Composting

[JiveTurkey]

One of my friends was reminding me I need a compost pile yesterdee, and I assured her it was on the list of things to do.

We started it today. :D

So, besides plant materials, what else is appropriate to pile on it?

[LazerFlash]

One of my friends was reminding me I need a compost pile yesterdee, and I assured her it was on the list of things to do.

We started it today. :D

So, besides plant materials, what else is appropriate to pile on it?Just about anything organic in nature, except meat products. Remember also to turn it regularly and if it starts to dry out, wet it a little bit...

[JJ2148]

Poop, I have some if you want it!

[Wormdoc]

I put all my kitchen veggie and fruit and bread stuff in mine, as well as garden waste (except for the bad weeds). No meats, dairy, pet waste.

Shredded newspaper and stuff like that works well, too, and coffee grounds and tea bags. Grass clippings are great.

[BigTom]

I read somewhere that if you add a little lime (the mineral not the fruit) it makes things break down faster and reduces any smell.
The same article also talked about the advantages of composting in plastic trash bags.

[sidhe]

Egg shells, crush them up a little first.

[LazerFlash]

No meats, dairy, pet waste.
Poop, I have some if you want it!While you shouldn't use dog or cat waste, if you have rabbits, you can compost their little poops. Just try not to get too much of the liquid waste.

[sidhe]

When using poop, generaly you don't use the poop of a carnivore, if that helps.

[JiveTurkey]

When using poop, generaly you don't use the poop of a carnivore, if that helps.
Makes sense. I used some of Big Tom's poop.

[tamram]

[QUOTE= I used some of Big Tom's poop.[/QUOTE]

I was laughing like crazy when reading this. Yes, I know Tom sells natural fertilzer, but the way this read, especially after not using the carnivore's droppings. Been working in the sun all day, so excuse my chuckles.

[toberah]

I read that too. :) Figured he must be a vegetarian.

[newyacker]

Makes sense. I used some of Big Tom's poop.

But he's a carnivore :D

Oops, someone beat me to the joke!

[TheEditor]

For proper degrading of compost it is necessary to have a balanced mixture of both "green"/nitrogen (vegetable/organic matter) & "brown"/carbon (plant matter like dried leaves, shredded wood, dirt, etc. But make sure the brown is shredded or broken down into tiny pieces.) Without the brown, your kitchen scraps won't break down properly & you will be left with a stinky pile of rotting food.

[BigTom]

Makes sense. I used some of Big Tom's poop.
Trust me squatting in JT's back yard Sunday afternoon wasn't something I'm proud of but you've got to take that dump (load) somewhere.
Help me acheive my goal of covering the mountain with a thin layer of poop.
When you think of poop think of BigTom!

[cjb]

Where to place it: Convenience and on the dirt. The organisms that make it work come up out of the ground - so don't put your pile on a concrete or gravel bed. Convenience, if it's not convenient, those good composting scraps will end up in the trash (banana peels are wonderful in the compost). Maybe have a small countertop bucket to hold things until they go outside?? My mom used a 2qt cardboard milk jug (open) next to the sink. I have a 1 gal coffee can (w/ lid & closed) under the sink.

What goes into it:
Everything that comes out of your kitchen can go into the compost except: Meats & Dairy as these two items will attract undesirables. (egg shells OK) & Chop it up (not half a watermelon rind - cut it up)
Everything that comes out of your garden can go into the compost - no exceptions: Bugs, weeds, plants, mulch, "used up" potting soil.

There is the "perfect" ratio of green (live/nitrogen) to brown (dead/carbon) material being mixed into a compost pile (50/50 by weight) - but unless you want to be a Master Composter, you really don't need to worry about it. A pile of nothing but dead leaves WILL compost. Branches should be chipped. Remember, they are tiny organisms trying to work for you. Big Bites (branches) are hard to digest.

No pet "leavings" please.
Unless chickens, ducks and the like are your pets. :thumbsup: If anyone here has chickens and NOT a compost pile - shame!! They do wonderful things to a compost pile.

