Putting compostable items straight into the garden ?

thebahamiangardener · Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:28 pm

Hey guys,
I've composted for a while and boy was it fun, I did it in an old medium wooden crate, and now that big tim is indisposed indefinitely I've been putting fruit scraps and lots of coffee grounds straight into the garden. No that the corn , carrots, he shih KO and other sprouts r coming up , is this wise to continue and if I keep adding lemon rinds and clipped up palm leaves make the pile too acidic.

Ps all the compost in my previous compost went into making a garsden bed where I now empty my vegescraps.

Sage Hermit · Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:46 pm

So you been busy I see. Certain items we know break down fast enough. These are the ones you mentioned:

fruit scraps (banana peels?) -This is safe
lemon rinds - Not sure but I use acidic soil to grow herbs.
Palm leaves. not sure
Coffee grounds. I just read about feeding coffee to cold compost w/ worms

Here is another thing I just read. You can boil these items and make a tea. People have reported boiling organic stuff and then using the water containing the nutrients in the second page of the organic lobby. ^^

Sorry I can't be of more help

P.S. Coconut bread is the best bead on earth even better than banana

thebahamiangardener · Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:06 pm

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you figured my secret. I use this method of tea making . I boil them with mollases as well and then strain and I foliar feed it.

Sage Hermit · Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:42 pm

Yeah I ready you old threads.

MysticGardener67 · Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:58 am

I don't see any reason why not. All compost piles do is accelerate natural decomposition process with an added benefit of pasturizing the compost.

Just don't go crazy with it, ya know. all things in moderation.

rainbowgardener · Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:05 am

I've known people who didn't compost, just buried kitchen scraps directly in the garden. They will break down, but it's a different process (anerobic) and doesn't produce the same kind of balanced fertilizer you get from your compost pile. In the meantime, in my yard, the buried scraps would immediately be unburied by the resident raccoons (currently hibernating), possums (don't hibernate), shrews, etc.... And if they do manage to stay buried then, you need to mark them so that you don't accidentally unbury a slimy nasty mess of half broken down kitchen scraps, while working in the garden.