Got pallets to make my compost bin

[Hitched_Gibson]

...I'm new to gardening and I just got pallets to make my compost bin yesterday. I've also found loads of horse poo online. Anyway, I just had to tell someone who knows how exciting this is.

[gumbo2176]

Ah, life's little pleasures to a gardener. Free pallets and the manure to help fill them for composting. Doesn't get any better than that.

[rainbowgardener]

Good answer, gumbo!! Those of us who hang out a lot here in the composting forum, understand the magic of taking garbage and sh*t and making good rich soil out of it! Exciting indeed!

[Hitched_Gibson]

Hopefully this bug stays around. I don't think this is a hobby that I can learn and move on. Just got a reply on Craigslist so I'm going to pick up the poo after class.

[Hitched_Gibson]

And I almost forgot. Do I need a fork for the compost or will a shovel work(which I already have)?

[Hitched_Gibson]

So my free poop looks like dirt and mulch. Smells like dirt too. Did I get robbed?

[rot]

..
I think you got aged, all but composted manure. I bet you could just spread on the garden directly. You can always show some to one of your garden buddies to see what they say.

to sense
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[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, ask for your money back! Just kidding. Agree with rot, sounds like what you got was well aged, pre-composted manure. Great for your garden, not so much for your compost pile. You may have to look around for a different green (yes manure is a "green" not a "brown") for your compost pile.

[Hitched_Gibson]

Thanks. Now I've just got to come up with enough green to go in there.

[Kisal]

I recommend used coffee grounds.

[tomc]

New poo, will heat up your compost pile. Old poo will not hurt a compost pile, even if it does little to get a pile cooking. It is likely to be full of worm eggs if nothing else.

I might use that old poo directly on my garden. But its all good.

Tools: Their selection and which ones you need for a garden?

Some you'll buy new, some at yard sales. Some you should just take their measure of in the aisle in the garden section--for a *someday* purchase. Hauling manure for example in pails, may finally get old enough, that a wheelbarrow looks a whole lot more needful after a while.

From most often used by me-to specialized tools you want to able to identify.

Pointed shovel, D-handled pointed shovel
Watering can with a good rose
Rake, leaf, stiff, hoe-ogden hoe
Wheel barow
Mattock (or) Italian hoe.
Potato fork, manure fork
Axe, hachet
Maul, sledge
Wedge, cold chisel & feathers
Pry bar
sythe, sickle, whet-stone

Do you need all of these tools? as in right away? Nope. But you want to be able to identify them all, because very often the best examples will be used, and sold at yard sales and flea markets.

[Dixana]

I don't think I know what half of those are...though I might know the purpose they serve if I saw them.

I still only have a shovel, a hoe, something similar to a hoe, but has a different thing on the backside, a small selection of hand tools and 2 different types of nippers.....


And I think you got lucky with the aged manure It's easier to find green stinky poo than it is to find the good, already done stuff! (or it is around here anyway)

[tomc]

I don't think I know what half of those are...though I might know the purpose they serve if I saw them.

I still only have a shovel, a hoe, something similar to a hoe, but has a different thing on the backside, a small selection of hand tools and 2 different types of nippers.....


And I think you got lucky with the aged manure It's easier to find green stinky poo than it is to find the good, already done stuff! (or it is around here anyway)

Dixana, I agree, rotted manure, is good manure. Do we needs a tools thread?

Will you start one, or should I?

be well
tom c

[Hitched_Gibson]

I'll have to check the other source I found for the green. This place yesterday had everything from ants and bailing twine to old tools and wood in it.

[gumbo2176]

I'll have to check the other source I found for the green. This place yesterday had everything from ants and bailing twine to old tools and wood in it.

This is what my compost piles generally consist of in varying amounts.

Stable waste of horse manure, wood shavings and hay.
Shredded leaves (generally oak) due to availability.
Kitchen waste of veg. scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds etc. (no meat)
Grass clippings and garden waste
Shredded newspaper and household bills
The occasional fish and shrimp waste in the form of guts, heads and shells(bury this deep in the pile if critters are a factor)
Charcoal ashes when using the smoker a couple times a month.

Water occasionally to keep it from drying out, and turn every so often for a pretty fast breakdown.

The only tools I have are a nice digging shovel, hoe, machete for chopping heavy stems, what we call a "rock rake"---with the 2" stiff tines, and a leaf rake.

[Hitched_Gibson]

Well I skipped mowing last week so I should have some good green this weekend.

I'm good on takes and shovels but that's about it. I've only got 16 plants for this first planting so I should be okay for now.

[farmerlon]

Thanks. Now I've just got to come up with enough green to go in there.

If you've got grass (that's not treated with chemicals or pesticides), those clippings are an excellent green for the compost pile.

[pickupguy07]

I'm sort of like hitched...
Just put my first bin together today, and put something in it... more bins to build yet it seems.
I also have access to horse manure. Dad lives across the street from a lady with a few hourses, and she is GLAD to have us come muck her stalls for her... and we like the fresh manure. We got two trailer loads this spring and put them on our gardens.
Trailor is about 8' x 6'.. with 4' sides. SO it holds quite a bit. One load is all I want to move in one day. LOL
My garden is about 40 x 8 this season.. already plan on expanding to about 50 x 10 for next year.

This was the first time my ground had been tilled up (my first garden) and it is old red clay.. so needless to say we had to incorporate something to break up the earth, and add air to it. The manure come with straw so it seemed perfect. It was fresh manure so it added lots of nutrients to the soil. Items we planted are sprouting up and growing like gang busters. Looking forward to a good crop --- if I can keep bugs, etc out of them.

