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Garden Gate:  Composting  |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 04:32:09 AM
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I am in need of instruction! I have no real experience in this and need some help.
I am trying to start a compost pile, or rather started one last year. In an attempt to aspease my MIL who lives with us I started it in an old chest freezer, so the neighbors wouldn't have to look at it. It didn't work too well. I couldn't turn it and she would close the lid on it daily, so it wouldn't stink up the place she said.
Well, it didn't compost hardly at all and I'm gonna fix it this year. I have turned the freezer over so I can get the stuff out. My DH wants to build two bins, or rather three sided structures, to house the compost. One for this year and one for next year.
Is that gonna be good enough? Giving this years compost, as well as last years mess, all of next year to break down too. I would basically building a pile during the first year, then turning it for a second year, then using it. Will it be usable by then?
Is there something I need to be doing besides turning it?
I throw in all vegetable matter that is not edible from the kitchen, some leaves, and grass clippings. Do I need to add anything else?
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 05:04:13 AM
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Angela- I keep reading from people who know compost, that it should be usable in a few months!
Sigh....I am trying too, but I just have it to use by the end of summer.
It definitely needs to be in an open bin, to get air and light in there. There's a percentage of green and brown things that need to go in. Usually if I have a lot of green things, I will add some shredded paper too. I have been turning mine almost daily. I am hoping that having the chicks now, and using their droppings plus the pine shavings they are on, it will help. Oh, and once in a while I throw some dirt in there.
I know I'm not much help, but am sure that someone more experience than me will post here, and help us both out!! :)
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 05:10:22 AM
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I kinda figured it being all closed up last year stopped the proccess from working. If you got usable by summers end your doin better than me. It's been 12 1/2 months and you can still identify nearly everything in mine. :(
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 06:42:01 AM
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Angela- Definitely being closed up didn't help you pile. I am glad your husband is building you some bins- that will really help out a lot!
There are a few things that compost piles need to be effective. Most people can't build a compost heap big enough to really get the compost working. If in heap form, (no bins or anything) you need it to be about 4 square feet. That's a pretty big heap. Then the next thing you need to do is add your organic material. I usually start mine out with grass clippings and leaves.
The way I learned to build a compost heap is to put down about 3 inch thick layers of your organic material, then put down a layer of soil (about 1/2 inch to an inch) and keep layering like that. The soil needs to be good "alive" soil from somewhere that has some natural composting going on (like under a tree), and if it has some worms in it, all the better!
Then once you get the pile all formed, water copiously and let sit without turning for the first 2 weeks. After that turn the pile once or twice a week. Basically the idea is to build the layers with enough "food" to attact composting organisms like fungus, bacteria, worms, and other bugs that build a little ecosystem of decomposition with the end result being beautiful compost!
When you turn your compost pile it should feel HOT. If it is a chilly morning, your compost heap should steam. Keep it moist but not sopping wet. You should see some nice compost developing within the first month, and depending on how big your pile is, you should have some good usable compost be the end of the second month if not earlier. Of course compost decomposes faster in summer than in fall, winter, and Spring so do expect some delays during those seasons. Normally once temperatures get below about 50 in the day I stop turning my pile and let it retain as much heat as it can. Usually by spring I will have a pretty deep layer of compost on the bottom of the pile.
I hope that helps a bit?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
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pamcook
True Blue Farmgirl
228 Posts
Pam
Chapel Hill
NC
USA
228 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2010 : 12:29:14 PM
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I haven't read the article that Alee posted but I just used an old rubbermaid storage container (one of those big ones!). Drilled holes in the lid and in the bottom. Filled it about 1/4 full with dried leaves and then shoveled in some dirt. I've been adding our compostables from the house and short of shake it around from time to time. So far so good. It sits behind some shrubs and seems to get enough moisture from rain/dew. Supposedly, this method takes about 3 months for things to be breaking down.
www.ikat.org
www.longaberger.com/pamcook |
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sw80689
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Sharon
Papillion
Nebraska
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 2:32:40 PM
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Thank you to everyone for all the great info! I am new at this and it really helps.
Blessings,
Sharon
*We are all angels with one wing, the only way to fly, therefore is to embrace one another* |
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peafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
182 Posts
Penny
South Dakota
182 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 8:20:38 PM
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I am the proud owner of a new compost bin! After a limited amount of harassment, my DH raided a little of this and a little of that to make me one. We ran out of daylight to start loading it up, but tomorrow will see what we can get done ... after re-reading your advice, of course.
Penny
www.peafarm.weebly.com |
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Garden Gate: Composting |
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Composting
