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Garden Gate:  Help on Compost  |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
 Posted - May 31 2009 : 12:10:40 PM
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How are you composting? What is an easy effective way to compost. Right now I just have a pile in the corner of my garden area. Does anyone have any ideas to make this more eye appealing & efficient? What do you do with your pulled weeds?
Erin
Farmgirl #190
www.concrete-and-grace.blogspot.com |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2009 : 12:22:46 PM
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| Erin, I use concrete blocks and made 3 bens about 4' X 5'. I pile weeds, chicken manure from the hen house, kitchen scraps and about everything else that will decompose. When one was piled high, I went on the the next, then the next. My first bin is 3 years old and have used all it's compost in the flower and herb and veggie gardens. I use a wire mesh sifter that lays on top the wheelborrow. Anything that has not decomposed gets put over into the next bin. Bin #2 will be ready when I need it, then will move on to bin #3. The bins are located in the veggie garden, close to the chicken house. |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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antoinette
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Toni
East Freedom
PA
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2009 : 5:17:33 PM
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Hi Belle,
Do you turn over your compost, or just let it sit? Toni |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2009 : 06:49:49 AM
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I have a compost bin I got through the city of Portland - they sell them every year for about $25. I compost kitchen scraps, veggie clippings, grass clippings, leaves, etc. The only thing I don't compost that goes into the city yard debris bins is thorny stuff, black berry vines and weeds that have started to seed (don't want them coming up all over the yard). I turn mine about once a week if I have been adding alot, if not, then about every two weeks.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2009 : 4:50:16 PM
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I do not turn my compost. I did for a while, years back. Can't see that it did much good. My bins are large enough that each one holds about a years worth of garden debrie and kitchen scraps. It may look full but then it rains and sinks a little. Since I have plenty of room, I just let it build until I use up Bin #1 then it becomes the bin that I start putting stuff into. I don't put grass clippings in the bins. They go directly on the garden for mulch.
Anyway to turn the bins, you would have to have an empty bin at all times. |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2009 : 9:39:12 PM
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Hi Erin!
At our horse corral we just pile the manure and let it compost,no container or turning but at home in the garden I made a simple compost bin out of discarded pallets,you can nail three together and then attach one in front with hooks and eyes to make a removable door for turning or shoveling it out,you can make a single bin and just pile it and let it rot or you can make a three bin system that you can fork it over in stages from fresh to partially composted to finished compost,I don't fuss with it that much,just fill the bins with material and let it rot,if you put too many nitrogen rich materials such as green grass clippings,manure,kitchen scraps,etc..then you would want to add some carbons to the mix such as leaves or straw and then mix it to reduce the odor but other than that I leave mine alone to rot.
Anyways,the wood pallets make a somewhat attractive and inexpensive compost container,you can even paint them or grow vines on them to disguise your bin and pretty it up.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
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sonshine4u
Chapter Guru
1205 Posts
April
New Prague
MN
USA
1205 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2009 : 11:08:45 AM
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My hubby took some galvanized metal fencing and put it in a circle. He zip tied it together and it stands on its own. It's worked out really well so far and keeps everything from spreading all over. It didn't cost much either. Make sure the grid is smaller so your composting stuff doesn't spill into the yard!
We stole the idea from The Garden Girl Pattie Moreno. You can go to her website to see what she does.http://gardengirltv.com/
Playing in the Sonshine
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/sonshine4u |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2009 : 11:19:20 AM
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| I had trouble coming up with enough of the carbon component for my compost. So last fall, I raked up nice dry leaves and kept them over the winter in a metal trash can with lid. Now I can add a layer of leaves to my kitchen scraps and weeds as needed. |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2009 : 10:02:00 AM
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| Kathryn, I used to use pallets but they became hard to get. Seems everyone has a use for them and a lot of times the companys that use them, recycle them so they don't give thme away. I also found that the bottom board decomposed before the compost did. We went with the cememt blocks because they will be here long after I am gone. Then my kids can do something with them. They probably won't use them as compost bins, probably sell them. Well, they have to have some kind of inheritance. |
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Garden Gate: Help on Compost |
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Help on Compost
