Can I do a grow in nothing but compost?

PhoenixFlower · May 9, 2023

Title.

My city is giving away free compost, I could get it all for free. Why pay for hardware store dirt if I can get it for free?

Does it need other amendments like spagnum or can I just run a 100% compost grow?

Oldchucky · May 10, 2023

Compost is an amendment. But maybe you can grow something in it. Fuck if I know! I just added to soil to improve the soil.

sambapati · May 10, 2023

Oldchucky said:
Compost is an amendment. But maybe you can grow something in it. Fuck if I know! I just added to soil to improve the soil.

I plead the 5th amendment I will not answer but you probably can add biochar, perlite, azomite, rice husks, crushed oyster shells and bat/rat/chicken you know....I wish someone strong would come help me turn my compost pile....he said feebly.

BigBlonde · May 10, 2023

PhoenixFlower said:
My city is giving away free compost, I could get it all for free. Why pay for hardware store dirt if I can get it for free?

We have free compost where I live, too. I have thought about using it for cannabis, but decided against it. My thinking is that we don't know what's in it. It's usually made from plant matter that's collected from the community. It probably shouldn't be used for anything that's ingested. I think it's best used for landscaping.

PhoenixFlower said:
Does it need other amendments like spagnum or can I just run a 100% compost grow?

Plants grow well in compost. It's essential in nature. I make compost for my flower garden. It looks and feels like dark, rich soil. I doubt it has all the nutrients cannabis needs. So, even though I have some that I made myself, I use Fox Farm soil with amendments.

sambapati · May 10, 2023

BigBlonde said:
We have free compost where I live, too. I have thought about using it for cannabis, but decided against it. My thinking is that we don't know what's in it. It's usually made from plant matter that's collected from the community. It probably shouldn't be used for anything that's ingested. I think it's best used for landscaping.

Plants grow well in compost. It's essential in nature. I make compost for my flower garden. It looks and feels like dark, rich soil. I doubt it has all the nutrients cannabis needs. So, even though I have some that I made myself, I use Fox Farm soil with amendments.

At a very cool garden in pyin oo lywin myanmar they burned compost before using it on their plants and orchids. British occupying soldiers built this replica of Kew Gardens and a local took over when they left. Gorgeous orchids, lots of separation so people weren't crowded together.

Zill · May 10, 2023

PF,
You may find with compost that it is difficult to switch the plants from vegetative growth, leafy growth to a flowering stage. If they grow in luxurious levels of rotting vegetable matter they may stay vegetative and not produce many flowers.

The one comment about nasty compost contaminants is a valid concern.

Zill.

BigBlonde · May 10, 2023

Zill said:
rotting vegetable matter

Good compost is rotted vegetable matter. Note the use of the past tense.

BigBlonde · May 10, 2023

sambapati said:
At a very cool garden in pyin oo lywin myanmar they burned compost before using it on their plants and orchids. British occupying soldiers built this replica of Kew Gardens and a local took over when they left. Gorgeous orchids, lots of separation so people weren't crowded together.

That does sound very cool. I have never even thought of burning compost, so I'll do some research about it.

In the past, I've mixed compost with clay. That adds micronutrients to the mix. Clay by itself is hard to farm, but with added compost it can become great soil. I added composted horse manure to clay in the past. I don't have the garden space for it now.

Zill · May 10, 2023

Noted. But until it’s rendered to H2O and CO2 it’s rotting.

BigBlonde · May 10, 2023

Zill said:
Noted. But until it’s rendered to H2O and CO2 it’s rotting.

There's a lot more to compost than water and carbon dioxide.

BigBlonde · May 10, 2023

Here's a picture of some of my "home-grown" compost. This picture was taken near the top of the pile. This part of the pile still has more composting to do. We have many soft wood trees here and I try to keep them out of the compost because they're acidic. Some of it gets in there despite my efforts. As you can see, it looks a lot like soil. That's because it basically is soil. I included some of the volunteer plants in the picture that are growing in it. They like it. I'll eventually turn the pile and they'll be composted, too. When the pile is ready, I plan to use it for a flower bed.

BudgetGrower · May 10, 2023

I do really well in basic compost with a top dress week 3 and 5 in flower.

Can I do a grow in nothing but compost?

Can I do a grow in nothing but compost?

PhoenixFlower

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