Compost quality
 

Last fall village applied compost supps local to the community plots, I have seen it being done, it looked like black fat soil and was applied generously. Here is pic of my neighbor tomatoes, he like me planted into WOW on early side then removed it. Obviously this tomato in bit of neglect but providing soil was not bad to begin with and compost was added should not it look better to begin with?
I am a bit concerned what was in that compost as it seems more difficult to get what I normally get and weeds are not as abundant as they always are, mind you those are 2 months worth of weeds. Village does till fall and spring if that matters.

It's been cool, wet weather. That plant has early blight, or some sort of fungal issues, likely brought on by the wet weather. Those two intervening variables make it hard to assess the new compost.

The reason why it bothers me a great deal is because am seeing different pattern of growth for me this year- am working too hard and plants seems to be stunted. All new growth on leafy stuff was coming out pale, I had to resort to dry organic chicken compost to apply to correct the issue. The only patch which is never tilled or fertilized is doing great, but where that compost was applied all new growth comes pale and barely visible. Granted we had cool and wet weather but am not finding it that different from previous years, June in Chicago more often than not cool and wet.
Also paths between gardens have barely any weed growth... and last year we had it waist high... am wondering if some broad leaf pesticide was in that compost?

[QUOTE=Lindalana;482487]The reason why it bothers me a great deal is because am seeing different pattern of growth for me this year- am working too hard and plants seems to be stunted. All new growth on leafy stuff was coming out pale, I had to resort to dry organic chicken compost to apply to correct the issue. The only patch which is never tilled or fertilized is doing great, but where that compost was applied all new growth comes pale and barely visible. Granted we had cool and wet weather but am not finding it that different from previous years, June in Chicago more often than not cool and wet.
Also paths between gardens have barely any weed growth... and last year we had it waist high... am wondering if some broad leaf pesticide was in that compost?[/QUOTE]Could be that, or could be it was anaerobic, too high a Ph, or too hot. Potentially many things outside your control, since you didn't make the compost. Or it could be just a coincidence about the compost and really all due to the weather and blight. Hard to tell.

Thanks for feedback!
Weed pattern growth at veggie gardens is sure different this year. Hoping it was just lousy village compost and not real contamination of long term chemicals. No weather related changes by the house, gardens are lush and beautiful.

Lindalana, I think the quality of compost varies also depending on what it was made of, and whether there is unfinished material like wood or straw still present, not necessary for contamination to play a role.

I found myself in the same boat with poor quality compost this year. It was not contaminated in any way, I made it myself, but it was made mainly out of just sods and weeds and straw. There was quite a lot of unrotted straw still in it, but I thought it will help to aerate the soil overall and encourage the worms. But when I saw that fruit were not getting larger, I got concerned and did as you did, add some dried hen manure to help the situation.

.....

Compost does vary even when you make it yourself. I've read so much about making compost - it hurts. Oh my head...

I finally gave up on trying to, "Do it right" and just started throwing in whatever needs to be disposed of. If it's brown or green it goes in. When there are non-meat leftovers - it goes in. Last year, I put dead grasshoppers in it by the hundreds because there were so many of them here.

lindalana, let's see a pic of your tomatoes! I've seen a lot of pictures of herbicide damage and the neighbor's tomato doesn't particularly look like 2-4D or anything. It sure does sound like something at the gardens is off this year. Maybe anerobic compost. :(

That looks like a typical badly starved tomato plant.
Now the reason why that happened, is hard to tell, but I can't imagine the soil is so extremely poor. Something is stopping root uptake of nutrients, either way too much water for longer periods, or wrong pH, or something eating the roots. In any case, it is not a fungal disease, aged leaves that turn yellow due to lack of nitrogen are sensitive to anything fungal, they will just rot (it might be some sort of virus, but I'm no expert in those, doesn't look like the usual suspects).

ok, pictures, this is what I am surrounded with- small plants, already sick, there is not even enough leaves to remove yet...
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my house
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Community gardens
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Community garden path between water towers- never tilled or compost added
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tilled and composted path
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I see what you mean. You probably need that soil tested.

