Buying Bulk Compost

Removing the grass from the entrance bed was the first step in a long line of work to complete the flower bed.  After the sod was removed I intended to dig out any garbage that had popped up with the sod and also do some weeding.  I believe this area was used to dispose of garbage in previous years and I'm always finding pieces of glass and other odd items in the dirt. 

Note that I say intended.

Nothing ever goes as planned does it?  Instead I got caught up in finishing the vegetable garden and working on other beds that we had created.  The weeds grew long and the dirt grew hard in my entrance bed.  And then the compost arrived and there was no time to clear the bed.  It seems I will be finding broken glass among my posies for years to come.

I had ordered three yards of compost to be dumped on this bed in order to replace some of the top soil that was removed with the sod.  I also expected it would add humus and nutrients to the soil, making my flowers happy.  What I didn't know is that three yards isn't nearly as much as it sounds like.  This is the pile that was delivered.


Funny, it doesn't look as big as I had thought

Perhaps some of you have ordered compost in bulk form before but this was a first for me.  I've never had a garden large enough.  So when a yard was described to me as 100 square feet at a depth of 3 inches it sounded pretty big.  I actually thought 3 yards was overdoing it but I can always use more compost so I went ahead.  Thank goodness I 'overbought' because 3 yards barely covered my new flower bed.  After I received the compost I actually looked up a cubic yard (perhaps I ought to have done that first?!) and I found this link.  Essentially a cubic yard is about as big as a dishwasher - 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet.  And that is not very big at all.  Instead of buying an excessive amount of compost I had actually purchased too little. Thank goodness my own compost bin was ready for emptying and I was able to add approximately one more yard of my own compost to the bed.

I used the mini trailer to cart compost from my bin to the new bed

Unfortunately the issues didn't stop there.  When I purchased the compost I thought the price was somewhat high but never having purchased it in bulk before and being confused about the amount I was receiving I went ahead with the purchase and didn't second guess the price.  I shouldn't have done that.  Not only was I upset about how little compost I actually received but I was flabbergasted at how much it had cost me.  I checked another nursery sometime later and discovered I had paid twice the amount they were charging.  Let that be a warning - price check before buying!



I just barely managed to cover the bed with compost.
You can see the red dirt poking out around the edges.

 My stupidity did not stop there though.  The final issue was the compost itself.  At first glance it was a dark looking pile and appeared for all intents and purposes like the black gold that is so often described when speaking about compost.  Second glance told a different story.  There were white particles in my compost.  What could that be?  So I got my gloves and dug in.  The compost was light and airy, very dry and sifted between my fingers like sand.  I don't know what your compost looks like but I was highly distressed.  The compost that comes out of my personal bins is a thick material full of insects and worms.  I even found a garter snake hiding in my compost pile this past week.  It's also slightly damp.  My compost is alive and therefore supports other life.  It retains moisture and clumps together forming humus which provides texture to the soil.  As I sifted this new compost in my hands I realized what I had purchased was composed of peat moss (giving it that light airy feel) and perlite (those white bits).  Now, there's nothing wrong with peat moss or perlite.  Both materials are used in gardening and have great moisture retention qualities.  But my intention wasn't to buy peat moss or perlite.  As I sifted I realized - I had essentially bought three yards of potting soil.

The moral to the story is, like with so many things, buyer beware.  It was my responsibility as a consumer to do a price check and make sure I knew what I was buying.  If you're looking at purchasing compost in bulk know what a cubic yard looks like.  Then phone several companies and compare prices.  Finally, go to the company and see what it is they are selling.  Run your hands through it and satisfy yourself that it is indeed compost.  I didn't think it was necessary to ask if the compost I was buying was really compost.  How much of a difference could there be?  But obviously I was wrong.  Get a handful of the stuff and make sure your compost isn't full of additives. 

Have you ever ordered compost in bulk and been surprised by what you received?  Is using additives common practice?