Why Compost? |
|
Compost is nature's all-in-one product. It adds nutrients, organic matter and helpful micro-organisms to your lawns, gardens and potted plants and allows you to:
Good for plants! Grow Healthier Lawns and Gardens |
| Composting adds nutrients, organic matter and helpful micro-organisms to your lawns, gardens, and potted plants. Intervale Complete Compost greatly improves soil structure by reducing soil compaction and increasing air filtration. This allows the roots to grow deeper and be healthier. |
| Good for the Environment! Protect Households and the Environment |
| Intervale Complete Compost contains NO chemicals or sewage sludge. You are protecting your local streams and lakes by using this all-natural soil enhancer. |
| Good for you! Water Less, Weed Less, Fertilize Less |
| Using compost saves you time and money by letting nature do more of the work for you. Intervale Complete Compost naturally fertilizes, helps your soil retain moisture, and is always weed free. |
 |
|
|
What can I use compost for? |
| Intervale Complete Compost is excellent for:
- Soil building for gardens
- Planting Trees and Shrubs
- Mulching
- Top-dressing lawns and athletic fields
- Establishing new lawns
- Custom growing mixes
|
|
|
|
How is Intervale Compost made? |
| Intervale Complete Compost is a very mature, fully composted, and odor free compost. It is an all natural product made form a diverse blend of:
- Yard Trimmings - Leaves and grass clippings from local residents and landscapers
- Food Scraps - From restaurants, supermarkets and food manufacturers
- Nutrient-Rich Horse and Cow Manure - from local farmers and stables
- Compost is screened to 3/8"
- No sewage sludge or chemicals are added
- Our compost is approved for use on organic farms
|
|
|
|
What is the pH of Intervale Compost products? |
| The pH of Intervale Complete Compost is typically above neutral or slightly alkaline. For planting or amending soils around blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving plants, we recommend adjusting the pH of the soil over time by adding elemental sulfur or peat moss.
The pH of Intervale Premium Topsoil is usually very close to neutral, but can also be amended with sulfur (to increase acidity) or lime (to increase alkalinity) depending on desired growing conditions.
Annual soil tests are the best way to tell what your lawn or garden needs for whatever it is you’re trying to grow. Contact your local agricultural college or extension service for a soil test sample kit and more information. |
|
|
|
What's this white fungus-like stuff growing in my compost? |
|
Intervale Compost Products soil mixes are not sterilized. Our compost and compost-based mixes are full of beneficial microorganisms that play a key part in helping your plants grow. Given the right conditions, you may see white mycelium from beneficial fungi interacting with other components of the soil. This is normal and is not harmful to your plants. |
|
|
|
What are PAHs? |
|
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), are a group of compounds formed from incomplete combustion that are normally present in varying concentrations in urban environments. They are released into the atmosphere every time we run our vehicles, light a fire to heat our homes, or smoke a cigarette. You also find them on burnt toast or charred meat. They’re pretty much everywhere in our environment.
PAHs are present in minute quantities (parts per billion) in Intervale Compost Products. The reason that PAHs are showing up in our products is that a large part of the mix of ingredients in our compost is leaves and yard waste. PAHs are readily absorbed into leaves during their lifespan. PAHs break down much more slowly than other materials that make up our compost, which can result in concentrations that may be equal to or slightly higher than normal background levels found in soil in the greater Burlington area.
While dangerous if exposure occurs at high concentrations over very long periods of time, the State of Vermont has determined that PAHs do not pose acute health risks at low levels such as those found in our compost when applied according to normal usage guidelines (a ratio of 1 part compost to a minimum of 2 parts native soil). Other products, such as Seed Starter Mix and Potting Soil, contain only a small amount of compost and therefore fall well within established guidelines.
PAHs are byproducts of an urban environment. As long as people keep driving their vehicles, heating their homes, and going to work, we cannot completely prevent them from entering the compost.
There are currently no State or Federal standards for PAHs in compost. We will continue to work with the State of Vermont to ensure that PAHs found in our compost remain within acceptable levels by taking the following measures:
- Institute sampling regimen on feedstock suspected to contain PAHs and on every finished lot of compost
- Adjust the compost recipe by decreasing the ratio of leaves and yard waste
- Run tests on leaves while they are still on the trees this growing season to determine whether PAHs are entering the leaves from the atmosphere or after they have come in contact with the ground
- Leaves from sources that may have high concentrations of PAHs will be segregated and not used to produce compost
- Run an experiment to determine whether more aeration will speed up the breakdown of PAHs
- Continue working with the State of Vermont to investigate background PAH contamination levels that exist in soils around the region
To view the most recent PAH concentration levels found within in our compost please click here.
To learn more about soil analysis of Intervale Compost Products click here.
|
|
|
|
What Can I Compost? |
|
Intervale Compost Products is happy to take your food scraps and yard waste!
