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| Bought two cubic yards today and had it delivered ($2 mile from site) I thought the price seemed steep, but it was through a non profit urban gardening outfit so I figured it would be good stuff, and the money was going to a good cause.
Upon delivery I started to have my doubts. Looks like a big pile of wood-chips and sticks with some dirt mixed in. I pulled out 1 cubic foot of golf ball to soft ball sized rocks so far along with random little pieces of plastic trash, and lots and lots of sticks - many as thick as a quarter and some as thick as a half dollar. Is this par for the course or did I get ripped off? Now I'm reading that compost should cost about $20/cubic yard. What's the deal? Is there some kind of compost shortage in Wisconsin? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Seems a bit steep to me especially considering what you got. Good compost, not subsidized by taxes, seems to go for around $40 per yard (variables for bulk orders) with delivery charges on top of that. This guy is in that ball park range. Some municipalities charge less because they use tax money to pay for making the compost. They also tend to not care too much about making a quality product. Some companies are also somewhat unscrupulous when it comes to their feedstocks for the compost. They will throw anything in that they get paid to take. Lloyd |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 2, 11 at 0:42
| $75/cy IS pretty steep for compost, at least compared to commercial product here on the west coast. The largest local supplier offers it at $27/cy picked up.....prices are higher for delivery but decline with volume (the unit price for 10 yds delivered is much less than for 2 or 3 delivered). FWIW, I would never purchase bulk compost without checking it out first.......to avoid just those issues you have encountered. And I'd want to see the processing operation as well, if at all possible. The only thing around here that comes close to that pricing is zoodoo from our local zoo (composted herbivore manure) or their mulch product, 'beadspread', which runs about $50-60 per pick-up load and is so coveted by local gardeners, it is only available by lottery. |
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- Posted by californian 10 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 2, 11 at 1:05
| You were definitely ripped off, at least compared to prices in my area. Here in southern California I can get really high quality compost, double screened, no garbage or rocks or twigs, for $12 a cubic yard plus delivery of from $35 to $85 for a dumptruck load, depending upon the distance. Two years ago it was even cheaper, $8 a cubic yard. The $85 delivery would be for a location about 30 miles away from where they produce the compost. Chipped tree trimmings, which it sounds like you got, one can usually get for free as the tree trimmers would have to pay to dump them in a landfill. |
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| If what you got had identifiable bits and pieces of material in it it was not compost, If what you got did not look, feel, and smell like good rich earth what you got was not compost. Even around here compost, delivered in 5 cubic yard loads is about $29.00 per yard. Given the price of fuel today there might also be a delivery charge added on depending on hte distance you are from the sales outlet. |
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- Posted by schreber_gaertner SoCal 9/10 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 2, 11 at 13:42
| Wow! Californian, if you don't mind me asking, where in SoCal can you get good stuff for $12/yd? I'm in OC and make plenty, but sometimes big projects require drastic measures. Thanks! |
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| Here in southern New Hampshire you can get what the town calls "humus" at my local dump - made from organic materials people in town drop off - for something silly. I dunno what the actual cost is - we just fill up all the enormous containers we can fit in the station wagon and pay them by weight. It usually ends up being under the $10 minimum. I'm bad with estimates, but it looks like about a square yard. We keep an eye on the pile when we go to the dump, and we've never spotted anything untoward in there. I just found a local place with great compost for $33/yard. Delivery of any amount is $50, but they'll let me pick it up without additional charge, and sell me as little as 1/2 yard. I'm thinking of getting some, because it looked so awesome. Guess I'll found out how much those bins hold finally. I'd call the nonprofit. They don't want to be associated with a rip-off. |
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- Posted by tishtoshnm (My Page) on Thu, Jun 2, 11 at 16:29
| It proves the point that not all bulk compost is cheaper. Last year a local wholesale plant business had wonderful compost for $35/cubic yard. This year they charged $68. My favorite bagged compost (acidified cotton bur) was $4.35 for 2 cu feet which was cheaper than their bulk. Guess which I purchased? |
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| I bought compost from a place here in town Ron Organics. It was actually Supper compost and cost more then any other brand they had. I layed it out on the garden I have work for 3 years trying to make strictly organic. It rained that night and the next morning I found balls of asphalt, some as big as my hand, pieces of trash bags, pieces of plastic, and glass. I went up the store to complain and the lady offered me some other stuff to replace. I get home with the stuff google and find out its not recommended for vegetable gardens since its made from sewage waste,AAARRRGGGGHHHHH.... Never again will I step foot back in there. It seems most sell by using the name "ORGANIC" and they dont really care whats in there. I am setting things up to make my own from now on... |
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| Sorry to hear of your bad experience the price was a little high but at any price no one should be selling compost that hasn't been screened you can make your own screen to salvage what you have |
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- Posted by americais1984 none (My Page) on Fri, Jun 3, 11 at 0:29
| Thanks for all the replies, going down there tomorrow to drop off my chunks of asphalt, rocks and biggest sticks, and ask what's up. How small of sticks should be acceptable? Some of you say it should be screened so I suspect maybe 0% sticks? Before I ordered the stuff I was assured there is no biosolid waste. This organization is a really good outfit from everything I've read and heard, and are nationally recognized in multiple publications - which is partially why I was willing to pay so much for this compost. From what I can tell now after doing my homework reading some of their website, for their best compost it's $150/cubic yard delivered ($85 if you pick it up yourself) - though it's "Microbiological Compost" (which) Includes mature compost, vermicompost, worms, and worm castings. I don't know what I bought for $75 cubic yard and $2/mile delivery fee. Whatever it is it's not listed on their website, and I haven't found a single worm in it yet. I've gone way over budget now building my sister's garden (which she didn't really want in the first place but relented to my consistent urging to try to get some good garden fresh food for my niece). Unfortunately not only did I go over budget on these raised beds (after getting the cedar on sale and with $0/labor cost) I went over budget with seemingly inferior compost. I never would've guessed that the compost would cost more than the 18" high cedar raised beds. I feel like an inept little brother, and uncle. Frowny face emoticon. Even their top soil is listed at $60/cubic yard! I can't believe this is from a nationally recognized organization trying to encourage urban farming! I find these prices quite DISCOURAGING to tell the truth! This is the kind of cause I'd generally be happy to support, but right now I'm out of work and feel bad making my sister eat this cost. I'm not the kind of person to make a fuss usually, but I find this a most unpleasant situation. Thanks again to everyone who responded. I appreciate your insight and support. I also appreciate the opportunity to vent to sympathetic relatable ears. /rant off |
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| If anyone is still following this thread, in SoCal I found organic compost (from wood shavings) for between $25-$30/yard, depending on the ratio of compost-to-topsoil. I went to the site to look at the options, and the 100% compost looked great, the 70% compost mix was great, the "vegetable garden" mix I wasn't thrilled with because the topsoil seemed too heavy and wasn't a nice dark color. Same with the 50/50 mix etc. They only deliver 10 yards or more, so add the price of a rental truck, and it's still a pretty good deal, I think. As soon as I excavate the current garden soil, I'm ready to get the 70/30 mix! American Soil in Simi Valley |
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| A local city sells leaf mold compost for $10 a cy. I have seen the compost area and it is all leaves with some twigs. The final product is beautiful...except for 1 thing. It is about 10% small rocks. Probably a one time use without screening would be ok. Yet, when it rains on the product and shows rocks and fine pea gravel, I don't like that. My leaves |
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