How To Find High Quality Compost

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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The True Cost Of Compost Making

I hear from many gardeners who feel frustrated by the high cost and uneven quality of commercial compost. How can compost of the same brand, from the same supplier, vary so much in quality? Perhaps a bit of background on the art and science of composting will be helpful.

For starters, the texture and appearance of the finished product alters as raw or stock materials change seasonally. Compost based on grass clippings looks, feels, and smells different than compost based on woody and dried plant material mixed with less nitrogen-rich feed stocks.

Seasonal Composts Reflect Seasonal Changes

Seasonal variations may also affect compost, particularly in wet years, when it’s hard not to produce a heavy, dense product. In drought years, it’s challenging to keep compost adequately damp, especially after it moves from the source company to holding areas in supplier’s yards.

Though reputable suppliers may try to keep stored compost evenly damp by spraying their heaps in hot weather, adding too much water without aerating a huge compost heap can result in a soggy bottom of the pile. This anaerobic material won’t hurt the garden but it may smell funky. To restore it fast, spray smelly compost with an aerobically brewed compost tea, which will repopulate it with beneficial biota. These fresh teas are widely available at local nurseries throughout the Northwest.

How Good Compost Is Made

Because compost is essentially a lively product, full of living organisms, it can vary batch to batch even when producers try their best to create a consistent product. Thus, the most responsible compost makers test their end product frequently. For instance, at Emu Topsoil, at Purdy Topsoil, and at Seattle’s Cedar Grove facility, incoming feed stock material is shredded and mixed and tested for clopyralid, ph, moisture content, and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio before the composting process even starts. After 60 days of composting, the material is screened and tested again. At this point, a bioassay (growing peas and green beans) tests for clopyralid (a persistent herbicide) and weed seed content.

After an additional 9 months of composting, the material is again tested for clopyralid, heavy metals, and other compounds, as well as ph, nitrogen, organic content and what’s called ‘sharps’ (pieces of plastic, glass, etc.). Monthly tests are done for pathogens like E. coli and salmonella, while pesticide residues are tested for on a quarterly basis.

It’s The Law

Since February 10th of 2004, all commercial compost made in Washington must be regularly tested for heavy metals, fecal coliform, salmonella, sharps, nitrogen, and stability. Stability describes the maturation of compost. Less mature compost is very hot and lively, full of degraders that can harm plant roots. Finished compost must be well under 120 degrees and free from heat loving microbes.

Ammonia tests can indicate immaturity (high ammonia levels), though low ammonia ratings also occur when feed stocks are low in nitrogen.  As ammonia converts to nitrogen, the compost becomes more stable and ready to feed plants.

What Does It Mean?

When this testing was first proposed, I asked Jerry Bartlett, then Cedar Grove’s General Manager, if it would mean that Cedar Grove could guarantee that you’d never get a stinky, wet, or dry batch. “Unfortunately, probably not,” he replied. However, Cedar Grove did go on to develop a stringent certification program for the suppliers who sell Cedar Grove compost to the public.

Cedar Grove is also one of the few companies that backs up its compost completely. Over the years, Cedar Grove has done everything possible to make things right for the end customer, which is one reason they are so highly and frequently recommended.

What’s Your Role?

To ensure that your money is well spent, ask the supplier you use to evaluate the condition of the compost they have on hand. Better yet, stop in and look at it yourself. Smell the compost. Feel the compost for texture and tilth. Look at the compost to evaluate texture and particle size, then look at your hands (if they are colored black, the compost may be dyed to improve its appearance).

You can also request a copy of their current test results. Any company that is producing large quantities of compost for sale to home gardeners should be testing often both for pathogens and for quality. While a company need not test every batch, they should be testing frequently enough to give you a good idea of what you are buying. Last year’s tests are not relevant to what you are purchasing now.

How To Read A Compost Test

If you are more familiar with soil tests, it’s important to know that soil test results will look very different from compost test results. For example, a dissolved salts count of around 8-10 would indicate terrible soil quality, but is average for composts, in which most nutrients are counted as salts.

