Composting suggestions?
December 8, 2009 by Composting
Filed under Composting Q&A's
Kerr asked:
I am going to compost this year. Any suggestions? Also, where can I get an inexpensive container to keep outside??
I am going to compost this year. Any suggestions? Also, where can I get an inexpensive container to keep outside??
buzzards27 on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 1:59 am
use a section of chicken wire fence about 7 feet long. form it into a cylinder about 24 in diameter [bend over a few ends of wire to secure it] and stand it up. fill it with your yard waste. when you want to use the material and/or flip the mass [good rotation of material speeds decomposition] just undo the fence and expose your pile. we keep two or three going this way.
it is best to have plenty of moisture, air and light and a good rotation of material. another thing to do is as you are layering your material, alter between types [ie grass clipping, leaves, dirt, grass clipping, etc]
RScott on Thu, 10th Dec 2009 7:41 am
A compost pile says it all, you don’t need a fancy smancy doohickey to do it. If you really need to corral your pile use a little chicken wire or stack some landscape timbers. these allow you to move the pile easily when turning it over. RScott
Untitled on Sun, 13th Dec 2009 2:05 pm
Any garden catalog company, such as Burpee (the first one that comes to mind). We built three chambers out of wood and chicken wire, and we turn it often and move it when it’s ready. We also keep a good container in the kitchen for kitchen compost. It has a charcoal filter so it gets air but doesn’t smell.
It’s the best thing for your gardens and well worth the effort. Good luck!
nickynoodle on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 6:43 am
I am a lazy composter, I determine where I want my next raised flower to bed and just start the compost pile there. It usually takes about a year for it to turn to compost, but would not take as much time if you turned it. I also drive around and look for leaves in plastic bags, I poke a few holes in them put them where they won’t freeze and use the compost the following year.
Kacky on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:02 am
Call your city public works department and see if they have a deal on compost bins. Ours was selling them for 30 bucks as opposed to more than a hundred if you bought it yourself. They did it because they want us to use plastic bins instead of putting it on the ground.
I have the bins that sit up off the ground and you spin them. My advice is don’t get discouraged. It goes through stages where it’s very gloppy and smelly. Just keep adding dry material when that happens, like dryer int, torn paper and chopped leaves. Also try not adding any water. I never put in water, yet sometimes I have to tip them up to let water run out by the gallon. The food scraps already have plenty of water in them.
juncogirl3 on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 7:49 am
Just pick a spot outside that will receive plenty of sun. You can put inexpensive fencing around the site but if you dont have animal problems, you dont need the fence. Here are some pointers about composting. To have a good compost you need a 30 to 1 ratio of green material to brown material. Green material is veggy scraps, fresh yard clippings, deadhead from plants, anything really that is plant material and mostly fresh. Brown is things liked shredded leaves, sticks, dried up grass clippings, totally dead plants. The 30 to 1 is nitrogen (green) to carbon (brown) So if you put one bucket of green into your compost, you want to add 30 buckets of brown. It is important to have lots of sun to help your compost cook. You also need to keep the pile moist. You will need to turn the pile to keep activity going. If you find you have too much green material (grass clippings) add some sawdust as sawdust is a nitrogen reducer. Sawdust will also keep yor compost finer. Do not add sawdust if you have too little green material. Good luck. Compst is the best thing you can use in your garden.
tony on Sun, 20th Dec 2009 7:28 pm
most of these answers are good, but there is one thing that wasnt mentioned. Worms.
Worms not only help break down the material into compost faster but adds even more nutrients to the compost. Also there is less odor from the pile.
barney on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 2:31 am
Are you composting year round or just this summer?Also is it for leaves or vegetables? I ask these questions because each style will require a different type of worm.Plus you must take into concideration if you are planning on overwintering your worm supply and keeping your adults reproducing indoors all winter long.Wormfarming is a very interesting ,allbeit,somewhat expansive (not expensive) area requiring a little research to maximize its potential.But it certainly is an interesting and enjoyable additive to your backyard and garden.Here are a couple sites to get you started.Hope i was helpfull,enjoy.