Now I need to go get a trailer load of manure and add it to my compost pile as I go along... should have some GREAT stuff by Fall to till into the soil... and maybe a decent bunch to till in before Spring planting.
We'll see.

[Hitched_Gibson]

I need to find a new poo supplier. Mine had all sorts of mess in it. I got it cleaned out and am trying to get it cooking. Not having any luck. I'm thinking about just tilling it all in my new expanded area.

[pickupguy07]

I've got several 'vine' items growing.. (watermellow, cucumbers, cantaloup, squash, etc).
So I bought some straw to put under them when they start grow.
It'll cut down on weeds, increase moisture, keep the crops off the bare ground, and be great mulch for when this years crop is done to till in.

[Hitched_Gibson]

Good to know.

[bogydave]

I need to find a new poo supplier. Mine had all sorts of mess in it. I got it cleaned out and am trying to get it cooking. Not having any luck. I'm thinking about just tilling it all in my new expanded area.

.

Good luck

[Hitched_Gibson]

I started with quite a bit of the dry manure. There is no heat in a pile, so maybe I just need to keep adding green. Or I could supply urine of another sort to get it going.

[pickupguy07]

I read where human urine is very good for a compost pile...
Anywone use it in theirs?

[bogydave]

I read where human urine is very good for a compost pile...
Anywone use it in theirs?

I read that somewhere to & tried it. Big problem!
I did it one winter. It was a real cold -30°f day.
A very big problem occurred right away.
It was so cold, the yellow icicle froze instantly & I was stuck to the compost pile.
I screamed for the wife to come out with a hammer to break the icicle.
Whew!! What a learning experience

[rot]

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Thanks for the lessons learned. - 30 F: don't pee outside.

I pee on the bin all the time. I stop days ahead of time when I know I'm getting ready to turn. Some things I don't want to shovel.

to sense
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[rainbowgardener]

A couple threads where the human urine in the compost pile has been discussed before:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175050#175050

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=165051#165051

[Hitched_Gibson]

And I thought it stopped at manure on Craigslist and dumpster diving.

[bogydave]

I'm more comfortable throwing some 22-4-4 fertilizer in the pile for nitrogen than some other nitrogen sources.
I'm told it's no longer "organic" but I'm OK with that. The components used to make fertilizers are derived from Mother Nature, so IMO, fertilizer is acceptable to me. To me it beats "bone meal" & "blood meal" , which can be called organic but are derived from slaughter houses from animals that have been injected with many hormones & antibiotics. But I didn't get asked when they came up with the "certified organic" specs.
Just my opinion.

[rainbowgardener]

Synthetic fertilizers are petroleum based. It is derived ultimately from Mother Nature, but not a renewable resource.

I try to make my property a closed loop, nothing comes in, nothing goes out. It's not perfect because seeds and potting soil do come in, in the spring, and occasional plants as well. Eventually, I'm hoping with worm bin and more compost to eliminate most of that. But definitely nothing goes in to my compost pile that didn't come from my kitchen or the yard. And no yard "waste" goes out... I burn wood, chip up smaller wood for mulch.

[bogydave]

Good info. I don't know the whole process of fertilizers.

I know it works my yard likes it & I've thrown some urea in compost pile to get them cooking.

[rot]

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I'm with rainbow but I do drag home the coffee grounds to add to things. I can't see paying money for something that's just going to compost so no ferts no bone meal.

One day my waste stream is going to be a trickle.

to sense
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[pickupguy07]

I have a question about using pallets to make your compost bins.
I saw several drawings and pictures of ones people had built.
Looked like the 'top' side of the pallets were turned in to hold the compost better. I also saw where the gaps between the top boards were filled in... maing the surface against the compost pile fairly solid. Only small gaps - maybe 1/4 inch or less between boards. This all makes perfect sense since you want to keep the compost from falling through the cracks.

Now I read that the pile needs plenty of air... if you don't fill in the slots, obviously the compost will fall out, seem to attract more pest, vermin, etc.
But I was curious how much air is 'enough'... and if the gaps filled in will inhibit the composting process.

I have one bin built as I described above. Kinda need to stop building any more I think until I get some various ideas on this. Hate to go to a lot of work and it be detrimental also.

[Hitched_Gibson]

I just put the top sides in. It really doesn't come through that much. Maybe every five times I turn it, I will clean up what fell out. [/img]

[bogydave]

Pic of mine
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6262.jpg[/img]

[Hitched_Gibson]

Makes sense. Once I get good at this whole gardening thing, I think I'll make one like that.

P.S. What part of Alaska are you in? We moved from FBX about a year ago.

[bogydave]

[quote="Hitched_Gibson"]Makes sense. Once I get good at this whole gardening thing, I think I'll make one like that.

P.S. What part of Alaska are you in? We moved from FBX about a year ago.[/quote]
south central

[rot]

..
I haven't had much fall out of my pallet bins.

Now I nail window screen to keep the critters out so when I make a new one, I look for wider gaps as long as I'm going to nail down the window screen.

to sense
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[pickupguy07]

Bogy_Dave
whats the pipes at the bottom for.??
Anyone else use these

[toxcrusadr]

Rainbowgardener wrote:

Synthetic fertilizers are petroleum based.

Not to be fussy but I thought this would be interesting for everyone:

The N component (ie ammonium nitrate) is made by reacting nitrogen and steam at high temperature and pressure (the Haber process) which takes a lot of natural gas. Sources indicate 3-5% of the world's natural gas production goes to producing 100 million tons per year of ammonia, ammonium nitrate and urea.

P and K are from mined materials like phosphate rock, potash and bat guano.

Of course, all of this takes a lot of petroleum to ship the stuff all over the place, but there is no petroleum in fertlizer.