Composting

[grrlscout]

I'm interested in hearing about everyone's composting set ups, and to share what I'm doing.

Last year, when I first set up the garden, I built a compost bin out of some wood pallets I found.

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It was OK. Simple and free to build, but kind of ugly, and didn't work well for our climate. It was a little too well ventilated, so it was always too dry to break down.

So last week, I disassembled the pallet bin (I plan on using those to build a potting bench). I picked up a couple of these old trash bins at the dump. They cut the bottoms off and drill holes in them. They were $5.00 a piece. I'm glad I got two, because I nearly filled one with what was in the old bin.

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This will be my "cold composting" operation. That basically means, you dump stuff into it and wait. It takes a long time (like, a year or two) to make usable compost, but it's about as easy as you can get. Add leaves, add kitchen scraps, repeat x 1000.

In addition, using kitty litter buckets, I made a four tier worm bin, for my "hot composting".

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The top three tiers have holes drilled in the bottom. The plan is, as they fill up the lower level, you add food and bedding to the level above, and they migrate. Then you can use the castings in the bottom level for the garden. There are also holes all around the sides, for ventilation. I'm keeping it in the house, because it gets way too hot outside for them in the summer.

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I included a tap, to drain off the "worm tea" for fertilizing the garden.

I'll feed the fellas some kitchen scraps and shredded paper, and hopefully, they made lots of castings for me.

I just ordered 500 red wigglers last week, and they should be here any day now, so I will have to give you an update once they're established, and let you know how it's going.

[hunter63]

I like the heavy pallets for our Zone 5 climate.....
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Use two side by side,.....so as to turn the top of on that's not done into the bottom of the other, that's been emptied.

Replaced a "melted down" unit after about 10 yas or so....but only had 3 pallets, so actually bought the materials and made a "side".

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Located on the back (north side) side of the garden.
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Like the bucket idea........good thinking.....

[grrlscout]

See, I think that was my problem. I didn't realize there was such variation in pallet construction. The gaps in the pallets I used were much, much wider, they are also single-sided -- allowing a bit too much air circulation. Yours looks really nice.

[hunter63]

.....And they were free, for 3 of them,..... the forth cost about $12 bucks, built from scratch.....So building one with regualr lumber, (untreated) would be about $50 bucks...

Mosuture content does have a lot to do with goodcompost cooking....and well as a good mix.

Generally get about two yards of compost, but more importantly reuses all of the yard waste....to a point, so not much of anything leaves the yard, all re-used.

I have been hauling off the tomatoes at the end of the year, as I was having a problem with blight, and didn't want to spread it around.

[Chris]

I have two of these compost tumblers, which I also sell, they were customer returns, so I kept them. I also have a purchased plastic bin. They work for me, can take everything I produce, I don't have a lot of space for something bigger. When I get more land I'll get something bigger. Plus, I want something enclosed to stop rodents and coons and whatnot from making a mess of my yard. I'm in the city so shotgun pest control is not allowed.

I've left compost out on the porch before and have gotten raccoons and opossums within hours, it does become an issue.

Nice idea for a worm bin by the way, really simple, and almost exactly like ones you can purchase.

[ClayPick]

Cute little Dachshund, ours runs the place and needs included in everything. The only compost I keep in a bin is household waste. It isn’t fancy, the bears just tear it to hell when no one is around. I seed it with manure pile worms. They finish it real fast.

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Here’s a finished batch. It’s getting sterilized so we can use it indoors.

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I get a big rip roaring fire going to get a deep bed of coals. Then I load my oil drum with compost and dump in water. It all gets dragged into the fire so it can steam. You can tell if you leave it in to long by the smell. Crude but effective.

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[hunter63]

The is a cool idea....thanks.......
I have sterilized home-made "potting soil" by putting it the mirco wave.....once.....LOL Won't say why...

[grrlscout]

Nice set up, Clay! Yes, those weens are nosey little buggers. Always "supervising".

The worms arrived last week:

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I understand where they got the name "red wigglers". They are busy lil fellas! Very squirmy.

I got them all set up with some shredded newspaper, a little dirt, some spent coffee grounds, and some food.

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They next day, I found a big clump on the underside of the lid, another one in the bottom tier, and a few dried up escapees on the floor.

I moistened the bedding a bit more, and made a few small tweaks, and they seem a lot more content in their new home now.

