mmmfloorpie
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Compost Accelerator

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using a commercially available "Compost Accelerator" that's sold at some big box stores.

It's a brown powder that comes in small plastic bags and promises to speed up composting... I'm not really sure what's in it, but I've assumed it's mainly food to attract grubs/worms and maybe some kind of bacteria that likes eating compost.

I've used it the past couple summers and I really don't know if it helps or not.

The first time I used it I thought there was a noticeable difference, but now I'm not so sure. Has anyone else used this stuff? Thoughts?

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rainbowgardener
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They are usually some bacteria, fungi, and maybe a nitrogen source. I've never used any, because if you build your pile open to the air and sitting on the ground, with a diversity of ingredients, adding a handful of natural dirt now and then, all those things will be present naturally. I'm not sure how much difference it makes to add a little more.

Stinging nettle, comfrey, kelp are good ingredients to add to your pile that work to help accelerate it.

toxcrusadr
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I too think it is mainly an inoculant, and there already 10 billion microbes per gram in soil and even more in finished compost. Probably most useful for tumblers that aren't in contact with the ground. But, I haven't tried it, so I can't comment on its effectiveness.

mmmfloorpie
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toxcrusadr wrote:I too think it is mainly an inoculant, and there already 10 billion microbes per gram in soil and even more in finished compost. Probably most useful for tumblers that aren't in contact with the ground. But, I haven't tried it, so I can't comment on its effectiveness.
I use one of those solid black plastic containers for "hot" composting (a term I learned here). I'm concerned that it doesn't get enough air to work at peak performance though...

I also have one of the "Earth Machine" types with the vents on the side, but I find that the vents cool the compost pile too much and it lags behind the solid composters.

I live in a more northern climate than most of the users I've noticed on here and the summer temps don't usually go above 90 here.

Do you think my "hot" composting just kills all those bacteria in the compost accelerator that I'm adding anyways?

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rainbowgardener
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I would still think throwing a handful of dirt in now and then would accomplish about the same thing. But I looked at one brand of compost accelerator and it specifically said that it contained both thermophilic bacteria and cooler temp ones so that it would remain active in all temp ranges....

toxcrusadr
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mmmfloorpie wrote:Do you think my "hot" composting just kills all those bacteria in the compost accelerator that I'm adding anyways?
I don't think it would, depending on what is actually in the product, of course. All that heat is produced by bacteria, so at least some of them obviously tolerate it just fine. If your pile is hot you don't really need to add inoculants though - it's already composting!

nickolas
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Is the commercial stuff organic if so how much does it sell for, although I wont use it for myself as I grow and make my own, I use Russian comfrey, stinging nettle, elderberry leaves, and kelp, as well as tagasaste as a last resort. Also I use as much organic liquid compost activator (human urine)as my family can produce.

p.s. has anyone had any expiries with Bokashi Composting system.
Last edited by nickolas on Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, commercial stuff is organic. You can look it up to find prices. Since I don't use it, I don't know.

I have no experience myself with Bokashi, but if you type that into the Keyword box that comes up when you click on Search the Forum in the black horizontal menu above, you will get 228 hits. Lots of info here about them.

john gault
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I personally think these "compost accelerators" are a complete waste of money. Microbial life is all around us, just add water and watch...

toxcrusadr
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Just because someone is selling a product doesn't mean that you need to buy it.

Now where did I put that left-handed egg poacher?

nickolas
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[quote="toxcrusadr"]Just because someone is selling a product doesn't mean that you need to buy it.

I agree with toxcrusadr and john gault
, that's why I make, grow and use my own compost accelerator, organic liquid fertilizer and worm juice and not just buy them like the people I sell them to at farmer’s market‘s .

resin
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mmmfloorpie wrote:I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using a commercially available "Compost Accelerator" that's sold at some big box stores.

It's a brown powder that comes in small plastic bags and promises to speed up composting... I'm not really sure what's in it, but I've assumed it's mainly food to attract grubs/worms and maybe some kind of bacteria that likes eating compost.

I've used it the past couple summers and I really don't know if it helps or not.

The first time I used it I thought there was a noticeable difference, but now I'm not so sure. Has anyone else used this stuff? Thoughts?

Its not like that stuff used in the indoor composting containers? Its called bokashi and is fermented grains. It also deodorises the smell as the indoor composters allow everything that was alive to go in them.....
I live in a unit so I used one for awhile but found I was filling it way too fast.

john gault
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I've heard this term before (Bokashi) and the first video I found discussing it on youtube was this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNA78XtHEJg

He says bokashi doesn't produce CO2, so what does it produce? The organisms gotta produce something, either CO2 or methane. He also says composting is not a natural process, that's junk.

Can someone with experience sum up what Bokashi is? To me it seems to be just another method of composting.

toxcrusadr
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Use the search function here at the forum, you'll find some threads on Bokashi. It does produce CO2, one of the main organisms in the mix is yeast I believe.

CharlieBear
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These accelerators are for composting the first time or from scratch where you don't have what you need to jump start the process. They are generally dried microorganisms. If you have access to completed compost, manure or something like that you can just add that. I did add some when we first started several piles just to get them going after we moved. I didn't have access to compost or manure. Later I learned from someone that I could have just used a little rid-x to start the process. Old compost, aged horse manure etc are the best if you have any. There is a composting part to the utube video recommended in permaculture that shows one way of jump starting a pile.



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