Black Kow Compost vs Earthgro Compost: Similarities and Differences 

My grandmother used only Black Michigan Peat, Holly tone, bone meal, and garden compost (Coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, leaves, etc...) That works for me too.

Black Kow is an excellent product! I recused my unproductive spring garden with it and yielded a wonderful fall harvest!

I used to use Black cow I called the company for weeks to ask them the feed that the cows are getting where does it come from and does it contain certain chemicals you cannot. Get anyone on the phone to answer those questions they will not answer those questions because I believe. What goes in comes out and if cows are being fed. Certain hormonal types of chemicals then it stays in the feces. Using grass and leaves as a compost is a much better way to go

I tried both and I had the same conclusion. I only buy the earth grow when I want to do yard patching but anything that I am growing food with its Black Cow all the way. Black Cow is one of the main ingedients in my living soil mixture.

I never used bagged manure compost by itself. Earthgro is a bit cheaper than a bag of top soil. So amending Earthgro with my homemade compost and organic fertilizer work like a charm for my heirloom vegetables. Either black kow or earthgro, their nutrients can only last for couple of weeks and have to be replenished more often once the fruiting starts. I live in north central Florida where sandy soil dominates. So steeping and top dressing with earthgro mixed with additional organic water soluble fertilizer to amend my 1 acre lawn saves a ton.

I believe my Black Kow was contaminated by Grazon. Good reason to keep those bags, or not, since it took me a while to figure it out.

Thanks! Worth the extra money for black cow.

I've been using Black Cow on my organic veggies for years, with great results. You really do get what you pay for!

Good information, thanks! I haven't seen Black Cow sold in my area but I will be on the lookout for it.

Thank you for the comparison. I also have sandy soil in North Central Ohio that I cover in natural wood chips for 20 years for yard plants. Everything grows like crazy,, even fruit tree cuttings will root. Started vegetable garden with sandy soil with decaying wood and leaves two feet deep. First year everything grew well. Plan to top dress with cheap bag compost with manure thinly then cover with leaves to retain moisture. Thinking a little bagged product is safe and will go a long way safely for moisture retention, low fertilizer, add some natural bio to the soil. Love being outside in my latter senior years.

Black Kow prices have soared, and unless they can tell me the cows were organically grown, raised without antibiotics, hormones, chemicals, etc., I wouldn't consider it organic. I mean, in a sense, it won't be organic, who knows what these kows have been subjected to. I watched their video on how it's made, and it was not detailed or specific at all.

I have used Earthgro for years in flower beds, and the Earthgro has greatly improved the quality of the clay soil in my yard. When I moved here, I never saw worms in the clay soil and today worms are prolific. My Earthgro has always been like dirt, and I recently spread in two beds and is smooth and appears to be dirt.

I do appreciate the comparison.

I noticed on Tractor Supply the Earthgro says "Not for container gardening". So that's a big factor for many of us.

You’ll have to do a garden update with the size of your plants in each.

It says organic on the bag, but small print on a different part if the bag, it is not for organic gardens. Which is it?

with the earthgro you basically paid a good bit for sticks and sand. I've done it, I've bought 'topsoil' that looked like that in bags. In my experience 8 out of 10 bags of these products are like this. I like Black Kow. Seems like it is rich. A good test would be the use the same pack of seeds and plant 3 zinnias in each. 4 weeks later badda bing badda boom

I bought 1 bag of black cow brand compost 3 years ago just to compare. When I opened the bag, it smelled like it just came out of a cow. It wasn't compost. It was manure and far too hot to use without further composting. I use earth grow all the time and it works great. The few larger pieces that you get should be sifted out to add to and charge your compost pile or as a top dress mulch. The smaller woody bits build soil life, encourages beneficial fungi and attracts earthworms while it slowly breaks down. If you are trying to build soil for the long term, I think earth grow is far superior if you aren't too lazy to sift it.

I have hydrophobic soil. I mixed earthgro/kellog raised bed soil and peatmoss. Yes I know peatmoss can be hydrophobic, but I want the slight acidification peat provides. I may convert to coco coir. Anyways that blend seems to help a little. I do need to get my veg garden soil tested for minerals and the NPK. 1st year corn was not optimal, but ok with full ears. Years 3 to present corn grows a little but never to the stage of ear production...I suspect hydrophobic soil is 1 part. Don't have access to leaves, but have access to grass, hopefully that helps.

