Starting to compost and I have questions

[roadrunner]

...It is not. Many plants die because of the onslaught of common digestive molds. They attack even the largest trees via the bark in the bottom 6-8 feet near the ground around my house. Lime-sulfer may be painted to help at the right time of year. It is a vicious attack though, and only the resistant survive. Were trees human, we would describe it as an attack of flesh eating bacteria, but it is mainly molds from the leaf litter decomposition process.

"It is not."

That was my point, the soil is not sterilized/purified. You say "many plants die...." and that is true, but many, many more live and thrive.

 

[alp]

If I love a plant and it dies, it means so much more to me than tons others which are alive ... but mean nothing to me. I think that might be @DirtMechanic 's dilemma..

So it might be pedantic to add more, more and more and more in this situation. I might be wrong or quite off the mark.. but hey .. It's nice to air our feelings or our own truths.. when the latter are fallacy or hearsays to others..

 

[DirtMechanic]

You are on the mark @alp. I am hungry, but cannot eat an oak tree. I have tried. Acorns are bitter. Even the deer won't eat them until late in the season when the greens have gone away.

 

[alp]

but cannot eat an oak tree.

Haha! Should have told me! I would have sent you a 60 year old tin sweetcorn as seen on the news! How hilarious was that?!

 

[DirtMechanic]

I am sad to say my news is across the Atlantic to your east, and they did not carry that story, that I know of anyway.

 

[alp]

Yes, control can be very transient. Look at my weeds .. which come up again and again.. I did remember seeing a lady using a weed suppressing membrane and it worked wonderfully for her. Having said that, she lived in Scotland whilst I live in the SE of England.. The temperature and sunshine have to be factored in in controlling weeds.. What an interesting childhood you have. I wish I had access to petri dish and its gel.. Would love to grow something with them.. When I saw tons of little orchids growing in a bottle .. I was gobsmacked ..

 

[DirtMechanic]

Now orchids are interesting to me. Nearby a nursery exists, and I had a chance to tour its laboratory before it began operation. Evidently they shake or otherwise seperate the cells of a plant, and from each a tiny orchid will grow anew.

 

[alp]

In this country, there is a school the headteacher of which encourages kids to propagate tons of little plants in a tube lying down and those are like 12 year olds.. What a good way to introduce botany to children or simply orchids to children and they literally could start a business. One boy has declared his destiny! Good for him and that made me smile, knowing that there would be a happy person on earth .. our future ..