Developing Best Practices for In-Vessel Composting on Cut Flower Farms in the Northeast

View the project report

Commodities

• Additional Plants: ornamentals

Practices

• Crop Production: fertilizers, municipal wastes
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer, study circle
• Pest Management: disease vectors
• Soil Management: composting, organic matter, soil analysis, soil microbiology

This project will conduct trials using in-vessel composting systems on three cut flower farms in the Northeast. It will be led by Linda D’Arco, a New York farmer and farm educator with a focus on sustainability in cut flower production, with partner farms representing a diverse range of Northeast climates in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Best practices will be developed using these composters to reduce reliance on peat moss, improve composting of organic matter, and reduce the need for farmers to purchase soil amendments. The project intends to demonstrate significant benefits of using in-vessel composters versus traditional windrow composters on cut flower farms, including eliminating disease, pest, and weed seed in compost, as well as reducing labor. New grant funding, including expanded NRCS funding, has made in-vessel composters more readily available and affordable for farmers than ever before. However, practices around using these composters effectively, including recipes for use, ideal temperatures, and tips for using resulting compost, do not currently exist for cut flower farmers. The Northeast region is a major producer of cut flowers in the United States, with three of the top cut-flower-producing states in the country (New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, according to the latest USDA Commercial Floriculture Survey ). As a result of this project, farmers in our region will have accurate information about how to successfully use in-vessel composters to improve their bottom line, grow more sustainably, and reduce soil-borne disease on their farms.

This project seeks to establish best practices for use of in-vessel composters on cut flower farms in the Northeast, including 

• installation and site guidelines
• recipes for use (i.e., ratio of “green” and “brown” inputs)
• ideal temperatures for pest and disease elimination
• testing recommendations and results
• information on using resulting compost in containers and on cut flower beds