Thanks for this. I didn't buy Blk Cow last year, afraid of maybe it stinking. Did not care for the Earthgrow. I have enough sticks, etc. I like things to be neat after all my work. (Have a bad back, & 75)

I don’t use anything from the big box stores anymore. Instead I contact the local municipality to see if they have compost. Almost everyone does and usually you can get a truckload free or for a small fee. I’ve gotten 5 yards from them for $22 a yard. Best part is that they know what they’re using to make it.

When clicking here I was hoping to see side by side test results . Also I will add here that sometimes the black kow I have used looked more like mulch and quit using it and went to the cheaper stuff as it seemed to be effective with plant growth.

The Black Kow I bought this year (Home Depot in the NE) is mostly sticks.

so if a cow eats non organic grains and hay is the manure still organic or does the manure have to come from cows that only eat organic? i know i could get all the horse manure i want for free from a house rancher that lives close but the meds and non organic feed shows up in the manure of the horse when tested, but a cow does have more sections in it's stomachs than a horse. i wise someone would test this because i would love to use it but nether one says for organic food production.

For whatever it`s worth you made me a Black Kow fan! I`m currently working 2 large flower beds in the corners of the yard here in coastal N.C. and added many pounds of chopped leaves pine needles and grass clipping into thick orange clay soil. Ordered 250 worms today as well as there was absolutely no life in that soil as far as the eye could see. Being winter is setting in i`ll top it off with Black Kow and then some Cypress mulch and let it all overwinter. Thanks for this informative video and it`s interesting that a bag with the name Earthgro is NOT for organic gardening which makes me wonder what the heck`s REALLY in it?

I've had 10 bags of black kow years ago that looked like the bag you opened. I just purchased 20 bags from home depot to set up my garden this year and 10 of those mags look worse than the earth grow, literally dry mulch visible pieces of wood. If I'm going to get product like that anyway I might as well switch to earthgro. Even last year black kow was trash and when I contacted the company by email they never replied back. I should do a video opening 1 of the bags.

From context black cow seems to be fully composted material with a temp log over a period of time allowing it to be organic certified. I have my doubts about how long or with how much rigor the other is composted. Probably going to pick some up and use it as starter bedding for a worm composter.

Great video and well I guess I should’ve read the labels! Genius I love it ❤❤❤🎉

For a large raise bed container , can I used Earthgrow compost in bottom half, used Black Kow compost in top half.?????

i purchased Black Kow yesterday and it was half larg sticks of wood. I had to sift it before I could use it. VERY disappointed. I wish I could find the Black Kow that looks like yours!

Just bought 12 bags of Timberline [looks like the same Earthgro bags] @2.58 a bag. Blackkow was 6.48. All at Lowes. Does seem to be a bit clumpy, but for the price I'm satisfied.

I would have liked to see the results of growing plants in each one.

Thanks for the video, I'm just starting out and was told to use Earthgro due to the price but unfortunately my local store only had Black Kow. Looks like the price difference is worth it, especially considering how small I'm starting out, I'd rather have the better product to get me started.

I buy the cheapest cow manure cubic foot bags and mix peat moss bone meal and a small amounts of sand for ground but when I use it for container I add perlite and maybe vermuculite or coco to hold moisture since you don't have the cappilary effect like in the ground.

The way things go today - are both products just coming out of different ends of the same factory???

The last bag of Black Cow I bought was full of wood chips. Since when do cows eat logs?

Black Kow quality is all over the board these days. Had some great bags last fall. We use it in the fall to put the gardens to bed with seaweed and Winter Rye.

Lowes sells a really good manure for the price I use it on my farm and can tell the difference when I grow with it and without! I'm also a landscaper and gave used it fir years when top dressing seed you can't beat the price with good results...

I used the earthgrow before seeing this. I do not know the difference in organic. Saw it on bag, but not sure if it effects produce for home use.

Hello, my name is Viola. Your video came across my timeline. I see by your about tab that you live Florida. I also live in Florida (Central). What part of Florida do you live? I pray that you weathered the storm and you didn’t get too much damaged. I use black kow too. That was a great comparison of the two. I am a new subscriber to your channel.

thanks for doing this

I've had great success with Black Kow. The price is good. I have no reason to try the other one. I also use my own home made compost.

Thanks for the video. It certainly was valuable.

How much medication from cows is in the poop?

