Composts made from coffee processing residue (CFPR), source separated municipal solid waste (MSW), sewage sludge and wood chips (SSWC), and sewage sludge, wood ash, wood chips and leaves (SSACL) were examined as replacements for the peat, perlite and sand found in a conventional potting medium. The perennial flower Rudbeckia hirta L. ‘Goldilocks’ (Black-Eyed Susan) was grown in media composed of 0, 10, 25, 50, 80, and 100 (percent by vol) of each compost. Leachate from media containing 0, 25, 50, and 100% compost was tested for NO3-N and NH3-N + NH4-N to determine if compost would increase the potential for potting media to be a source of nitrate in surface and ground water. The effects of two mid season applications of liquid fertilizer on plant growth and nitrogen leaching were also examined.Compared to a conventional medium without compost, differences in the growth of Rudbeckia in media with compost were few. Statistically significant decreases in growth occurred in media containing 80 and 100% CFPR, ...