Abstract
Current scientific knowledge of compost is largely derived from research into commercially produced green compost. This has shown that such compost tends to have high pH, high conductivity, and potential for organic and/or mineral pollutants and therefore can be problematic for use in growing media at high inclusion rates. Little work has been undertaken at an amateur composting scale and it is unclear whether these problems are prevalent in amateur-produced compost. This paper describes trials assessing the suitability as growing media of different composts produced using a range of amateur gardener methods. The resultant compost was then used to produce potting soil mixes with different compost inclusion ratios (with loam acting as the diluent) and assessed by growing tomatoes and lettuce. When comparing the effects of the compost mixes, the open vessels exhibited significantly higher weed germination counts than the wooden and plastic vessels. Turning the compost also significantly increased the weed count. In terms of seeds (lettuce and tomato), significantly lower germination counts were determined in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes earlier in the assessment period. By the end of the assessment period these differences were reduced. By the final harvest, tomato heights and biomass were significantly greater in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes and were comparable to the control mixes. Backyard produced compost would appear to have some value as a potting soil but the method of production needs to be taken into account when considering its use.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Open compost vessels yielded significantly higher weed germination counts than wooden and plastic vessels.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume1 - Treatment
- open vesselse0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed germination countse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- wooden and plastic vesselse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the open vessels exhibited significantly higher weed germination counts than the wooden and plastic vessels.”
e1“assessed by growing tomatoes and lettuce.”
Claim · model-written summary
Turning compost significantly increased weed counts.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- Turning the composte0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed counte0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Turning the compost also significantly increased the weed count.”
e1“assessed by growing tomatoes and lettuce.”
Claim · model-written summary
Undiluted mixes had significantly lower lettuce seed germination counts than diluted mixes early in assessment.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativae0 - Treatment
- undiluted mixese0
- Outcome
- germination countse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- earlier in the assessment periode0
- Comparator
- diluted mixese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In terms of seeds (lettuce and tomato), significantly lower germination counts were determined in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes earlier in the assessment period.”
Claim · model-written summary
Undiluted mixes had significantly lower tomato seed germination counts than diluted mixes early in assessment.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- undiluted mixese0
- Outcome
- germination countse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- earlier in the assessment periode0
- Comparator
- diluted mixese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In terms of seeds (lettuce and tomato), significantly lower germination counts were determined in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes earlier in the assessment period.”
Claim · model-written summary
The early germination differences were reduced by the end of assessment.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae1
- Outcome
- differencese0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“By the end of the assessment period these differences were reduced.”
e1“seeds (lettuce and tomato)”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato height was significantly greater in undiluted than diluted compost mixes at final harvest.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- undiluted mixese0
- Outcome
- tomato heightse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- By the final harveste0
- Comparator
- diluted mixese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“By the final harvest, tomato heights and biomass were significantly greater in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes and were comparable to the control mixes.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato biomass was significantly greater in undiluted than diluted compost mixes at final harvest.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- undiluted mixese0
- Outcome
- biomasse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- By the final harveste0
- Comparator
- diluted mixese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“By the final harvest, tomato heights and biomass were significantly greater in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes and were comparable to the control mixes.”
Claim · model-written summary
Final tomato height and biomass in undiluted mixes were comparable to control mixes.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- undiluted mixese0
- Outcome
- tomato heights and biomasse0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Comparator
- control mixese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“By the final harvest, tomato heights and biomass were significantly greater in the undiluted mixes when compared to the diluted mixes and were comparable to the control mixes.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest backyard compost has value as potting soil if its production method is considered.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Outcome
- method of production needs to be taken into account when considering its usee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Backyard produced compost would appear to have some value as a potting soil but the method of production needs to be taken into account when considering its use.”
e1“assessed by growing tomatoes and lettuce.”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · weed · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- positive
- negative
- no effect
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.