Composting

[doubleatraining]

I'm not sure this is in the correct section but here we go.....

I feel like I'm behind because I don't compost and never have. I'm curious about it but don't want to mess up. Can you give me a simple crash course on how to start, what to do, what not to do, etc??

I feel silly asking but I hear everyone talk about it and feel like I'm missing out.

I've seen the composting bins in CL but would rather not spend $100 on something to hold rotting things...LOL

 

[Wannabefree]

You're overcomplicating it It is exactly what you said...rotting things. Rotting happens naturally, and it does NOT take a hundred dollar bin to get it going. You can use anything from a ice cream bucket to a 33 gallon trash can or a bin made of old pallets. Just toss in leftover hay, fallen leaves, leftover veggie scraps, grass clippings, etc. etc. and it helps to start with a dirt base, so that the microbes that break down the waste are already in there. The hardest part is turning it to allow it to get enough oxygen to speed the process IF you even care about speeding the process. It's just rotting stuff...no need to complicate it at all

 

[k15n1]

The interwebs really complicate things. Just dump your kitchen scraps somewhere and call it good. Put it where it's not an eyesore. Turn it occasionally if you want. Use it when it looks like dirt. That's all there is to it.

 

[moolie]

A few more specific tips:

If you live in an arid region as I do, you may have to water your compost from time to time if you don't have a good balance of wet/green (kitchen waste) vs dry/brown (leaves, grass clippings). If you eat a lot of veggies, chances are you'll have enough wet to balance the dry, but watch your pile--if it doesn't seem damp-ish under the outermost layer, water it a bit--especially on hot days.

If you live in an area that has long winters, expect your compost to take longer to "finish" and don't rely on a container but rather use a pile--it will heat up faster and hotter if you compost in an area that is at least 3'x3' rather than a "composter" type container or garbage can. You can build "walls" for your pile out of old pallets or use 4 corner posts plus chicken wire to contain your pile.

Then, throw a shovel-ful of garden soil on it every once in a while to really up your microbes, and just let 'er rot!

 

[Team Chaos]

I did the same thing! I was convinced I had to be a microbiologist before I could compost correctly. Not the case, things want to rot. Are you dealing w/ just kitchen waste or do you have animal bedding too? I ask because I choked out my solo pile by dumping too much of one thing at a time, it still rotted but it took a lot longer. Now I've got three piles next to each other (busted cinder blocks mark the corner of each just so that it doesn't get out of control) and when I do a coop or stall clean out, I divide the bedding amongst the pile, same with leaves or any yard waste. I keep a loose rule of alternating "green" and "brown" compost to try and keep it lively. http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002091508030485.html

 

[Marianne]

The interwebs really complicate things. Just dump your kitchen scraps somewhere and call it good. Put it where it's not an eyesore. Turn it occasionally if you want. Use it when it looks like dirt. That's all there is to it.

That's what I do. Most of the time I just pitch stuff over the fence into the garden.

 

[doubleatraining]

LOL so I have to actually pick up leaves and grass clippings from my yard??

Chaos, I started reading a little about it and figured it was WAY too involved for me to even try to attempt.

I think I got it!
-Pick a spot(edge of woods)
-Till up dirt
-Kitchen scraps(not meat I'm guessing)
-Chicken poop/dirty bedding
-weeds from garden
-Add water when dry
-put more dirt on to speed up
-When its all dirt put it back in the garden

How does that sound?

 

[CheerioLounge]

Give the meat scraps to the chickens!!

 

[doubleatraining]

I was thinking this was just veggie peelings and what not but on the link Chaos posted....it says milk, soda, etc????

 

[CheerioLounge]

I try to remember to compost any food waste. Coffee grounds, plates get scraped into the bucket of stuff to compost and the chickens get the meat scraps and veggies. My SO won't let me feed chicken to the chickens, but if he didn't object, I would give them the chicken too! It won't hurt them at all, he just has an aversion to it.

ETA: Don't give potato peels to the chickens. They can be harmful.