Composting Advice Needed
April 23, 2004 1:47 PM Subscribe
I'm going to start composting, and my city sells this composter for $25. Anyone ever use this beastie? Got any composting advice?
I compost yard waste only, using a length of wire mesh fencing. I don't worry at all about the brown/green ratio. Leaves get all compacted and matted, but none of it matters. I get lovely compost that has greatly enriched the soil in my flower garden and lawn. I use little food waste - only vegetable trimmings.
I just built a separate small compost heap for the dog waste and this spring's yard waste. It will go only on flowers, as my compost doesn't get nearly hot enough to kill bacteria reliably. However, after only a few days, it's warm.
Your composter looks like a good deal. Have fun.
posted by theora55 at 6:40 PM on April 23, 2004
I just built a separate small compost heap for the dog waste and this spring's yard waste. It will go only on flowers, as my compost doesn't get nearly hot enough to kill bacteria reliably. However, after only a few days, it's warm.
Your composter looks like a good deal. Have fun.
posted by theora55 at 6:40 PM on April 23, 2004
On a side note - there are some helpful hints on this AskMe question about worms, rotating composters and food/bedding.
posted by fionab at 7:04 PM on April 23, 2004
posted by fionab at 7:04 PM on April 23, 2004
For yard waste like lawn clippings, I just do the old "make a pile, enclose it, wet it down and cover it approach." Turning it once every few months makes it work quicker.
For food waste, I love my Can O' Worms. It works well without a smell (until you open it, of course).
One random tip: if you're composting and intent on organic gardening, you must be extremely diligent about getting rid of morning glory immediately. That stuff takes over everything and regenerates from a half-inch-long piece, so you have to get all of it.
If you don't use weed killers -- and I don't -- and you use compost dirt with glory particles, you will be weeding non-stop.
posted by jeffmshaw at 8:33 AM on April 24, 2004
For food waste, I love my Can O' Worms. It works well without a smell (until you open it, of course).
One random tip: if you're composting and intent on organic gardening, you must be extremely diligent about getting rid of morning glory immediately. That stuff takes over everything and regenerates from a half-inch-long piece, so you have to get all of it.
If you don't use weed killers -- and I don't -- and you use compost dirt with glory particles, you will be weeding non-stop.
posted by jeffmshaw at 8:33 AM on April 24, 2004
I've heard that those composters can get too hot and "overcook" the compost, so I'd be careful about placement. I've never used one, though. I built a couple of bins using old pallets and just pile leaves, vegetable scraps, and dog waste in there. Since I use dog waste, the compost never goes on the vegetable garden.
posted by maurice at 2:41 PM on April 24, 2004
posted by maurice at 2:41 PM on April 24, 2004
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have been able to tell pretty accurately how my compost is doing by smell. If it smells sweet and fairly pleasant, it's doing well. If it smells off somehow, I mix it up real good and try to even out the proportion of browns to greens, and in a couple days it looks good again.
posted by jennyjenny at 1:54 PM on April 23, 2004