Or it could have just been the coffee grounds that got them all amped up. Decaf only, from now on.

[grrlscout]

The first batch of worm doodoo is ready! I got about a gallon of the stuff. I'm including a little bit in each pot when I repot the baby plants:

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In addition, the squigglies seem quite content. They are reproducing like mad! I found lots of babies, while sorting through the mess.

[hunter63]

Very cool....Doesn't feel good when a plan comes together....I'm liking your set up.

[1stimestar]

Love it! Thanks for the pictures.

[crashdive123]

Ya know.....if you read that label real quick....it reads warm poop. Well DUH!

[hunter63]

Ya know.....if you read that label real quick....it reads warm poop. Well DUH!

LOL....yes it does.......

Reminds me of a wood box a buddy made me, .....hewasn't real crafty....so was his first attempt at wood burning......it said:
'wood box"....but was writen up side own as you opened the cover, it read as "poom box"

He has passed on a little over a year ago....and I still have and use that box at "The Place" as a tinder, fat wood and kindling box.
We laughed a lot at that, and I still think of him every time I start a fire.

[Rick]

If you turn the compost then it will compost faster. Clay seems to have that taken care of with the bears. Auto turning composters. Hmmm. Might have to buy a couple of bears for mine.

I like the worm set up.

[ClayPick]

Auto turning ..... you know I never looked at it that way before! Nice to see you had good luck with the worms. Mine are 3ft. underground in a big ball. I’ve got a few gardening projects planned for this year and need to ramp up the compost making. I’m lucky, the woods here is full of sphagnum peat and leaf mold.

[grrlscout]

Got myself a couple goodies with some of my tax refund money, aeration gear:

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Now I just need the worms to finish making another batch of poop, so I can make some worm tea!

[Davidlastink]

Get some chickens if you zoned for em.... deep bed em and you will love your chickens even if they never give you a single egg, heck get bantams and let your kids take care of em as pets. My neighbor narced on me when I had chickens out in my back yard so had to send em to a friends farm, his coop got hit hard by a fox.... horror show to say the least Foxes seem to kill more then they can eat left the carcasses of quite a few chickens. But back on point Chickens are composting machines, better then worms and if you do both best of both worlds.

Side note: Worms convert minerals into their castings at about 100% so if you provide grit for them in the form of crushed shells etc you will be getting calcium rich soil, or w/e mineral you use. You can also let the chickens out and so long as they got grass they will leave your garden alone for the most part but do a good job on pest control, insect kind and to a degree rodents... but rare. I once found a very dead and beaten mouse in the coop don't mess with chickens!

P.S. you don't want roosters.... They don't only make noise in the morning. And chickens can "fly" pretty high they get up to places that may surprise you they tend to climb to high points (Top of garage).

[ashleybrook05]

Thank you for sharing this guys as I am planning to set up anytime soon. I'm also gathering resources on composting as I don't want to commit a mistake because it's not east to set that up. It takes some time and effort and your long patient as not every one like the idea.

[LowKey]

The only real mistake you can do is not knowing the source of your yard waste. You don't want to be getting stuff that's been treated with weed killer. Your garden plants are considered "broad leaf weeds". Might not kill em but will stunt their growth.

[grrlscout]

Get some chickens if you zoned for em.... deep bed em and you will love your chickens even if they never give you a single egg, heck get bantams and let your kids take care of em as pets. My neighbor narced on me when I had chickens out in my back yard so had to send em to a friends farm, his coop got hit hard by a fox.... horror show to say the least Foxes seem to kill more then they can eat left the carcasses of quite a few chickens. But back on point Chickens are composting machines, better then worms and if you do both best of both worlds.

Side note: Worms convert minerals into their castings at about 100% so if you provide grit for them in the form of crushed shells etc you will be getting calcium rich soil, or w/e mineral you use.

I can legally have chickens, I just don't have the time or room for them. I have dogs that like to chase birds (and eat them, if they are lucky enough to catch one). So I would have to fence off a part of the yard for chickens. The next house, definitely.

A while back, I made a huge batch of deviled eggs. I saved all the shells, and dried them in the oven. Then I crushed them in the food processor. I keep it in a jar, and sprinkle some in the worm bin once in a while.

They also get spent coffee ground sometimes too. But not too much, as it makes them hyper.