything you use compost for.
Obviously you might consider a BIN of your own, especially for small ongoing projects. I found RABBITS to be my best source.
I suggest go with your Goat (Gut) forgive any Pun, but try it in an area where you can check its affect/effect first.
Steven Wolf
JP keep in touch
2007-04-06 06:25:54 · answer #5 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Sears
2007-04-06 05:54:39 · answer #6 · answered by Kiera Bruce 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