So whadaya think? In exchange for being a bonafide resident of Exeter New Hampshire, we are given free access to the town’s compost at the Transfer Station.  So after purchasing (Yike$!!) two plus cubic yards of compost from a garden center but needing much more with for our clay soil, we decided to check out the ‘dump’ where the compost is free and the reputation is good.

I have read scary stories about compost quality at dumps but after finding plastic forks, tin foil, and bits of other plastic in the purchased compost, could this be worse? If it is done right, the heat from the compost process should cook weed seeds and more. We are using it only in ornamental garden beds.

Check-in was fairly stringent with valid proof of residency and our official sticker on the windshield. After we were given the thumbs up, we backed our SUV close to the pile marked ‘COMPOST.’

At first glance, it looked unappealing…. just like gray dirt.

But once our shovel hit the compost, it turned into black gold.  We filled the tarp lined trunk with almost a yard of compost.

It did have tiny twigs and other organic matter in the compost, but for the most part it looked no different from the expensive compost available at nurseries and garden centers.

Two full days later, it’s been added to the borders and all beds have been topped with over two dozen bags of rich dark spruce mulch… undyed, no recycled pallets or scrap lumber for my gardens! I’ll keep you updated on results of our compost experiment… good or bad.