A few companies, like Cedar Grove, offer handouts that help you understand the meaning behind the numbers. Clearly, it’s best to have no measurable trace of E. coli,  whether you are looking at soil or compost. Test results may vary depending on which lab is being used as well. For example, BBC Labs in Tempe, Arizona can test for the diversity range of the main biotic families from bacteria to fungi.  As in the Olympics, a 10 is the top possible rating. Most composts hover at around 4-6, but a few carefully crafted worm composts may rate an 8 or better.

Liquid Teas For Soil Health

These crafted composts tend to be very expensive and are used in small quantities to inoculate aerobically brewed compost teas. The maritime Northwest is rich in tea brewing companies, from Kitsap Penninsula’s Lawn Jockey and Seattle’s In Harmony Lawn Care to the many independent nurseries that have tea brewers on site. Liquid compost teas are easier to apply than bulk compost, since they can be sprayed at various dilutions over everything from lawn to beds and borders and trees and shrubs.

To be effective, compost teas must be used as quickly as possible on the day you buy them. If they sit around very long, the biota they contain begin to feed on each other, resulting in a few big winners and a lot of losers. Within a day, the tea will have lost a lot of diversity. In a couple of days, only the degraders will be left. That makes old tea a perfect addition to your home compost heap, where it will inoculate your slow cooking compost with faster acting critters.

Where Can I Find It?

On the Kitsap peninsula, both Emu Topsoil and Purdy Topsoil supply top quality compost. These local companies have worked hard to develop a safe, healthy and consistent compost. They’ve earned their solid reputations by standing behind their products. If you aren’t satisfied, they’ll make it right. You may pay a little more for high quality compost, but you get the benefits you pay for. Saving a few bucks can leave you (and your garden) burned in a big way.

Emu Topsoil & Compost
7890 NE Ecology Road
Kingston, WA  98346
(360) 638-0117

Purdy Topsoil & Gravel
Various locations service Hood Canal, Gig Harbor and Tacoma areas
(253) 531-6835

Posted in composting, Garden Prep, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | 4 Comments

Feasting On Winter Sprouts

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Getting The Best From Brussels Sprouts

I love most winter vegetables, but am especially enjoying Brussels sprouts these days. Indeed, for weeks I have been binging on a most delectable combination of roasted sprouts with roasted sweet potatoes. I like to dark-roast the sprouts until they are blackened and caramelized. After trimming and halving them, I always add any loose leaves to the roasting pan, where they get as crispy as potato chips, with a delightful, salty crunchiness. Yummy hot or cold, they make a splendid snack (and if you eat enough of them, they even count as dinner.)

If you cook sprouts on the stove top, they are far and away the tastiest when lightly steamed or quickly stir-fried. Long cooking or boiling renders them mushy and slimy, and no amount of saucing can fix that. Yuck. I also like them shredded raw into salads and slaws, especially with raw purple-top turnips and some orange sections or thinly sliced tart apple. Add some toasted walnuts and a bit of gorgeous blue cheese, drizzle with fresh lime juice and you have a wonderful salad, rich in contrasts and layered flavors.

Give Them The Best You’ve Got

I’ve found that Brussels sprouts do best in deep, mounded beds of loamy soil amended with plenty of compost. They appreciate full sun and good drainage as well. Like most of the cabbage clan, they prefer slow, organic fertilizers like alfalfa meal, kelp, and cottonseed meal rather than high-nitrogen chemical fertilizers. I’ve found that aphids can be a pest on green Brussels sprouts, especially when soils get dry in late summer, but the red Italian sprouts seem impervious to these little pests.

