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  • Mother Earth Gardener

    Q&A With the Pros:

    Mar 01, 2019 4 minutes

    BARBARA PLEASANT

    Gardener, and author of several books, including Homegrown Pantry. Read her article about organic pest control on Page 71.

    QUESTION: Do compost accelerators work? I’ve heard that they speed up composting and result in better compost. Are these claims true? —Sharon Graham

    ▸ Most independent studies have concluded that those products aren’t worth the expense. The three types of commercially marketed compost “accelerators” and “activators” are based on microorganisms, nitrogen, or herbs prescribed for biodynamic composting, and you can easily add any of those substances to your compost without spending money on a store-bought product. Dead plants,

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