Nice info.. Needless to say that we all have different sources for our compost at different times of the year.How does a person achieve this combination?
Everything has a C:N value, and here are some values of ingredients....
Leaves (fallen, brown in color) - 50:1
Paper - 400:1
Grass clippings - 15:1
Fruit scraps - 35:1
Vegetable scraps - 20:1
UCG's - 20:1
*Mix ingredients by volume, not weight.....
If you combine equal parts of leaves and grass clippings, the overall C:N ratio would be 32:1
- leaves and UCG's, the overall C:N ratio would be 35:1
- paper and grass clippings, the overall C:N ratio would be 207:1
If paper is your only resource of browns, you will need to add TONS of greens to achieve an overall mixture of 30:1. It would be something like -
1 part paper, 20 parts grass clippings - for an overall combined C:N ratio of 33:1
*Needless to say, paper is not a good choice of browns......
You actually followed the rules for anaerobic composting - which is the exact opposite of a pile that needs to be turned to let in air and kept moist but not wet. Anaerobic composting works on the principle of bacteria that thrive in an environment without oxygen. The key to anaerobic methods, is lots of moisture, about 70%, and sealed up tight. Leave it alone long enough, and it will rot, just like the aerobic method. Sounds like a great alternative for small spaces. Here's a web source with more information: https://www.compostjunkie.com/anaerobic-composting.htmltenderloingardener wrote: I shut the bag (a large thick plastic bag, clear, resused- I think shopping bag), and left it alone throughout the remainder of the summer and through an especially mild winter.
Is it possible that, through sheer negligence, combined with a low quantity of greens, along with no paper I've made some compost- or at least a nutrient dense stuff I can add in as an enrichment?
I followed none of the rules, so I wonder if anyone can guess if I have something okay or harmful?
Lol, I did the same. Tried to use the goo and it's not completely useless. You can put it on outdoor plants like fertilizer, but not indoor ones; it stinks.JPNguyen wrote:Absolutely great tutorial! I was planning on doing this and thankfully I found this post. I was actually thinking of just tossing everything into a bucket... good thing I didn't or else I would have a lot of goo.
I wish I had found this years ago. Is good to know that the solution I came to is actually a viable solution. Add what I have when I have it, keep it damp and turn it when I can. One day it dawned on me that my two compost piles were actually very low maintenance pets - need to feed them, water them and pay attention to them on a regular basis. Composting became much easier at that point.rainbowgardener wrote: Here's my lazy gardener composting:
1) throw everything compostable in my wire bin as it comes along
2) cover greens with browns (I keep some browns, like bags of fall leaves or a bale of straw in the summer, handy for the purpose)
3) if dry enough to water the garden, water the compost pile
that's it!
4) about three times a year, take all the uncomposted stuff off the top of the pile, down to where the earthworms are, to be the bottom of a new pile. What's left is lovely compost!