Sweet PDZ ok to use in compost?

[noelgeorgia]

I have a mix of construction sand and Sweet PDZ in the coop which I've been loving because I can scoop the poop out every day easily. Is it ok to use the poop that has both the sand and PDZ in it in my compost pile? I just want to make sure there are no chemicals I need to worry about since it's going to go in my garden.

 

[Saveria]

So, it should be fine, it is basically just zeolite. I might be worried that a lot of it might create a compost that certain plants don't like, but I haven't played around with it myself. It is safe to compost, though.

https://sweetpdz.com/what-is-sweet-pdz/

 

[noelgeorgia]

OK thank you. I'm a bit concerned about composting it based on that. I wonder how folks here use chicken poop in compost while also keeping the coop clean. I even wonder about the pine shavings and just dumping it all in. How do you know it's ok to use in the garden?

 

[Saveria]

So, I think it mainly depends on what plants you are putting it on and what your soil is like already. My soil tends towards acidity, so the chicken manure and pine shavings can make that worse. I usually just let it age a bunch, and then keep that fertilizer off of plants that need a lot of calcium (cabbage mainly), since acidity can affect uptake. You may need to be sure things stay in balance for certain plants, but if you are letting it age for a while it will probably be fine to put on most stuff.

I will also let the shavings/droppings age on fruit trees and berry bushes.

I just read this about zeolite, it helps absorb water and retain nitrogen. I'm not sure if you can overdo it, such as it may be too much nitrogen for fruiting plants like tomatoes, but I'll bet it will come to a balance if you are adding other things to the mix and letting it age.

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/zeomax-garden-aid-8255

 

[aart]

I just want to make sure there are no chemicals I need to worry about

If you google sweet pdz you find it is OMRI approved.

 

[odchooks]

It’s great for the garden. I use it in my compost . I think you can even buy it as a soil enhancer. It holds nitrogen and slowly releases it to the plants. I use a cat litter scooper for it under my roost. Buy horse stall pdz - it’s cheaper than marketed for chickens and same thing- zeolite. You can even use it for your aquarium filters.

 

[noelgeorgia]

So, I think it mainly depends on what plants you are putting it on and what your soil is like already. My soil tends towards acidity, so the chicken manure and pine shavings can make that worse. I usually just let it age a bunch, and then keep that fertilizer off of plants that need a lot of calcium (cabbage mainly), since acidity can affect uptake. You may need to be sure things stay in balance for certain plants, but if you are letting it age for a while it will probably be fine to put on most stuff.

I will also let the shavings/droppings age on fruit trees and berry bushes.

I just read this about zeolite, it helps absorb water and retain nitrogen. I'm not sure if you can overdo it, such as it may be too much nitrogen for fruiting plants like tomatoes, but I'll bet it will come to a balance if you are adding other things to the mix and letting it age.

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/zeomax-garden-aid-8255

Awesome, thank you! Great info!

 

[noelgeorgia]

It’s great for the garden. I use it in my compost . I think you can even buy it as a soil enhancer. It holds nitrogen and slowly releases it to the plants. I use a cat litter scooper for it under my roost. Buy horse stall pdz - it’s cheaper than marketed for chickens and same thing- zeolite. You can even use it for your aquarium filters.

I did get the horse stall one and have been using a scoop. Good to know it's safe for the garden. Do you keep a bucket near the coop and then dump it in the compost pile when it's full?

 

[odchooks]

I did get the horse stall one and have been using a scoop. Good to know it's safe for the garden. Do you keep a bucket near the coop and then dump it in the compost pile when it's full?

I have a composter next to the coop so just scoop it and put directly in.. but a bucket would work. I find it stinks more if it’s accumulating in a bucket, which is why I moved my composter closer. I have a small tumbler I use for chicken poop, shavings and some kitchen scraps. When it’s finished composting- I move it in a bucket to the compost pile where it ages a bit more. I’m not sure is the most efficient, but it certainly easiest for me and I feel better about using manure after the two rounds .

 

[noelgeorgia]

I have a composter next to the coop so just scoop it and put directly in.. but a bucket would work. I find it stinks more if it’s accumulating in a bucket, which is why I moved my composter closer. I have a small tumbler I use for chicken poop, shavings and some kitchen scraps. When it’s finished composting- I move it in a bucket to the compost pile where it ages a bit more. I’m not sure is the most efficient, but it certainly easiest for me and I feel better about using manure after the two rounds .

We have a compost tumbler we use behind the house but it sounds like it would be better to put that next to the coop and just bring out the stuff from the counter compost holder and add to it. How long do you wait before you use the compost with chicken manure? I'm not sure how long it should age.