# Compost question



## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

When I top dress the lawn, I always lay a 60% compost 40% sand blend. I mix it myself usually from bulk material.

In years past, I have gotten bulk compost from a supplier about an hour away from my house (I also make my own but it's not enough to top dress). But I have a compost source much closer to my house - the city where I live actually does curbside pickup of all yard waste, such as grass clippings, leaves, trees, etc. They take the trees to the dump and run them through a shredder, then mix everything into compost piles. I've seen the final compost, it looks normal.

Long story short, the city actually will load you down with as much of this compost as you want with their front end loader. For free. I have traveled to the private compost site in the past because it is guaranteed weed free. The city source is less than 10 minutes away, but My reservation in going there is mostly the potential to bring foreign weeds into my yard or have residual herbicide that will harm my grass type.

Anyone have any thoughts?


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I've shared my thoughts in the past. 1)go now and see if the pile is hot, 2) grab a sample and have it tested as compost (not soil). They might have their own test, so ask for those too.


----------



## jabopy (Nov 24, 2018)

I know I'm a long long way from you but our town always composted garden waste that people took to the tip. In the past I used to buy, they sold the compost in large bags, but after getting weeds appearing I stopped buying it. Now they also include kitchen waste in the mix so I'm definitely not getting any of that. I do buy from a farmer 10 miles away who stocks sand/soil and grit, and he will mix top dressing for to your specifications.


----------



## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

g-man said:


> I've shared my thoughts in the past. 1)go now and see if the pile is hot, 2) grab a sample and have it tested as compost (not soil). They might have their own test, so ask for those too.


Yes I was there yesterday dropping the trash from my shop renovation which is what prompted my question. There was a dozer pushing the compost pile and it was steaming hot on the inside. They are definitely composting correctly. Need to go back and get a sample.


----------



## pintail45 (Apr 26, 2018)

I would def take a sample. Born and raised in Bmt and would be pleasantly surprised if the city was doing it correctly.


----------

