Listening to Elaine Ingham, does manure compost count?

She says the best way to get the things you need back in your soil is to compost. So we have a fair amount of compost thanks to the neighbors manure pile. I'm wondering if it counts since it's not our own native plants and such.

Yes, Elle, composted manure would count. However, you're shooting for the maximum diversity in your microbial life (with the exception of pathogens), so for that reason, you shouldn't stop with your neighbor's manure pile. Add to the compost from as many different sources as you can think of it. Each element has the potential to add to the diversity. One bit of advice Elaine gives is to grab a few handfuls of earth or leaf litter from various naturalized areas in your neighborhood to add to the mix.

It's a scatter-shot approach, kind of like seed balls. Not everything you add will take, but if you add enough diversity, you should get a thriving microbial community.

Micky Ewing wrote:Yes, Elle, composted manure would count. However, you're shooting for the maximum diversity in your microbial life (with the exception of pathogens), so for that reason, you shouldn't stop with your neighbor's manure pile. Add to the compost from as many different sources as you can think of it. Each element has the potential to add to the diversity. One bit of advice Elaine gives is to grab a few handfuls of earth or leaf litter from various naturalized areas in your neighborhood to add to the mix.

It's a scatter-shot approach, kind of like seed balls. Not everything you add will take, but if you add enough diversity, you should get a thriving microbial community.

Thanks! I'll have to go dirt hunting.