Redbaron, thanks! What and where I should consider testing? I did basic soil tests with SCI and IntAglabs in the past but am assuming it is more than soil test?

[QUOTE=Lindalana;483883]Redbaron, thanks! What and where I should consider testing? I did basic soil tests with SCI and IntAglabs in the past but am assuming it is more than soil test?[/QUOTE]I believe there are people who test for pesticide residues toxic waste etc and such. However, I never had to do it myself, so I don't know who to call. I would start by calling your exchange service and also find out where that "free compost" came from.

Keep in mind it may be nothing. But a precautionary approach is probably warranted due to the fact this is food we are talking about.:yes:

Update- so what am observing now - something tying up nitrogen real bad. I mean rain is not helping but sheesh, I have applied 100 lbs to my two 20x20 plots of Chickity Doo dry manure fert and slightest rain gets leaves pale green. Never mind all my foliars...
This is how most other plots look like
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those are mine, and I need to add some more nitrogen again... what do I do?
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20x20 what? Feet? That seems like a huge amount of chicken fertilizer. I'm starting to wonder if those roots aren't burned (which will make them not absorb much). Chicken is pretty aggressive if it's not old.

yep, 20x20 feet. Tie up of nitrogen far exceeds of loss with rain. These people seems to apply moo something and it looks better
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this looks like nothing was added. Mind you, last year and previous years it was pretty decent soil and none of these problems was seen. Any addition of extra nitrogen like manure sent you into 6 ft tall tomatoes with few fruits.
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Did you find out where the compost came from? At the very least, whoever is in charge should know what has happened. You should tell them.

Yes, supposedly local municipal compost, all 35 trucks of it. This year gardening sure has its share of frustration for me. OTOH I've looked up herbicide bioassay testing, few people around me have grown peas and they seems to be reasonable, bit curled but good height. So it might be just compost done with huge piles of wood chips, anaerobic and carbon to nitrogen ratio like 70 to 0 LOL
Hopefully village will be poor enough not to afford such "gifts" for while.

Lindalana, I was talking to a woman this morning at the community garden where I have a plot. The city added about 18" of "soil" to her plot and to about half of the one next to hers (it had washed down the slope so hers was way below the path). She's experiencing the same thing you're seeing: stunted plants and no weeds. It basically looks like they added partially composted wood chips and it's tying up all the nitrogen. The plot next to hers where it's half old and half new practically has a dividing line where the plants are flourishing vs. floundering. The only thing that's doing ok in the "new soil" area is green beans. Needless to say, the woman I talked with is very ticked off!

So, no brilliant solution for you, but rather to say, other cities have caused the same problem.

Thank you much for info! It does help to know. Now I wonder if dear village is poor enough not to bring any more surprises and if they are, will the problem resolve by next year or I should resolve to growing some kind of SWC container system for tomatoes next year...

I hope this is the right thread to ask this question. I grow assorted veggies to include tomato plants in containers every summer. Is it possible or advisable to compost the contents from the containers at the end of the season or must/should I discard?

[QUOTE=sukisasi;553814]Is it possible or advisable to compost the contents from the containers at the end of the season or must/should I discard?[/QUOTE]

If you are lucky enough to not see any disease on your plants then you can hot compost, cold compost, or worm compost without fear of breeding more disease.

If you see disease, and you trust your hot compost to get hot enough to thoroughly kill the disease, then hot compost it.

Otherwise, put all possibly-diseased plant parts into the trash can instead of the green waste recycling.

Update from previous year- Slg Garden was likely suggesting correct reason- improperly cured compost. I could not grow anything last year well. This year is back to normal weeds and normal healthy growth. Thankfully village was poor enough not to add anything over the winter to soil. I added just a bit of leaf mold to beds and plants are thriving.

It looks a lot like "fill dirt" or dredgings from a lake or river. Most of the time it has terrible fertility and no structure.