Harvesting Your Sprouts

Harvest after the first frost, which mellows the peppery bite of Brussels sprouts. Pick the largest sprouts from the bottom of the stalks first, leaving the smaller, upper ones to fill out before picking them. They taste best when small and firm, so pick them young. Don’t let the sprouts get too close to flowering or they lose all their good qualities. If sprouts get too big and start to open, harvest the whole stalk for a decorative holiday table “tree” (add eggs for Easter?). They sure look festive, even when they are  no longer fit to eat.

In the kitchen, rinse sprouts well, dry thoroughly, then store in paper or mesh bags in the vegetable compartment of your fridge. For a fresh tasting treat, drizzle lightly steamed Brussels sprouts with fresh tangerine juice and stemmed cilantro, or quickly saute quartered Brussels sprouts in olive oil with chopped shallots, Kalamata olives, and capers. For a snappy slaw, shred Brussels sprouts, spritz with fresh lemon or lime juice and toss with plain Greek style yogurt.

Roasting Roots

When roasting sprouts or root vegetables, don’t use extra virgin olive oils, which don’t take well to high heat. Instead, combine a bit of fruity olive oil with high-heat cannola oil, which will give you beautifully caramelized vegetables that are darkly browned and richly flavorful but not burned.

Dark Roasted Sprouts With Sweet Potatoes

1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon cannola oil
1 tablespoon fruity olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pour oils into a baking dish and toss with sprouts and sweet potato chunks until coated. Place sprouts cut-side down, sprinkle everything with salt and roast until deep brown (30-40 minutes). Serve hot or cold. Serves at least one.

Steaming Sprouts

For finest flavor, choose small, firm, tightly closed Brussels sprouts and avoid soft, floppy ones. For best texture, cook until barely tender and remove from heat at once.

Zesty Lemon Sprouts

2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1 organic lemon, juiced, rind grated
1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme, chopped&

Put spouts in a steamer basket above an inch of water and steam over high heat until barely tender (about 3-4 minutes). While they cook, heat oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and lemon rind and sizzle until pale gold (2-3 minutes). Drain sprouts and add to pan with lemon thyme, stirring to coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add lemon juice to taste, a teaspoon at a time. Serves 4.

Brussels Sprouts With Orange Herb Dressing

2 cups firm, small Brussels sprouts, quartered lengthwise
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1/3 cup Orange Herb Dressing (see below)

In a steam basket above an inch of water, cook Brussels sprouts and mushrooms over high heat until barely tender (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat immediately, toss gently with Orange Herb Dressing, and serve. Serves 4.

Orange Herb Dressing

1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1 tablespoon sweet rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a jar, combine all ingredients, shake well and drizzle over sprouts or greens. Makes about 2/3 cup. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Gingered Brussels Sprouts

2 cups firm, small Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a steam basket above an inch of water, cook Brussels sprouts over high heat until barely tender (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and remove steam basket from pan. In a heavy frying pan, heat oil and garlic, and ginger over medium high heat and cook until barely soft (2-3 minutes). Add green onions, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2 minutes. Slice each sprout in half and add to pan, stirring to coat. Serve at once, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Serves 4.

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A Nifty Native Willow For The Garden

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Preserving Winter Pussies

For many years, my family collected bouquets of catkins to celebrate my youngest son’s birthday in mid-January. Silky grey and soft as kittens, these fat, furry flowers came from an elderly western willow, Salix scouleriana, that liveds in our front yard. Nowadays, we have to wander further afield to glean our twigs, but it doesn’t take more than a few minutes of walking to locate a good-sized pussy willow blooming away by the roadside. Though this species is rarely grown in gardens, I think it is an ornamental creature, with felted, silver-backed leaves that make a handsome backdrop to a mixed border.

In the wild, scouler willows grow into graceful small trees (15-30′), but in small gardens, they are easily kept shrubby by regular thinning. If a young plant is cut back when planted, it will develop into a multiple-trunked shrub about the size of a mature lilac bush. The largest of the trunks can be removed every few years to maintain this compact size. Where room permits, several main trunks can be encouraged, resulting in a pleasantly shaped little tree clump.

