Does this Purple Cow Organic Activated Compost sound good to you?

There's some Purple Cow Organics Activated Compost around here. Was wondering if its something like super soil and if something needs to be added to it for a start to finish grow with some pretty small fast plants. Would mixing it with some FFOF make it better? Trying to avoid adding nutes/teas to small fast flowering plants, in small batch blends.
http://www.purplecoworganics.com/products.html

• 
  [*]Encourages vigorous root growth.
  [*]Improves soil structure and porosity – creating a better plant root environment.
  [*]Improves the cation exchange (CEC) of soils.
  [*]Increases moisture infiltration and permeability, and reduces bulk density of heavy soils – improving moisture infiltration rates and reducing erosion and runoff.
  [*]Allows plants to more effectively utilize nutrients, while reducing nutrient loss by leaching.
  [*]Enables soils to retain nutrients longer.
  [*]Buffers pH.
  [*]Aids the proliferation of soil microbes.
• Supplies organic matter.
• Peat-free

Nothing on their site really impressed me. Looks like a bucket shop, like some guy is trying to run a business out of his basement. Do you have a bag, do you know what's actually in it?

No I dont. I'm just trying to get something that's close to super soil without mixing a bunch of stuff... I have about half a bag of FFOF, just wanna get something better.

It is just compost... Compost is great and will do everything listed but big deal - most all potting soils are majorly composed of compost... Happy Frog, FFOF, Locally made soil... is pretty much 100% compost. Very very few potting blends actually contain any soil (sand/silt/clay) which means everything else is just... compost. I can buy 80% really nice active compost with 20% worm castings for $50/yard which is equal to 18 1.5cuft bags (what they likely sell that stuff in). If you're paying more than $3/bag it's likely not worth it.

Have you checked your local dump/recyclers? Most all of the ones I know of offer free or at least very very cheap compost.

Just a suggestion but you can buy SS on ebay. I don't remember how much it makes but you have to get your own base soil. I used Pro-Mix organic for my base and works good but could be stronger with FFOF. I've seen that purple cow stuff here and there and wasn't real sure about it cause it was topsoil stuff and heavy where I seen it.

TheOrganic said:

Just a suggestion but you can buy SS on ebay. I don't remember how much it makes but you have to get your own base soil. I used Pro-Mix organic for my base and works good but could be stronger with FFOF. I've seen that purple cow stuff here and there and wasn't real sure about it cause it was topsoil stuff and heavy where I seen it.

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is SS super soil? if so like you said you have to mix is with base soil. can canna coco pro plus be ok to mix it with?

AdiiTaff said:

is SS super soil? if so like you said you have to mix is with base soil. can canna coco pro plus be ok to mix it with?

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Yes SuperSoil. I'm not sure about that product looks like its all coco. I use 15% coco in my SS mix but maybe someone else can chime in on this For using canna coco pro plus.

Hate to necro a thread but it's actually decent amendment for containers. It's made up of composted leaves (leaf mold) alfalfa fiber, green sand, rock dust, kelp meal and vermi compost (EWC). If you can't do your own and are in a pinch I have used it before for my indoor garden as well as my outdoor.

Gastanker said:

It is just compost... Compost is great and will do everything listed but big deal - most all potting soils are majorly composed of compost... Happy Frog, FFOF, Locally made soil... is pretty much 100% compost. Very very few potting blends actually contain any soil (sand/silt/clay) which means everything else is just... compost. I can buy 80% really nice active compost with 20% worm castings for $50/yard which is equal to 18 1.5cuft bags (what they likely sell that stuff in). If you're paying more than $3/bag it's likely not worth it.

Have you checked your local dump/recyclers? Most all of the ones I know of offer free or at least very very cheap compost.

Click to expand...

Happy Frog, FFOF, etc, are not just compost. They are mostly peat, bark, perlite, etc, with a small amount of compost added in. They ARE mostly organic matter, but there's a big difference between peat moss and true compost.

As for that compost the OP was asking about, it would be nice to know what their inputs are. Manure? Yard waste? Food waste? "Biosolids" (bioprocessed human waste)? Quality of inputs determines the quality of the final product (among other things).

Did anything ever come of this? I can locally get Purple Cow Compost, though they cannot get me an analysis on it. Anyone have one?

I'd talk to stow and petro about cow manure/compost and making soil mods. That said, you'd be surprised how well you can do in a base mix of coir / worm castings / aeration / humus based dirt if you use a AACT's and your own castings, which you could have in a matter of 25-30 days while your babies grow in a base mix. You can always add more castings and more amendments as you go. Get the easier ones. Then slowly source the odd ones. Its worth it if you consider you can always recycle your mix and improve it every round. A lot are sourceable for cheap.. eggshells for example, just save a cup of them, crush them, you're gtg. I'll find a good post for you from my buddy. One sec. I was just there.
-T

I bought some purple cow organic compost today. It looks great, they are from Wisconsin and am excited to try it out.

This compost is actually quite high quality shit. The name can throw people off, thinking there is manure and such in it. If you read how they make the compost and whats in it, youll plessently suprised (for bagged compost.)

Purple cow organics activated compost..phenomenal product I've been using for over a year...not just on a hobbiest level but in a professional commercial greenhouse environment...

You can add the activated compost to any existing soil program you currently have and you will definitely see improved vigor, health, nutrient uptake, reduced transplant shock, & most important...greater quality & higher yields.

I was thrown off by the name as well, thinking it had something to do with cow manure, but it isnt at all. One batch I cooked with purple cow had mycelium showing the very next day its very active with micros.

I too can attest to the awesomeness that is the Purple Cow. Good shit.

Resurrecting this dead thread to say that I've been looking for a local source of quality compost since my local grow store stopped carrying locally-sourced EWC (they used to, but switched back to Wiggle Worm). There are about ten bajillion gardening centers in the general area, but none of them carry anything I'd bring anywhere near my garden. Then I happily discovered that a store (that I'd never heard of) in the nearest town carries Purple Cow products. Just got home with a cubic foot bag of organic compost for just $12. (Sure as shit beats the $18/10lb bag of Charlie's Compost I last ordered from Amazon.) Huzzah! I'm starting up a worm bin, but needed to mix soil NOW (last month would have been better), so this is a fortunate find. If anyone has any more info, opinions, or experience with this product, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've been using it for years as a top dress and to add to my soils. Stuff is high quality and legit. Certified organic leaf mold with some added rock minerals. I've seen great results