Composting: One man's trash is a gardener's treasure

[sagedavis]

The concept? 2 heads are better than 1. Or in our case, maybe 10 heads.

As a fairly new gardener, I am leaning more and more toward being a self-sufficient gardener, where the only thing that I might need to buy is starters or seeds from other sources, or maybe even trade them. I know there is a term for this but I can't remember what it is off the top of my head.

This is one reason why I started the "water water everywhere" discussion. I believe that there is a lot of information on the net, and while I do trust that most of the information provided is probably accurate, I think discussing issues amoung groups allows for more understanding of pitfalls and good tips.

With this in mind, I wanted to open a discussion about composting. I know, here and there a more specific question is asked, but, it would be nice to see what people are doing for compost. Personally, I plan on starting a compost area by the end of this month, so perhaps this discussion will offer me some information that I can not find elsewhere.

So, to the questions for discussion:

1.) Which composting method are you using and after using it, do you wish you used another method or are you happy with it?
2.) Are you using all possible compostable materials in your 'heap' or are you more picky about what goes in it?
3.) Post your favorite website(s) that talk about composting, and obviously, the ones with tips that you trust from your own experience.

And, any tips and tricks to avoiding pitfalls that newbies can get into.

I can't wait to start my composting here. Today I was looking at the amount of trash I throw away, and realized that more than half of what I send to the landfill could be used to make compost.

Thanks in advance for your submissions.
Sage

[Gnome]

Sage,

Sorry I'm so late to this but here are a few thoughts. I just replied to your other thread with some ideas so I won't repeat here. I usually keep it pretty simple, my primary ingredients are shredded leaves and fresh grass clippings.

Here's how I usually do it. In the fall after the leaves drop I shred them with the mower and use them as mulch for various things around the yard. The following spring I combine the leaves with the new grass clippings to create the pile. Use whatever organic material you have on hand though, there are many options. Any weeds that I pull usually go into the pile.

One technique I have abandoned is using brush at the bottom of the pile. It is intended to help with aeration but I have found that if you turn your pile frequently this is unnecessary and is more of a nuisance since it will not decompose as quickly as the softer components.

Also some items, such as corn cobs, take too long to break down since I don't have any sort of chipper/shredder. This leads to another point, the smaller the particles that you start with the quicker they will break down

Although I have been a little lax lately in the past I have collected kitchen scraps in five gallon buckets for inclusion in the piles. I incorporate this into the piles when I build them or when I perform the first or second turning of the pile. As the pile approaches being finished I withhold the scraps. Be aware though that this method is not for the faint of heart, the buckets can get pretty ripe. No meat or fat goes into any of my piles as it tends to attract animals.

I'm not sure what types of trash you are referring to but be careful what you include especially if the finished material is intended for your vegetable garden.

Norm

[rosemariebruss]

I've been using compost to enrich soils for many years. When my husband and I were still tenants in a 2-family home and lived on the 2nd-(and 3rd) floor, I created a compost bin from a large trash barrel, painted it black, poked holes all around and cut a 'lift-up-door' on the bottom perimeter. I kept this on a deck off the main living level. Since it was out of reach of foragers, I could use kitchen parings, egg shells, coffee grounds and over-ripe produce.

Now in our own home, I need to be more careful about how the compost is fed since a neighborhood raccoon would delight in vegetable parings et al. I've heard of using shredded newspaper as mulch, but not as an ingredient for compost. The area I was thinking of for compost bin is in a shaded location. How much sun is needed to 'cook' the compost?

I look forward to hearing what other gardeners are doing.

[Gnome]

rosemariebruss,

Hi Rose.

How much sun is needed to 'cook' the compost?

None, the heat that "cooks" the compost is a byproduct of the microbial action inside the pile. They can get surprisingly hot too, with steam rising from the pile on cool mornings.

A fresh pile that includes the proper ingredients/moisture will heat up by itself. As the oxygen inside is depleted the pile cools and must be turned to re-introduce oxygen. This cycle is repeated several times until the pile will no longer heat up. This is the fast method, as opposed to simply allowing the materials to rot on their own.

Proper moisture is also necessary. Keep the pile neither wet nor dry, kind of like a wrung out dish rag. Also don't overlook the fact that a certain amount of physical mass must be present to allow the pile to retain heat. A minimum of three cubic feet seems to be about right.

Norm