compost bin gardening

[sheeshshe]

I think next year I am just going to grow food out of compost bins. I think I'll get a bunch of rubbermaid type containers and keep filling them with my composting veggies and grass etc, and just let it all grow. I'm thinking that it is mostly what makes sense for me and my issues I have with gardening!

This is my reasoning. My chickens wouldn't stop bothering my compost pile, so I scooped it all up and put it into a couple rubbermaid bins. I have so many melon plants and tomato plants that are so beautiful and growing so well! the rest of my garden is utterly pathetic. So, perhaps this may be a good choice for me next year. They're clearly loving it and thriving!

[applestar]

Now you just have to systematize it.

Do you know approximately how long the chickens "worked" the compost pile? How "old" was the compost pile when you collected it?

Don't think of it as your "compost pile" as in you are going to keep it in a airy but compact 3 ft cubed pile and let it break down completely. Think of it as chicken scratch station. I've always heard that adding that particular process does wonders for the compost pile.

You need to figure out the ideal stage to collect the worked compost and give the chickens a new pile to work on.

[sheeshshe]

Hmmm. that is an interesting point. Most of what went in there was new scraps that were out there maybe a couple of weeks?? It wasn't long at all.