Humanure is acceptable provided it has aged prior to entering the compost pile. Sorry BigTom, but you shouldn't dump straight into the pile. :D

[cjb]

Turn the pile on occasion. Once a week is great though once a year will work also. Turning it will take the top / fresh material and put it on the bottom. The bottom / processed material will be on top. The more regular the turns (weekly or monthly) the quicker the pile will cook. But IF - YOU - NEVER - TURN the pile, it WILL still compost - just very, very, very, slowly.

Water your pile on occasion. Should stay moist but not soaking. On a day like today (rain/rain) it is good if you can cover it to protect it from flooding. There are living organisms in your pile - micro and macro - They need a drink and they don't like to drown.

Watch it cook and it will cook, the inner core temp has been demonstrated - in a large pile / experiment - to work as a water heater. On a small scale you may notice steam when you turn and water it.

AND - to dispute popular belief, I have never "smelled" a compost pile. We keep ours just outside the kitchen door which also happens to be near my bedroom window. And I keep the windows open.

[derricksonb]

We have a quasi-compost pile at the edge of our property that contains mostly mulched leaves and lawn clippings. It is slowly finding it's way from the pile to the new garden and will be tilled in to the soil and treated with lime before winter.

[HolyCannoli]

We have extra chicken manure if someone wants it for their compost!

[BigTom]

For those of you who have gotten poop from me add a little of it to your compost piles in layers. The stuff in the poop will help your compost break down faster. I have a real good article on composting at our hunting camp I'll pick up and post next time I go there.

[KatherineA]

For those of you who have gotten poop from me add a little of it to your compost piles in layers. The stuff in the poop will help your compost break down faster. I have a real good article on composting at our hunting camp I'll pick up and post next time I go there.

I do that and it works great. I was very excited (doesn't take much) this spring to have a couple of 5 gal pails of great compost stuff to put on the garden - even though I am not good at turning the pile as often as I should.

Also - there are biodegradable compost bags that fit in those cute (sort of) kitchen compost pails. I like them, particularly in the summer when stuff get yucky fast (I confess, I do not take the veg. scraps out after dinner each night - mainly because dinner is usually at 9:00 p.m.) Using them, the pail only gets semi disgusting after a few days and is easier to clean.

[JiveTurkey]

I think those pails are cute too. I would like to try to find an Oscar the Grouch cookie jar for it, that would be funny. Right now I'm just using a tupperware bowl tucked in the cabinet.

[TheEditor]

I think those pails are cute too. I would like to try to find an Oscar the Grouch cookie jar for it, that would be funny. Right now I'm just using a tupperware bowl tucked in the cabinet.

Also, I reuse the plastic bags from bread and/or other packaging. I keep adding to the bag & keep the bag in the fridge until I have a chance to bring it downstairs & dump it in the pile. I usually only dump it once per week, to give you an idea how long you can keep it in the fridge w/o it stinking up.

[cindylu]

Right now I'm just using a tupperware bowl tucked in the cabinet.

Yep, reusing an old plastic container then I dump it onto the compost heap.

[kemeigen]

Yep, reusing an old plastic container then I dump it onto the compost heap.

us too. we keep it under the sink, P empties it every couple of days.

[Girlyjeep]

I bought The Composter Ball thingy from Costco. I love it!!! I was not too keen on attracting snakes to an outdoor pile. So I go out and roll the ball, done.

[LazerFlash]

I bought The Composter Ball thingy from Costco. I love it!!! I was not too keen on attracting snakes to an outdoor pile. So I go out and roll the ball, done.That looks significantly different than the one mentioned previously this year. How mow did it cost and how big (cubic feet) is it? Does the ball just sit in the frame and you spin it? How easy it to spin? What about leaks?

[Girlyjeep]

Its spins on the base, kind of heavy but doable. It has a bigger lid, then a smaller one in that. It does leak, but very little. It comes with a tool to help spin it.
I can't find the cubic ft capacity info, its about three ft across.
$200 delivered.