Beware The Bouncing Branch

Like many willows, scouler willow trees are rather brittle of
branch, blithely shedding heavy older limbs with every wind storm. Scoulers pruned as shrubs don’t have this habit, which becomes a distinct liability when the trees are underplanted with perennials. Cutting scoulers back in youth may seem harsh, but it makes them better behaved–thus more lastingly welcome–in mixed borders.

Even mature trees can be cut back quite hard, as I long ago discovered. During several especially windy years, great chunks of my old scouler came down each year. They would invariably land on top of their most fragile neighbors, flattening many a promising peony and rose in full bud. The last such event was so infuriating that it reminded me of a sage old saying about the best sort of defense. Out came the hand saw and down came the last remaining major limbs. (I think that an elderly tree deserves to go down through hand-to-hand combat, rather than fall to the casual impersonality of a chain saw. After all, it took that tree years to grow so large. It’s only fitting that it should cost us some time and effort to cut it down.)

Know When It’s Time To Whack

Had that tree retained its lovely natural shape, such powerful
offensive action might not have seemed a good idea. However, frequent loss of limb had left our scouler willow less than lovely, so this radical pruning did no harm. In fact, a number of lusty side shoots were already heading heavenward. In an amazingly short time, the tree was rejuvenated, with healthy, shapely young branches replacing the rotting old ones.

Only a few nurseries carry scouler willows, but anybody who so desires can have as many as they like for the price of a drive in the country. Scouler willow is common along Northwestern roadsides (indeed, it grows all the way from Alaska to New Mexico). Keep your eyes out for the upright, shrubby plants which often decorate the verges of country roads. (Young scoulers cut back by road-clearing crews respond with lush growth that results in dense shrubs rather than airy trees.)

Watch The Roadside For Stray Pussies

For the next month or so, the scoulers will be very obvious, for nearly every twig is tipped with large and lustrous pussies. Indeed, I can’t understand why scouler willows aren’t common in gardens, since their pussies are larger and more beautiful than the horticultural pussy willows widely sold in nurseries and garden centers. What’s more, scouler pussies appear a good deal earlier than their foreign counterparts. Since most pussy willows are grown entirely for the beauty of their silky catkins, it seems curious to neglect this splendid native in favor of frumpier plants with fewer charms.

When you find a likely-looking candidate, whip out your pruning snips and thoughtfully relieve the tree of some of its excess twiggery. When cutting pussy willows for the house, we naturally want to take the most heavily decorated twigs. For propagation purposes, however, it’s good to include a few bits of green, rather than hard, wood as well.

Soft But Not Lishy

Small branches which are prime for rooting are described in horticultural terms as feeling firm rather than “lishy”. Such twigs are not rigid: they have a bit of give to them, yet aren’t so soft as to be swished about like ribbons. Actually, willows root with such alacrity that practically any piece will take. Old wood is usually difficult or impossible to root, yet some years back we stuck a dozen willow limbs as big as my arm straight into the ground and every one of them set roots and grew into trees.

When you get your bounty home, just stick your scouler twigs into a jar of water. Keep them on a sunny windowsill, and in a few weeks, you will discover many long, white roots. Plants rooted in water often need a bit of transition before placement in dirt, but not willows. Pot them up if you aren’t sure where you want them, otherwise you can place the young plants wherever you want them in the garden. Keep them moist for the first summer, but once they are established, scouler willows thrive in good soils even without supplemental water. Next year, you may admire the year’s first catkins without leaving home.

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Enjoying Cold Season Crops

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Ann Lovejoy
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Winter-Fresh Food From The Garden

I love having something fresh to enjoy each day, even in the depths of winter. True, the sharp January frosts hit my winter lettuces hard, but there are still some terrific greens to be gathered. I especially enjoy oven roasted frost-nipped Brussels sprouts, spritzed with fresh lime juice and a bit of sea salt. Kale is especially delicious when sizzled in hot olive oil with chopped Kalamata olives and some garlic, then drizzled with fresh orange juice.