To be honest, all compost, cow manure, chicken manure and etc, are just fillers with their own unique composition of NPK, micro nutrients from where ever the source may be, one customer can purchase a product and tell their friends how great it works and their friend buys the same product and gets negative results, this can happen and the reason is the soil composition is different which may requires addition component such as gypsum, or lime as an example and the pH of the soil can be an issue. Locations of the soil are not necessarily all the same.

I’ve used both. No issues

where did you buy those metal raised bed material. cool stuff :)

The additional cost is probably just because it's "certified"......although quality appears to be different as well.

I used to use Black Cow - and a combination of Miracle Grow & Sta-Green but 6:10 because of some signs of Grayzon with my veggies I have been making my own soil for the last several years using Peat, chicken litter, cotton but compost, perlite. Veggies do better. I think chicken litter is a much safer option than cow because of the Grayzon chances are slim to none.

THX GREAT TO KNOW❣👩‍🌾💚😎🙋🏻‍♀️👍

Black Kow bag doesn't mention "organic" or did I miss that?

Hi there Good job have good day and happy day.

In the grass clippings does it contain that deadly spray to kill the weeds. I know we have to do the best we can with what we got. When purchasing food from the market we would be surprised at what our food is grown in. Thanks for the information.

Can you compare the plants

Thanks for this information!

Black cow is 30 now and earthgrow is 4.69. Insane.

Since watching this video, I contacted both manufacturers. Black cow is not 100% cow manure. It does have other organic matter in it. It is not certified organic per the manufacture, but it only contains organic matter. Earthgro puts that info on their bag that it’s not to be used for organic gardens, they say because it’s not certified, but they also say the same thing as black cow it’s made with only organic matter. Black Kow just does not put that information on their label. But they are both the same. Per both manufacturers, there are no chemicals added, and both are made with cow manure, and other organic matter to make their compost. I know you have another video showing the results were better with Black Kow, but the beds were not in the same location, did not get the same sun, I’m not saying that you’re wrong, but I’m saying in order to make that statement, it needed to be identical comparisons. In my opinion.

what type of raised beds are you using?

Where did you purchase your metal beds?

Years ago when I bought Black Kow when I opened the bag it smell like Cow sh.t. Last and this year this situation has disappeared and it seems that the quality of the plant has also decreased. Maybe next year I have to think about it.

The earthgro uses composted bark and wood, thus the chunks of wood. That is supposed to be in there. The lighter color is due to beneficial bacteria, or good mold. Soil analysis actually shows that earthgro has more nutrients and fiber than black kow. Both are good though!

what was the results at harvest?

I have this fault of posting mid-video, didn't make it to the end of your video either. Does the old axiom, "You get what you pay for." apply? Back to your video .......... and possibly more edits!

DuPont Grazon or other types of content?

Where do I guy the compost that has actual cow in it?

Thanks!

Thank you

I use them both

For one bag of 100% at $5.97. For two bags of 51% (total 102%) at $3.74 (plus you get a bonus of compost). Decision made easy.

Black cow is probably one of the better but they still have Rock in the bags to make up the weight there is a cheaper brand by about 2 bucks that Walmart Home Depot Lowe's all carry it and it's the worst I was taking a half inch rock out of there and this is supposed to be compost Walmart also sells a fertilizer that's 10 10 10 I am getting them to replace it again this is the white bag fertilizer it had a lot of pebbles in its size of BBS to maybe a pallet I found all this rock after about 2 days of rain and that's what was left over in my garden or my fruit trees my yard

I got a bag of black cow that appeared to have construction rubble in it.

Black Kow all the way for my raised beds . well , it's a blend but yeah , Black Kow is the base .

I believe that the earth gro is organic however they have not "certified" it. That's my thought. Because the bag literally says "organic compost" 😏

I’ve gotten a LOT of clay clods in black kow…. Definitely not 100% cow manure.

I would suspect the one with compost has some biofill in it which is derived from the sewage industry or contains traces of persistent herbicide from the food the cows ingested. preparatory information unfortunately

I use the Earthgro for soil texture and the Black Kow for growth ooomph.

I subscribed.. Let's go!

Who knows what went in those cows before it came out. I go organic with compost.

What stores are selling at these prices?

