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Solomon, Steve

"Organic Gardener's Composting"


_Safflowerseed meal._ See _Cottonseed meal._
_Sawdust_ contains virtually nothing but carbon. In small quantities
it is useful to fluff up compost piles and prevent compaction.
However this is only true of coarse material like that from sawmills
or chain saws. The fine saw dust from carpentry and cabinet work may
compact and become airless. See _Paper _for a discussion of lowering
the fertilizing value of compost with high C/N materials.
_Seaweed_ when freshly gathered is an extraordinary material for the
compost pile. Like most living things from the ocean seaweeds are
rich in all of the trace minerals and contain significant amounts of
the major nutrients, especially potassium, with lesser amounts of
phosphorus and nitrogen. Seaweeds enrich the heap, decompose very
rapidly, and assist other materials to break down. Though heavy and
often awkward to gather and haul, if they are available, seaweeds
should not be permitted to go to waste.
Those with unlimited money may use sprinklings of kelp meal in the
compost pile to get a similar effect. However, kelp meal may be more
economically used as part of a complete organic fertilizer mixture
that is worked into soil.
_Shrub and tree_ prunings are difficult materials to compost unless
you have a shredder/chipper. Even after being incorporated into one
hot compost heap after another, half-inch diameter twigs may take
several years to fully decompose.


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