Here are a few more ways to enjoy winter greens, all of which contribute splendid health benefits as well as palate pleasing qualities to the winter table. Winter cabbage has a sweet, slightly peppery flavor that adds snap to salads, especially if you make a lively curried dressing and add fresh and dried fruit.

Curried Cabbage Salad

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
1 cup Greek style yogurt
1-2 teaspoons sweet/hot curry powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup bok choy, shredded
1/2 cup tiny baby carrots, ends trimmed
1 Braeburn or Gala apple, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted

Mince garlic and ginger together or squeeze both through a garlic press into the yogurt. Add curry powder and salt to taste. Let stand while you shred greens. Toss shredded greens with vegetables and fruit. Taste dressing and adjust seasoning to taste. Gently toss salad with dressing, garnish with toasted walnuts and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Contrasts of Hot and Cold

I also enjoy contrasts of hot and cold food, such as hot rice tossed with raw shredded greens. Finely sliced strips of cabbage or kale make a beautiful, tasty bed for grilled chicken with a sumptuous sauce of fresh sage and slow-cooked onions. Serve this with curried cabbage salad and short grain brown rice for a quick dinner. If you have any leftovers, the chicken and sauce are great in sandwiches, hot or cold.

Grilled Chicken With Sage and Caramelized Onions

4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 sage leaves, half shredded
1 tablespoon butter
2 white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Blend 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon shredded sage leaves in a bowl or plastic bag. Add chicken and marinate for at least half an hour (overnight in the refrigerator is great). In a heavy pan, heat remaining oil and butter over medium heat. Add remaining shredded sage and onions and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar. Stir to coat and cook over low heat until soft and golden (about 20-30 minutes), stirring occasionally. While onions cook, grill chicken over coals or in the oven, cooking for 6-8 minutes on each side and turning once. When chicken is done, put on a platter in a warm oven (200 degrees) and cover with foil. When onions are golden, stir in flour, then add hot water, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well, to thicken the sauce (you may need a cup of hot water). Add remaining sage, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chicken and sauce hot, garnished with sage leaves. Serves four.

Fresh Tasting Fish Tacos

Years ago, one of my favorite Bainbridge Island eateries, Chili Cosmo’s, made an awesome fish taco that combined shredded cabbage with grilled fish and an aioli-like, salsa-infused sauce that doubles as dressing for crisp greens. At the time, it sounded weird, but the combination tastes so good that I still find myself eating this truly fabulous meal every week or so.

Fish tacos have been the hottest thing going in Baja California for many years. In California as well, some former burrito joints now serve nothing else. You’ll find my version of this delicious dish below, which features lemon-poached fish instead of the grilled fillets you’d find Down South. If you want to compare it with the real thing, it will cost you a ticket to sunnier climes, but this pleasing compromise tastes like summer even in the depths of winter.

Fish Tacos With Cabbage

1 organic lemon, juiced, rind grated
2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
2 teaspoons minced or pressed garlic (2-3 cloves)
1-1/2 pound skinlesss cod fillets
1 cup Greek style yogurt
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups green OR red cabbage, shredded
1 Walla-Walla sweet onion, thinly sliced
8-12 8 inch corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, stemmed

Blend 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl or plastic bag with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon garlic. Add fish and marinate for at least half an hour (if longer, keep in the refrigerator). Blend yogurt with lemon rind, remaining garlic, and salsa, set aside. Toss cabbage with onion and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil, set aside. Cut fish in inch-wide strips, place in a heavy frying pan, add remaining lemon juice and water to bring depth to 1/3 inch from bare bottom.  Sprinkle fish with salt and bring liquid to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer until fish is opaque (3-4 minutes, internal temperature of 136 degrees F.). Rub another frying pan with oil and warm tortillas over medium high heat for several seconds on each side. To serve, fill tortillas with cabbage, top with fish, drizzle with dressing, and garnish with cilantro. Serve at once. Serves 4.

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