Mulch Pile

[In the Kitchen]

I have neighbor who has storage shed right next to my kitchen window. The mulch pile is the area where we come in and out of the house. I know sounds stupid setup but my question he just started putting grass clipping and some kind of dirt pile behind his storage shed. He won't see it but we sure can. It is not in any kind of container to cover so won't this start smelling in short time? Also what about bugs? This same neighbor put down herbicide that killed 10 arborvitae's a professional nurseryman came and told me that is what killed all the shrubs. Had them only 2 years so you can be sure this has not been easy to understand his methods. I am not familiar with mulch piles only remember my mother even threw coffee grounds in hers. She had it in back of yard next to alley. Bu t everyone had one back by the alley. I do remember if she didn't put some kind of lime on it regularly the flies were around it. I just don't even care to talk to this man about his ideas. What would you do?

I wish we could put up privacy fence but it is his fence on that side and he would surely make us take it down.

 

[sattie]

A properly maintained mulch pile should not be stinky. It may have an earthy odor, but by no means should it be an unpleasant smell.

 

[bethzaring]

I agree with sattie. It should not be a problem to you, it should not smell. You would have to get your nose really close to it to even smell anything.

 

[Jeekinz]

Mulch or compost?

 

[quicksilver]

If he is composting and has put the herbicide killed clippings in, he'll have problems later. He's got to layer brown matter with green matter and it shouldn't smell, but will still be unsightly. Worms help decompose, and it will "boil" so it needs to be turned once in a while, bringing oxygen to the interior. It shouldn't be near house/garage foundation, especially if he's not caring for it. It could attact termites or carpenter ants. I believe termites eat rotten wood, ants eat good wood.
I would play ignorant neighbor and ask what's up.

 

[In the Kitchen]

If he is composting and has put the herbicide killed clippings in, he'll have problems later. He's got to layer brown matter with green matter and it shouldn't smell, but will still be unsightly. Worms help decompose, and it will "boil" so it needs to be turned once in a while, bringing oxygen to the interior. It shouldn't be near house/garage foundation, especially if he's not caring for it. It could attact termites or carpenter ants. I believe termites eat rotten wood, ants eat good wood.
I would play ignorant neighbor and ask what's up.

I have a $3000 WOOD fence that I had some guys build as privacy to the main road. I would sure hate to have that be eaten by anything. This man ruined my shrubs I am holding my breath about this mulch. He is kind of guy get s idea but then he doesn't really maintain. This storage shed he has blocks his view of it but it is directly in front of the main door we use. Recently removed his dead Christmas tree that was dried and brown and now he started this grass clippings and some other kind of stuff laying there. I just don't want him to get too much and then he delays doing anything. He just doesn't want to pay for pickup of yard waste so he t hrows it there. Neighbors! All the good ones died. Thanks for informing me what to expect . This storage shed was put here so he could have privacy and now he wants us to look at his yard waste. I called the county to have them check on it and let me know if this is right. Want someone in authority to tell him it isn't right. He wouldn't listen to me.

 

[kitchenelf]

Question (ignorant about mulch piles)

OK - don't mulch piles, if too large, get very hot and have to be hosed down just like timber piles? I'd ask the city about this stuff heating up and maybe starting a fire. I don't know how big a mulch pile you are talking about nor do I know if it's in the sun or how hot it gets. Do ask them, though.

 

[quicksilver]

Heck, forget all the above. Call the town code enforcement guy. They'll give him so long to clean it up, then fine him acouple of times, til finally (hopefully) (especially if it's a fire hazard) they'll clean it up at his expense. But keep after them if you do go this route. Document dates and definately take photos.

 

[quicksilver]

Yes, kitchenelf, they "boil", or "cook" while breaking down, turning offers oxygen and expedites decomp, and lowers temps. If you get normal rain and turn you shouldn't need to water. If you don't; do.

 

[GotGarlic]

I can't imagine a compost pile getting hot enough to ignite. Can you put a fence on your side of his fence, or plant some shrubs there to block the view?

If he used Round-up as the herbicide, it breaks down to salts within two weeks, so it shouldn't cause problems later, with the compost or anything around it.

 

[Jeekinz]

I still don't know if it's mulch or compost. They are two different things. Compost is organic material that can attract rodents and might stink a little. Mulch shouldn't stink.

 

[suziquzie]

I'm so glad I dont have neighbors anymore.

 

[GotGarlic]

I still don't know if it's mulch or compost. They are two different things. Compost is organic material that can attract rodents and might stink a little. Mulch shouldn't stink.

Compost should not smell bad - it will if you put animal scraps or fats in it, but otherwise it should just smell like rich dirt. Ours never attracted rodents, just the beneficial insects that help break it down.

 

[In the Kitchen]

I'm so glad I dont have neighbors anymore.

did they all move away or did you move? My brother built a house in country to get away from people that always told him he was doing wrong when he wanted t o do anything Neighbors used to be so helpful. Not anymore, why?I could really cry about the neighbors that used to be here. They would never come in my house and sit and talk. Always cooking cleaning or taking care of gardening. Funny, none of t hem had mulch piles and they had beautiful yard and full of vegetables.

