Composting Help

[PrincessFiona60]

Thank you, Aunt Bea. I did try to find it online, but I will have to call City Hall to find out for sure. There is a fellow outside of Lingle who has a farm stand when the produce starts coming in. I'm going to be making friends with him for sure.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Thank you, Aunt Bea. I did try to find it online, but I will have to call City Hall to find out for sure. There is a fellow outside of Lingle who has a farm stand when the produce starts coming in. I'm going to be making friends with him for sure.

PriFi; There is a manure that can be directly worked into your garden, with no need to let it rot, and it doesn't carry weed seed that can really make you crazy. It is rabbit droppings. If you know of any rabbit farms, or know anyone who raises them, they are usually more than happy to give them away. They are fairly oder-free, and are considered a cold manure, that is the nitrogen realeases slowly so as not to burn the plants, or their roots (just like worm casings, but not quite as good). Chicken manure is very hot, and must rot for a good, long time. Horse and cow manure aren't as hot, but still have to rot. They also carry lots of weed seeds. Just some more info for you.

Here is a site that lists the benefits of rabbit manures - THE BENEFITS AND USES OF RABBIT MANURE | Rise and Shine Rabbitry

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GotGarlic]

Also, I know Nurse PF knows this, but for others reading, e. Coli occurs naturally in all animal waste, so any manure must be aged for a period of time to eliminate it as much as possible.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Also, I know Nurse PF knows this, but for others reading, e. Coli occurs naturally in all animal waste, so any manure must be aged for a period of time to eliminate it as much as possible.

That's why I was not looking at manure. Besides, most of the farms around here run cattle during the winter, they are not collecting the manure. There is a feed lot east of town, maybe they have a pile or two.

 

[Zagut]

The city composting program sounds like the fastest way.

Easy too.

To speed thing up if you can't find a source you'll want to make sure you build a bin that get plenty of air.

A wooden frame and hardware cloth works well.

You'll need to keep it moist and turn it over every now and again.

Giving it air speeds it up.

A mixture of brown and green is helpful. Check with Mr. Google for the ratio as I don't recall it myself.

They make contraptions that are a barrel that you spin to stir. They will save you having to turn it over by hand but are rather small scale.

If you have the room make more then one bin or get more then one barrel. I'd suggest at least 3.

That way you have one done, one cooking, and one your filling the pot with fresh ingredients.

Also if you make your own bins and they sit on the ground place some kind of barrier on the bottom.

Plants love nourishment and will attack your compost pile from underneath if they can.

Best of luck and enjoy the work ahead PF.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Also, I know Nurse PF knows this, but for others reading, e. Coli occurs naturally in all animal waste, so any manure must be aged for a period of time to eliminate it as much as possible.

Rabbit droppings can be put in with the compost which supplies a great amount of nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals. The hot compost will kill pathogens. That's also why worm boxes are great as well. Worm casings are safer than is manure.

And just so's you knows, most soil contains a number of pathogens, which are outlined here - http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770540. As you can see, Anthrax, Clostridium botuli (I think that's the critter), E-Coli, and a host of other pathogens occur in most soils, all over the world. tis a dangerous world we live in, and care must be taken to limit the risk of infection. Composting is a good way to do that as the heat from a proper compost pile not only kills weed seeds, but can help sterilize any matter in the pile, making it safe for using in your veggie garden. Just more info for you.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[blissful]

That's why I was not looking at manure. Besides, most of the farms around here run cattle during the winter, they are not collecting the manure. There is a feed lot east of town, maybe they have a pile or two.

Farmers in general don't go around picking up pieces of manure. What they do is sweep/shovel/move with a tractor, large amounts of manure with straw/hay/shavings, and pile it outside the barn. Then a month or so later they do it again. They end up with piles of the mixture and the rain comes down on it, and it composts on its own.
We go to the farmer (on craigslist) and fill up a trailer with the composted manure/straw/hay/shavings that are aged, and put it in our gardens. We have fabulous gardens. Try to get the oldest pile of $%$%^.

 

[Dawgluver]

Farmers in general don't go around picking up pieces of manure. What they do is sweep/shovel/move with a tractor, large amounts of manure with straw/hay/shavings, and pile it outside the barn. Then a month or so later they do it again. They end up with piles of the mixture and the rain comes down on it, and it composts on its own.
We go to the farmer (on craigslist) and fill up a trailer with the composted manure/straw/hay/shavings that are aged, and put it in our gardens. We have fabulous gardens. Try to get the oldest pile of $%$%^.

