Closed Loop have been helping businesses and households greatly reduce waste to landfill by providing a range of automatic composting solutions. This booklet has been designed to give guidance on how to use the compost, where it differs to mature compost and usage rates with tolerant and sensitive plants. When comparing the material from Closed Loop machines with generic retail compost, Closed Loop compost is immature and to avoid confusion we define it as: Composted Organic Fertiliser. The compost from Closed Loop Organics machines is a result of the aerobic in vessel composting process (NOT simple dehydrating) in accdance with the composting definition within AS4454-2012.
Applied controlled heat, agitation, constant airflow and the introduced presence of naturally occurring beneficial microbes that wk in high temperature environments. The resulting Composted Organic Fertiliser is pasteurised and therefe free of pathogens and chemical contaminants, confirmed by independent testing in accdance with AS4454-2012. Imptant: Just like composts, mulches and fertilisers that you can purchase from your local nursery garden supplier, the composted material from your machine should be treated with the same care as these also contain micro-ganisms.! When handling compost you should avoid breathing its dust mists.! Wear a particulate mask if it is dusty.! Wear gloves and keep the product moist when handling.! Wash your hands immediately after use.
Closed Loop Composted Organic Fertiliser is comparable in key properties to leading consumer brands of fertilisers available in garden centres and may be used in similar ways and at similar rates. Some of these comparable fertilisers have been ftified with ammonium sulphate as a nitrogen source which is detectable in the high salt levels of the EC results. It shows the safety of the Closed Loop Composted Organic Fertiliser by comparison if used at similar rates. Based on these results and comparisons shown in the following table, further comprehensive recommendations are provided f the use of Closed Loop Composted Organic Fertiliser in the application rate table.
AS4454-2012 Closed Loop Composted Organic Fertiliser - average results Sample RGCO Sample RGGC Sample YDL ph 5.0 7.5 4.5 5.7 5.9 6.2 EC ds/m <10 8.17 6.5 190 80 Nitrogen >0.6% 3.65% Phosphus 0.68 The Closed Loop Composted Organic Fertiliser product is nutritious f use on gardens as a fertiliser. The limiting fact is manageable but high sodium levels and overall salt load as measured by electrical conductivity results. The strength of the compost is expressed in its high electrical conductivity result indicating total dissolved salts at the upper end of the compliance range of <10 ds/m (AS4454-2012). There is also a high concentration of soluble plant nutrients in this product. As a result this strong fertiliser should be used in the volumes as prescribed in the application rate table. The ph level is not within the compliant range and also limits the recommended application of the product. It may be adjusted with lime as prescribed in the application rate table.
Sensitive plants Lightly scratched in surfaced applied Hoed in to 10cm Dug in thoughly to 25cm at soil preparation with lime added at 1/4 rate of fertiliser Young and small plants Vegetable seedlings Leaf and root vegetables Tomato and capsicum Herbs Bulbs Fruit trees, plum, peach, apricot Garden Varieties of Azalea, Camellia, Clivia, Conifers, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Lonicera, Magnolia, Nandina, Phmium, Proteas, Rhododendrons, Yucca <2.5 litres per = 2.5mm layer sprinkled on top scratched in lightly to 5cm 1.7kg/m 2 <5 litres per = 5mm layer hoed to a minimum depth of 10cm 3.3kg/m 2 <10 litres per = 10mm layer thoughly dug in to spade depth of 25cm 6.7kg/m 2 Australian natives Sensitive to phosphus Particularly Pittospum, Grevillea Established lawn <2.5 litres per = 2.5mm layer sprinkled on top scratched in lightly to 5cm Surface application only Surface application only 1.7kg/m 2
Tolerant plants and general use Lightly scratched in surfaced applied Hoed in to 1cm Dug in thoughly to 25cm at soil preparation with lime added at 1/4 rate of fertiliser Established gardens Garden shrubs and trees Acacia, Banksia, Callistemon, Citrus, Casuarina, Cdylines, Crea, Eucalyptus, Ficus, Hibiscus, Leptospermum, Melaleuca, Oleanda <10 litres per = 10mm layer sprinkled on top scratched in lightly to 5cm 6.5kg/m 2 <20 litres per = 20mm layer hoed to a minimum depth of 10cm 13kg/m 2 <40 litres per = 40mm layer thoughly dug in to spade depth of 25cm 26kg/m 2 Applications should be limited to 4 annually, once per season on the same area. Acid soils with a ph below 5.5 should use this product in combination with garden lime, adding lime to 1/4 the volume of the fertiliser to make a 20% lime 80% fertiliser blend f application. Where applying the fertiliser regularly on a seasonal basis to the same ground at the lightly scratched hoed in rate without lime, add lime once a year at the recommended rate f acid soils with one of the applications. The application rates are not adjusted by soil types as the salinity of the mix is the limiting fact regardless of the soil. Always water in well, washing off any fertiliser product that may have lodged in plant foliage.
1/40 Albert Road South Melbourne VIC 3205 03 9684 4600 03 9684 4699 Suite 203, 50 Marshall Street Surry Hills NSW 2012 02 9339 9800 02 9331 0537 www.closedloop.com.au info@closedloop.com.au