Making your own composte

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Jul 18, 2012 | 06:47 PM

tseekins

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From: Maine, Virginia

Making your own composte

Any one here make their own composte? I started a composte pile the other day. I did a search and came up with composting for dummies.

Anyway, my garden is about to completely expire so I'll start adding all that to the mix. I hope to have a quite a pile by spring.

This is more of an experiment to see if it's really worth the time. I like not bagging my grass and putting it out on the street and saving my leaves and food waste.

Comments, suggestions, helpful hints?

Jul 18, 2012 | 10:22 PM

clux

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From: Carhenge

My personal opinion is to avoid compost piles as much as possible. Instead, compost in the soil by working garden waste and grass clippings down into the garden soil in the fall and water, it will decompose in the soil much faster than it will in a compost pile and you will lose a lot less nutrients (nitrogen) to leaching and volatilization. In the summer, mulch yard waste on top of the garden soil, it will reduce water evaporation and weed pressure and will have a good rot going by fall.

Jul 19, 2012 | 07:12 AM

19fifty4

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Throw a politician in there. It will turn to crap overnight.

Seriously, the mistake I made was not working the pile frequently enough. Got some bermuda grass in there and the roots kinda bound all that stuff together and it was hard to use.

Jul 19, 2012 | 06:52 PM

bpounds

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From: Whittier, CA

I have in the past. Found it was a lot of work to do it well. And you can buy a scoop of compost so cheap, not worth it to me. Now green stuff goes in the green barrel, and if I need brown stuff, the garden center does the work.

Jul 22, 2012 | 10:59 PM

helifixer

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From: Chino Valley, Arizona

just mixed my compost pile last Friday, after piling it with the 236 cat it is about 8 feet tall and about 35 feet long. I will let it go into a heat for about 1 to 2 months and than mix it again and let it set over winter for use in the spring.
with out my yearly compost I would not have a garden as my soil is decomposed granite.
the pile is about 40 yards of straw and wood chips from the 4H show and sale. about 25 yards of chipped tree limbs and about 15 yards of steer manure plus 1 years worth of manure from our 2 horses

Jun 23, 2013 | 08:55 AM

tseekins

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From: Maine, Virginia

Well, I dug this up from a year ago.

I started composting last summer after the final harvest of my raised bed veggie garden. My compost is made up primarily of leaves, grass clippings, discarded non-meat food stuffs and an occasional sprinkling of a store bought compost maker plus moisture and heat.

I incorporated all of last years goodies into my existing garden and tilled it all in real good. It is thick and rich and my veggies are growing like crazy.

I now have a separate compost pile that I started this spring with some moisture added and the heat, it's cooking down pretty well and will no doubt be a nice addition of nutrients to my garden. This has become an addiction of sorts.

Jun 23, 2013 | 09:23 AM

helifixer

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From: Chino Valley, Arizona

if you have troubles getting it to compost use rid x septic tank treatment. it will give you the beneficial bacteria needed to get it to compost.

we are hauling chips this week for the next compost pile, so far I have 20 cubic yards, should have about 200 yards when done. my current pile is 20 feet wide about 40 feet long and 6 feet tall, that pile is just about ready to put on.

we no longer till our compost in, just keep adding layers on top. I am watering my garden right now and is the fist time watering it. normally I would water every day this time of year as it is 100 degrees in the day with 0% humidity and 20+ mph winds.

here is a link to what I am doing. Back to Eden Film | Sustainable Organic Gardening Method