Heh. When visiting a farm when I was little, I remember asking my dad what the big piles of manure and straw were for. He told me they were horse toilet paper.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The fields around here have been tilled, manure and straw going back into the soil. The fields are then allowed to lie fallow for the year or an alternate crop is grown. Lots of alfalfa growing around these parts, corn and sunflowers, too.

 

[KatyCooks]

I have moved to a new house (new to me, not a new house). The elderly owner (who died) left behind a compost bin. Which is terrific! I need to start growing vegetables and herbs.

So:

1. Should I empty the current bin? (There is very rich, dark stuff appearing at the bottom of the bin currently but it would have been there for a very long time given the age and infirmity of the previous owner. Is it rich material I should keep and use or awful stuff I should get rid of? Is there any way to tell?

2. Obviously I want to add to this compost bin. I know you shouldn't put cooked stuff in there or tea or egg shells, and that it needs to be aerated. Are there any things that help or hinder the process?

 

[Addie]

If you have the muscle, turn that lovely rich dark stuff over to the top. Take a handful and it should feel warm to the touch. Most likely you will find worms in the midst of all that goodness. That is "gold!" Then halfway down into the turnover, place some newspapers, (Nothing with colored ink. It is poisonous to the worms.) and wet them down. The moistness encourages worms. And it is the worms that will keep creating that "dark stuff."

Used to take my veggie peelings, place them in the food processor and then scatter them into the compost pile. Turn over the top part of the pile.

That black gold is what you want to mix into your garden.

 

[dragnlaw]

Never heard about tea or eggshells being a 'no-no'. I always did. I did not put animal byproducts such as bones or fat. But that was mainly because of raccoons being attracted. (not to mention my own dogs... )

So turn it over - use about half of it should it be rich and crumbly and keep on adding to it! Go girl, you're on a roll!

 

[Dawgluver]

I save all veg scraps, along with tea, smushed up eggshells, and coffee grounds for our compost pile. Just no meat scraps. I just keep piling that stuff on. Can't think of the last time I turned it. If there are earthworms in it, it's likely healthy.

 

[larry_stewart]

Used to take my veggie peelings, place them in the food processor and then scatter them into the compost pile. Turn over the top part of the pile.

Its funny you should mention this. My wife asked me what I wanted for the holidays this year ( since , apparently, I'm difficult to buy presents for). So, I told her to get me something to blend up the scraps , so they can be semi broken down before I add them to the compost.

From what I understand , Egg shells are fine, especially for tomatoes. The calcium in the shells reduces the risk of Blossom end rot. In addition to vegetable scraps, egg shells , coffee grounds, grass clippings ...

I don't have a compost bin, I just do it old school.

 

[KatyCooks]

This is brilliant! So I have a good basis for some wonderful compost!

My plan is (with a very limited garden space and sun here in the UK) to grow plants in pots and large planters. There will be no sun-loving plants but hopefully lots of root vegetables, and maybe I can train some plants upwards on the walls? (Which do get sun).

 

[dragnlaw]

I don't have a compost bin, I just do it old school.

What is "old school"???

 

[KatyCooks]

Maybe the tea thing is more of an issue in Britain?

But certainly, the advice here in the UK is not to put tea in your compost bin.

 

[dragnlaw]

Maybe the tea thing is more of an issue in Britain?

Perhaps that is because of the potential "QUANTITIY" of tea going into the compost!

 

[KatyCooks]

Perhaps that is because of the potential "QUANTITIY" of tea going into the compost!

Ah ha!! You just dropped into the stereotype of everyone who thinks Brits mostly drink tea!!

Personally, I drink coffee (and I am a born and bred Brit but mostly Irish and Scottish).

Actually, we are slightly more inclined to drink coffee as a nation now. (Bad coffee apparently, and having just been over to the The Netherlands for work and tasted their "normal" coffee, I tend to agree!)

Either way, we can agree or disagree any time, but not now as I am off to bed.

 

[larry_stewart]

What is "old school"???

Just toss it in a pile cover it with soil ... turn it every now and then.
No compost bin. Just like my father did it.

In addition, I also put my chickens to work by throwing veggie scraps along with grass clippings , leaves, weeds from the garden ... and they compost things real nicely.