There is no charge to bring a small amount from your home; commercial customers should
call for details about bringing larger loads. Materials can be dropped off any time
during our normal business hours. Click here for more information on what types of material
we accept. |
|
|
|
Where Can I Bring Wood and Christmas Trees? |
|
Intervale Compost Products does not accept woody material larger than 1/2 inch in diameter. Please bring large, woody material to the McNeil Wood and Yard Waste Depot, located right across the street from us. They also accept Christmas Trees. For more information on Christmas Tree disposal click here. |
| |
|
|
What are biodegradable, compostable, or photodegradable plastics? |
|
So what's the scoop on biodegradable and compostable plastic?
Biodegradable and compostable plastics are part of a new generation of plastics called Bioplastics, and are made from renewable raw materials such as corn, corn starch or cellulose. The more popular Bioplastics become the more you will see them used in everyday products such as a local restaurant’s to-go container, a dry cleaning bag, or a plastic grocery bag.
However, not all Bioplastics are created equal and it is important to make the distinction between biodegradable and compostable as these terms are often used interchangeably.
COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS are made from renewable resources such as corn, corn starch and cellulose. Known commonly as PLA (which stands for polylactic acid resin). Compostable plastic is capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a commericial compost site or facility.
Compostable plastics ARE accepted at Intervale Compost Products and through CSWD's Drop-Off Composting program.
If you use compostable plastics at your restaurant or an event, be sure to inform employees or event attendees that you are using them and provide receptacles for compostables or people will throw them in the trash! Click here for downloadable signs.
A few things to note about compostable plastics:
--If thrown in the trash, they WILL NOT decompose in the landfill. Even when researchers dug down into the 20-year-old strata of a landfill, they recovered carrots that still looked pretty much like carrots!
-- Compostable plastics are NOT recyclable! Since compostable plastics look identical to petroleum-based plastics, they are often mistakenly thrown into recycling bins. However, they are considered a contaminant if placed a recycling bin. So if you use compostable plastics, DO NOT put them in your recycling bin.
PETROLEUM-BASED BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC is a little more complicated. While all compostable plastics are, in effect, biodegradable, the term "biodegradable" has come to mean an environmentally benign-sounding plastic that is usually made from petroleum products. This petroleum-based plastic takes a much longer time to degrade, and when it does, it simply breaks down into plastic dust. Definitely not something you would want in your compost, your soil, or our waterways! They leave a toxic residue, to boot. You'll have to read the label to verify whether it is petroleum-based or truly compostable, or ask the vendor or event coordinator which it is.
Biodegradable plastics ARE NOT accepted at Intervale Compost.
Other types of plastics that are often times used interchangeably with biodegradable and compostable plastics are:
Degradable plastic, i.e. the City Market grocery shopping bags. Most of the products using the label “degradable plastic,” only degrade as a result of physical and chemical impact. Biological activity is not a significant part of the degradation of these products, and when this type of plastic decomposes there is often a chemical residue left over that contaminates the compost pile.
Photodegradable Plastic is a plastic that needs constant exposure to the sun in order to degrade. This type of plastic will only degrade when exposed to sunlight, but will not degrade in a dark environment such as a compost pile, landfill, or sewer.
|
|
|
|
Do you deliver? |
|
Yes!
We can deliver up to 8 yards of Compost, Top Soil and Raised Bed mix or up to 10 yards of Mulch or Microbe Mulchsoil.
We can also arrange for deliveries of up to 30 yards for customers with larger needs.
Standard Delivery Fees within Chittenden County:
Bolton: $135
Burlington O.N.E.: $35
Burlington Downtown: $45
Burlington N.N.E./S.E.: $55
Charlotte: $110
Colchester: $60
Essex: $90
Essex Junction: $80
Hinesburg: $105
Huntington: $135
Jericho: $105
Milton: $100
Richmond: $100
St. George: $100
South Burlington: $65
Underhill: $125
Westford: $105
Williston: $80
Winooski: $40
We do deliver outside of Chittenden County! If you don’t see your town here, call 660-4949 and we’ll quote you a price. |
|
|
|
Does it smell? |
| No, because our compost is very mature and fully composted there is no odor. |
|
|
|
Are Intervale Compost Products organic? |
| Yes. All Intervale Compost Products are "approved for use" on certified farms and gardens by NOFA-VT / VOF. While the inputs may not be from certified organic sources, proper composting can purify these inputs. We routinely test our materials and finished products to ensure the highest quality. |
|
|
|
How much compost do I need? |
| You need to decide how much area (in square feet) you want to cover, and then the depth of coverage you want to achieve. We suggest one to three inches for vegetable gardens and fall cover crops, between a quarter and half an inch for lawns and raised flower beds. With these numbers, you can either (1) use our handy online Compost Calculator, or (2) you can calculate your needs using the following equation: |
| Area * Depth * 0.0031 = Compost
(square feet) (inches)
(cubic yards) |