HD in St. Augustine no longer carries it,

Only thing about putting anything manure in your eatable gardens is worrying if you was to get a bad bag or several and never knowing of listeria/ecoli/etc coming in contaminations with all of your food crops😮 then you/your family and whomever eats from the crop all of the sudden 😔 people start getting ill not expecting they could be dying/kidney failure/etc. so you truly have to ask your family is it worth risk at purchasing manure mixtures that you don't know who/how/what the animals it's coming from is being treated with/fed/kept in 😮 so I say... DO YOUR OWN COMPOST AND LEAVE THE ANIMAL'S EXPOSED MANURES FOR LIKE 🌺 PROPERTY LAWN SOILS AND EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO FERTILIZE EVENLY WO HAVING IT PART OF YOUR ACTUAL FOOD HARVESTING 🤓 👍💯 I started to think okay maybe try it. But with the backed up research I've done ✅ it's NOT WORTH THE $$$/HASSLE OF WORRY! Because if a cow/s get ill and the bags have been sold out before the company knowing then you purchase and already harvest then been eating off the harvest all of the sudden an FDA or any warning ⚠️ starts circling the Internet. Guess What... You now have you/all whom has eaten from your harvest at the major 🏥 billsssss getting tested for ecoli listeria and more and 🙏 Yalls LIVES AREN'T PLACED IN DEADLY DANGEROUS TERRITORY 😢!! It's no different than the human body... 🤔 About It. What we consume/We Put Right Back Out In Waste. So if any animal manure is put out. guess what... What those animals take/they put right back out but in larger quantities and just like HUMANS if we have a cold virus illness it can linger in our body for 3d - 10d before REARING IT'S OUTER UGLY HEAD!! ANIMALS WORK THE SAME WAY... THEY COULD HAVE ECOLI/LISTERIA ETC BUT IT GETS IN THEIR GUTT/BLOOD/WHEN THEY CRAP 😮 IT'S OUT/PLACED IN COMPOST PILES OF BINS AND PLACED OUT TOO OTHER WHOLESALERS AND MARKETERS/CUSTOMER PURCHASES/GOES HOME IMMEDIATELY ADDS TO YOUR "FOOD CROPS) WHAT THE VINES/ROOTS CONSUME IN OUR GARDENS THEY ALSO PUT OUT STRAIGHT THROUGH WHAT WE HARVEST AND EAT 😮!! ANIMALS - HUMANS - FOOD CROPS - ALL WORK TOGETHER WHAT WE ALL TAKE WE PUT BACK OUT!!! AFTER ALL WE ARE EACH (LIVING THINGS!)🙏 #HappyGardening #EnjoyTheFreeVitaminD #GrowSomething #HarvestFriendly #ShareWithOthers #EatSafelySmartly #GodsBeautifulEarth Is after all what we each as humans/animals/anything that is living and growing in one way to another have each been #BLESSED With 🙏 😉

The fine print on Black Kow doesn't assure the product is free of pesticides.

Hey the proof is in the pudding as they say. I would like to see the growth results from both after a season of planting the same crop. Otherwise everything you've pointed out so far is blah, blah, blah, marketing jingo.

I have used Black Cow several times. It smells like cow manure.

At home Depot ask the garden guy if they have any ripped bags 👍 trust me

I mix coconut husk into mines

I really like Black Cow, been using it for years. Wouldn't buy the cheap stuff!

I thought those contain little to no cow manure

Geart vidoe sis

The Earthgro at my retailer is basically a plastic bag filled with mud

If the cows get vaccines, eat GMO feed, hay from areas where weed killers are used. Some dairies use feed from breweries. I would never use cheap manure in my organic garden.

I use earthgro, and I have no complaints.

Black Kow doesn't look like that anymore. it's totally light brown with just a hint of manure in spots. I just purchased six bags of the so-called kow manure. What a joke, another American company gone crooked.

Earthgro is garbage but you can get it cheap. they use a sharp sand that pairs well with old played out peat or coir. sometimes you can get it real cheap on sale. I tend to grab alot and store it until I need it. having said all that I use black cow for mixing most my mix's

MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAVE GRAZON IN IT

I have a farm close to me I just go and get real cow shit for free. 😂

It can’t be organic because a lot of people put a lot of chemicals in their lawns to get it to grow and stay green . So those chemicals are in the grass clippings . Black is more money but you are getting compost cow manure , but the cows do hey and grass . But be sure that my farmer friends tell me in reality there’s no such thing as organic anymore .

Omri rating

Please do not use this type of product for vegetable gardens. These are good products for ornamentals and building up your turf soils. It can be added to your lawn in the late fall with a fertilizer spreader or simply hand-cast and during the months of winter will blend into the turf giving the spring appearance of your grass a big boost.

you smelled it, but the true test is tasting it. that would have given you a better analysis. lol