Not all compost is equal. What are the critical factors that determine an excellent mixing compost.

Total organic matter or O.M. Good rich top soil will have an OM of between 8%-10%. The richness of the Great Plains of North America and other savanah eco systems fall in this category. The percentage OM content influences the moisture retention and nutrient release back into the soil. One would think that in purchasing compost that the higher the OM the better.

However this is not the case. Too much OM causes the soil to be anerobic, holding too much moisture, or causing conditions that decomposition is not possible. For example bodies have been found in bogs that are centuries old that are literally not decomposed (the total chemistry of this is not discussed in this explaination). The best composting material runs between 60%-75%. The reason is the next point.

Correct carbon to nitrogen ratio. High OM such as peat, wood chips, saw dust have the incorrect carbon to nitrogen ratio. Landscapers use this material in areas where they want little or no other vegetation to grow. The C/N range is anywhere from 100/1- 200/1. Also, this material is excellent in absorbing moisture along with an incredible affinity to absorb all forms of nitrogen (N). This is why adding N to your compost pile speeds up the composting procedure. In other words high C/N robs the plant of essential nutrients.

The best compost will have a C/N ratio of 15/1-23/1. In this ratio the natural composting microbes can proliferate releasing an abundance of nutrients into the soil furthering the minerialization of existing soil. It is important to note that many composts have been sterilized because of incorrect or forced composting procedures resulting in pathogenic microbes being present.

UltraGrowth material has been naturally composted over several centuries, mined and balanced with the natural beneficial microbes that enhance and continue this safe process with your plants and in your yard. Too high C/N ratios waste your money. Essential the difference between an organic material that is 150/1 to a material that is 15/1 is a multiple of 10. Once properly decomposed you would require 10 times more high C/N material as compared to a low C/N material.

Balanced C.E.C. (Cation Exchange Capacity) reading. What is the CEC? This is the number of exchange sites in the soil that can transfer nutrients to the plant or how big is the soil bank account. The larger your soil bank account the greater the chances are that the plant can get the required nutrients in a short time. Average soils will have a CEC of between 30-50. UltraGrowth compost will average between 230-275.

Mixing UltraGrowth balanced C/N compost increases the OM, the CEC, the natural beneficial microbial factions and enhances further mineralization of your own soils. Too high a CEC such as in water discharged areas (alkaline or sodic soils) or animal composts (feed lot manure) may contain too many minerals such as salts which leads to the fourth important factor of an excellent compost.

Low Sodium Absorbption Ration (SAR). The SAR is the ratio between sodium and the total amount of calcium and magnesium in the soil. Too high a SAR decreases the ability of most plants to absorb water causing the material to inhibit growth though it appears everything else is balanced. The best is a SAR below 1. UltraGrowth Compost fits within all these catagories.