Organic Composting
Landscape Ideas Dallas: Organic Compost by Dallas Curb Appeal Landscape Contractor Maria Bargellini
Organic compost has to be carefully constructed with materials that have not been exposed to chemicals. Do not use lawn or plant clippings if you use synthetic fertilizers, especially if you are planning to use the compost for your vegatables.
The spring and fall seasons offer tons of great material for your compost pile but be careful when accepting “contributions” for outside sources, including animal manure.
You are what you eat and if you use manure from an animal that has been fed medications like antibiotics those same chemicals will be introduced into your compost pile.
Manure is not currently regulated by an agency. There aren’t any guidelines for handling and distribution of manure.
- Animal Manure: Commercially raised animals may be fed growth hormones, medications, synthetically produced grains, or chemically treated grass. Unless the animal is organically raised and or you trust the source you should not use it.
- Pets Manure: Using the manure created by meat eating pets is not a good idea for your compost pile. It can contain harmful pathogens. If you want to recycle this manure use it in trench composting or in a flower garden-never in a food producing garden
- Humanureor (Human waste Manure): I don’t know about you but with decades of birth control and anti this and that I am not using anyone’s left over cr@@@. I don’t even know if I would use my own.
For more on Humanure click here to view and download for free, Joeseph C. Jenkins The Humanure Handbook A guide to composting human manure.
The City of Denton sells compost created using human waste. For more information on Dyno Dirt Compost by the City of Denton click here.
The only way to get the best organic compost is to maintain an organic garden and make composts yourself with materials from your own garden.