Purchasing Compost & Mulch
Assessing Product Quality
Compost is an increasingly popular soil amendment with growers, landscapers, and other end users. Compost consists of organic matter (such as leaves, landscape trimmings, food scraps, or woody debris) that has undergone varying degrees of decomposition. In California, commercial composters are required to meet specific regulatory requirements on the compost process itself that protect health and safety. However, because no state or national standards exist for rating the quality of compost products, you must perform your own quality assessment or obtain appropriate information from the supplier to ensure that you’re getting a product that meets your specific needs within the price range that you’re willing to pay.Before shopping for compost, determine your reasons for using compost. Once you have determined the performance requirements (e.g., for seed germination), look for a compost with appropriate characteristics. The Board has created an information table to help you assess compost products to suit your needs. You may also order a hard copy of this document, Compost: Matching Performance Needs With Product Characteristics, from our online publications catalog.
Last updated:
October 14, 2003
Organic Materials Management http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/
Contacts: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/Contacts.htm
Organic Materials Management http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/
Contacts: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/Contacts.htm