 

[GotGarlic]

did they all move away or did you move? My brother built a house in country to get away from people that always told him he was doing wrong when he wanted t o do anything Neighbors used to be so helpful. Not anymore, why?I could really cry about the neighbors that used to be here. They would never come in my house and sit and talk. Always cooking cleaning or taking care of gardening. Funny, none of t hem had mulch piles and they had beautiful yard and full of vegetables.

ITK - re: your old neighbors, you can use artificial fertilizers to achieve the same effect, but some people prefer to use their own compost, to cut down on garbage added to the landfill and to be sure of what they're adding to their yards. Too much fertilizer can be bad for the local environment.

Mulch is a layer of protective material, usually tree bark or straw or grass clippings, used to help plants retain moisture and modify temperature extremes. It's applied directly to planting beds. Compost is a soil amendment that adds nutrients and relatively loose dirt to garden soil; for example, if soil has too much clay, water won't penetrate it, but adding compost will change the composition to allow more water penetration.

Which is type does your neighbor have?

 

[In the Kitchen]

Clay

The soil we have here is mostly clay. The neighbors who lived in the house that I am talking about had a couple who had a beautiful garden. The lady had flowers that seemed to bloom when others had quit. In other words, she planned for the garden to always have some kind of blooming flowers. I guess I may be ignorant about this but to me it was so wonderful how she tended to the flowers. The man would turn the soil over with some kind of machine roto tiller I believe it is called and then take a screen that he made and sift the dirt of any rock or other foreign things other than the dirt. If I would have had time i would have studied him more closely. It was education for me of the time I did get to watch. One thing they were always always busy. Oh, they ate their big meal at lunch they told me. In evening, was something not heavy. What a disciplined couple. I really don't know if they had mulch pile of any kind.

I can certainly tell the difference of people that want to 'mind their own business' and these people who want to upset you. When he ruined those arborvitae that really did it. I won't forget it, how can I. My brothers all helped to plant them. Ten of them 6' tall, sure wasn't easy. I just appreciated what they attempted to do and here is gets done for nothing. I don't have anything planted there now as I fear he may do something again.

 

[suziquzie]

did they all move away or did you move? My brother built a house in country to get away from people that always told him he was doing wrong when he wanted t o do anything Neighbors used to be so helpful. Not anymore, why?I could really cry about the neighbors that used to be here. They would never come in my house and sit and talk. Always cooking cleaning or taking care of gardening. Funny, none of t hem had mulch piles and they had beautiful yard and full of vegetables.

We moved because we had always wanted a house with a large amount of land. We are on 5 acres with the closest houses visable, thats about it. We always wanted room for large gardens, to be able to have room to be able to get our boys dirt bikes and stuff...
Our house in the city was 6 feet from one neighbor, 12 from the other. The closer ones had 6 kids and yelled alot.
Just prefer the wide open spaces I suppose!
Oh, and I do have a compost pile. It doesn't smell, but nobody cares, thats the best part.
I don't think if I had my small yard again however that I would make my pile near thier door. That's a little wierd. We had compost at our little yard house, nobody even knew it.

 

[In the Kitchen]

suziquzie

That's how neighbors should be that they are concerned about them and having it right next to the main door! This man has done things in indirect way to bother me. I don't think I would go as far as he has to kill his shrubs or make pile of mulch near door. I do have ill will against this man since he has done this but what can one do when you see them everyday?

Maybe he is mad t hat I told him to not keep coming in the yard looking for his kid's ball all the time. He seemed so durn welcome to do as he pleases. Now that he is getting different neighbors on other side of his house he is parking his car in front of their house. Hope they tell him about it. This guy just seems so forward and not really good neighbor.

 

[babetoo]

a bad neighbor can be a curse. there are several on my street in mobil home park. we live so close to each other , and no one makes friends with their neighbors. strange thing. they might wave , maybe.

i moved here four years ago, and don't really know anyone. used to be when my kids were growing up we knew each family on our street. we watched out for each others kids. not anymore.

any ideas on why that is true, these days. not many children in this park. they seem never to play outside. sad!!

mostly i get upset at loud music. kids sounds are just wonderful and bring back memories of my own. summer is almost here, and soon we will hear "red rover,red rover come on over"

i have one neighbor that spies on me with field glasses. i know because of remarks she has made about things i do. only way she could know is if she were spying. she and her husband are very old, so not really afraid of em.

sure got off track here, sorry



babe

 

[DaveSoMD]

It sounds like he is trying to build a compost pile. If he does it correctly it should be fine. It might be unsightly, but it should be fine. I have 2 and they so not smell at all, although I know what to put and not put in them.

Our neighbor used his for both leaves and kitchen waste, including WHOLE melons, squash, fruit, corn, etc. We had 2 problem with his -first the squirrels kept getting into it and tossing the big stuff in our yard and second, he kept putting ashes from his wood burning stove on the pile and setting it on fire which set OUR privacy fence on fire.. TWICE.

If it is just yard clipping and leaves it should be fine. If you see other things showing up on there then I would get concerned. The city/county might not be able to help unless there is a specific ordanance against it or it poses a health or other hazzard.