Do you compost?

[lockmat]

I was just wondering if anyone else had a compost pile? My family has one and the more I learn about it the cooler I think it is. I didn't even think that you could put paper and cardboard in it, duh. I even went to Starbucks last week and they gave me their leftover coffee grounds.

My mom has had one for years and it's funny. She's had a giant grape fruit tree grow up and produce momma big grapefruits, lemon trees and other things, all by accident.

I also found this: "Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream." source

Seems like that's one cool way to conserve and reduce waste. Heck...the private industry has created really cool ways to separate garbage, I bet someone could make a lot of money doing that commercially, although I wonder if it's really hard to separate that kind of stuff.

[Gary]

I have a compost bin in my backyard that I made from pallets. I try to get a 10 to 1 ratio of carbon (oak leaves) vs Nitrogen (grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegatable & fruit waste).

I've just started a new bin in which I'm going to attempt "hot composting". Supposedly, if done right, will give you a weed free compost with six weeks. One thing I've found though, is that you have to water, and turn the pile almost daily to get the proper tempurature. It's a lot of work.

[sunsets]

I've tried it, but all I seem to do is attract mosquitos.

A really stupid question, but how do you know when a pile is "done"? Do you have to keep several in various stages to have useful compost as well as a place to put your new scraps?

[Gary]

I've tried it, but all I seem to do is attract mosquitos.

A really stupid question, but how do you know when a pile is "done"? Do you have to keep several in various stages to have useful compost as well as a place to put your new scraps?

The mosquitos can be controlled with an all natural cedar liquid that can be found at most Nurseries. It attaches to a hose and only takes 20 seconds of spraying to get those suckers out of there. The only thing is, that you have to apply every few days.

You'll know when the compost is done when it begins to look like black soil, although you'll never get the entire bin to decompose. Just most of it. Two of the problems that I've read about, and have encountered, is not keeping the pile wet enough, and not having the proper Carbon to Nitrogen ratio. You've absolutely got to have at least 10% Nitrogen in order for the organisms to break the leaves down. Also, Oxygen is essential to the breakdown of the organic matter. In other words you have to turn the pile every few days, and areate with a pitch fork, etc, after you have watered the pile.

Edit: You don't need various stages of piles unless your dealing with small quantities. My pallet bin has about a half yard of compost, so that will take care of me for a year. It's a good idea to really pack your container with matter because as it decomposes, it significantly shrinks.

[editor]

My parents always had a compost pile. Every once in a while my father would bring out the kitchen scraps and drop them on one side, then use a spade to cover up the scraps with compost from the other side. They did it for years and years and each spring had tons of super rich dirt for planting vegetables.

I've seen in-kitchen composting contraptions, but they just seem too bothersome and creepy to me.

[Gary]

This link https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/IAFDispatcher has some very nice compost tumblers that make make composting much less laborious. However, I don't buy their claim about creating compost in 14 days. Seems impossible.

[lockmat]

That's kind of weird that you have a mosquito problem, we have none at all.

Our pile is not high maintenance at all either.

[crunchtastic]

My family always kept one. Dad built a scrap lumber and chicken wire cage around it to keep it contained. There was a pitchfork out there and every few days someone would get told to go 'turn the pile'. I built a similar one at my last place. Never had a mosquito problem but I did have a possum problem. Haven't yet figured out where I want to build one at my new place. I probably will use some of Gary's techniques. Good info.

[heightslurker]

We compost using the "lazy" method. We don't turn it, water it or worry about our percentage of green versus brown. It is slower and we have to keep two going. Mother nature always sorts it out...

[TJones]

I kinda have one. It is on my neighbor's property. I just throw the banana peels and egg shells and orange rhine, what have you, right over the fence and into the compost. Yes, my neighbor is aware, she's the one who asked me to do so.

[BryanS]

No.

Compost piles are so unnatural. I just leave leafs where they lay. They either decompose where they are on the ground, or simply blow away. No anal retentive raking and collecting leafs, to add to a pile. Also, landfills do need some organic material to mix with everything; otherwise they would be non-green mountains of just trash.

[IronTiger]

I have a compost pile! My family does, anyway. Grass clippings, leaves, garden clippings, fruit leftovers, rotten fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, and egg shells all go in. Only seen possums once.

Eventually it will decompose into a drippy, muddy, mess, full of nutrients.

It really is being environmentally friendly.

[Gary]

I have a compost pile! My family does, anyway. Grass clippings, leaves, garden clippings, fruit leftovers, rotten fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, and egg shells all go in. Only seen possums once.

Eventually it will decompose into a drippy, muddy, mess, full of nutrients.

It really is being environmentally friendly.

It's not only environmentally friendly, but if done right, provides the finest soil possible.