The Clash of the Composts! (youtube)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avwvJ1NOKcE Here's the results after three weeks of anxiously watching basil grow.  In order from awesome to least awesome: Tea leaf compost, tumbler compost, commercial compost, worm castings, no compost. The obvious conclusion is that compost is better than no compost.  Not only is it a fertilizer and soil conditioner, but it allows soil to maintain its nutrients and while supporting essential bacteria. Are you surprised by the results?  I thought that the worm castings would come out on top.  I think I could have waited longer on my worm castings, though...same with my tumbler material. I'm going to try the experiment again in a few weeks with all fresh batches of material, and maybe I'll add some other soil types while I'm at it (know anyone with grub compost?).…

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Clash of the Composts – week 2 results

As week 2 comes to a close, it's safe to say that the tea leaf compost is still looking the best with all of its seeds sprouted and looking tall.  It also appears to me that using compost is a no-brainer for growing stuff! Is that it?  I think I'm going to keep updating as it goes along...I didn't think I was going to have this much fun with growing basil.  One creepy thing I noticed is that my basil is popping up in places that I SWEAR I didn't put the seeds...namely the commercial compost pot.  I definitely put the seeds around the outsides, too...how are they all clumped in the center?  There was a torrential downpour in the initial stages of the experiment, could that have shuffled them…

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Clash of the Composts – Week 1

It's been a whole week since starting my latest experiment comparing basil growth in different soil types...so how are we doing?  It looks like all 5 pots have sprouts, with the tea leaf compost and my tumbler compost tying at 9 a piece.  To my surprise, the vermicompost has just two sprouts so far.  Let's take a look: There you have it!  Are these the results you expected?  I’m pretty psyched to see how this experiment progresses…

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