# Will N fertilizer speed up compost?



## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

We had a terribly dry year here and I couldn't keep the compost bins moist enough so it's only half done. I just purchased a compost tumbler and wondered if I put a small amount of granulated fertilizer (21-0-3) in with it, will it act as a "green" to speed up the process? The only greens I have at present are coffee grinds, but not that much of them. Or will the compost alone have enough residual "greens" to do the job on it's own if I keep it moist enough and turn daily?


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## Fred's Hens (Jan 30, 2011)

In my experience, yes, it will.

Although, I prefer chicken manure as the organic alternative.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Granular fertilizer? No. It is most likely ammonium nitrate, NO3, which is what you want your compost to turn into so the next plants can uptake it.... Blood meal, fish emulsion---? Maybe. Bacteria and microbes need living(well, dead, really, but organic) sources to eat and turn the decaying stuff into the nutrients needed....The N you pour onto the compost pile may still be there, or it may leach on downward depending on the moisture content. You would be better off to buy a bale of alfalfa at TSC(pricey) and put that in until you have grass, weeds, etc growing when it warms up...

geo


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

From my experience I say yes. I always use it, i.e. granular, as an addition. Fastest compost using it and other ingredients after double shredding everything and turning frequently was a 10 day batch. It can be done if everything is right.

I always add some soil to my compost to for natural microbes, etc.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

That's not ammonium nitrate, that's ammonium sulfate. It will break down quickly as soon as it becomes moist. It's an excellent source of nitrogen in a compost pile started with mostly brown materials. 

Martin


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Paquebot said:


> That's not ammonium nitrate, that's ammonium sulfate. It will break down quickly as soon as it becomes moist. It's an excellent source of nitrogen in a compost pile started with mostly brown materials.
> 
> Martin


Martin, not sure whether the "it" refers to nitrate or sufate. The fertilizer I have that I'm thinking of adding is primarily ammonium nitrate, but also has sulfur in it (ammonium sulfate). This is some left-over lawn fertilizer and does not say it is extended release. So, safe to use in the compost or not? 

Also, since the compost was originally comprised of fresh grass clippings, shredded leaves, sawdust, and rabbit manure, I figured it already had the microbes. It's about "half done" in that most of the ingredients are no longer recognisable--I just want to finish it up quickly.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Ammonium nitrate is 33% nitrogen, ammonium sulfate is 21%. Both are water-soluble and will work in a compost pile. Only difference is that one has 50% more nitrogen than the other. Urea, 46%, could also be used.

Martin


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

The organisms of decay in a compost pile don't use nitrate or any other chemical forms of nitrogen. Their own process creates NH4 which then converts to No3, and then the new plants can use it. Plants can only use NO3--all other forms of N have to go through the Nitrogen cycle to get there. Decomposers --microbes, bacteria only use organic materials to convert nitrogen.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nitrogen-cycle-diagram.html

No harm to add it, though...
geo


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