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Topic: Anybody Out There Compost?

(26 posts)

Started 2 years ago by Peony
Latest reply from Peony

Tags: compost, garden, garbage cans

Peony
Member

I inherited a ComposTumbler and I love it! It makes composting sooo easy and I get a batch of rich, black dirt about every two weeks. But if anyone is interested in starting to compost on a small scale, it's really easy to use an old galvanized garbage can, poke some drainage holes in the bottom, and you're good to go.

Toss about an equal mix of green (fresh clippings, kitchen produce waste, etc) and brown (dried leaves, paper shredding, etc) in the can, pop the lid on and roll it around a little every day. Check now and then to see if you need to add a little water.

I love having rich dirt all summer.

Posted 2 years ago #
jillruth
Member

I had a huge compost pile years back but it was too open and i didn't get it turned etc. and just never turned into the black gold I dreamed of. I've been wondering if anyone has made one out of any interesting piece of junk?

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

thinking hard about it... We have a spot where we stuck a bunch of stuff a couple years ago and it isn't composted yet - probably needs to be turned like Jillruth says...

Posted 2 years ago #
Maggie
Member

I've tried making it...just didn't work for me.

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

I found compost piles to be too much work. We finally gave up on ours, but if you use a tumbler or an old trash can it's really easy because you can just roll it around a little bit and it takes care of itself. Plus, you can use a small can or a large one, depending on how much dirt you want. I get really rich, black dirt and my plants thrive in it. And with the tumbler, it only takes 2 weeks, not 6 weeks like a compost pile.

Posted 2 years ago #
dianeinthevalley
Member

How do you keep the lid on when your rolling it?

Posted 2 years ago #
AnnOfGreenoak
Member

i love mine...i have just big piles hidden away in my gareden.....no contraptions......alternating weeds, dirt, manure when i can,any organic matter....and sometimes i put some fertilizer on it...... the green stuff and manure make it HOT inside...... the more i turn it the faster it makes the good black gold...... but just leaving it alone makes good stuff too....by the next year....
i composted a dead chicken once!!

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

Diane, you need one with a snap on lid. Or I guess you could tape it or something.

Ann, I agree - even just burying scraps in the ground will work eventually. But I just love my tumbler. I just spin it a couple times and it works great without my having to turn the pile or do anything that feels like work ;-)

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

I just have to tell you - my mom cheats. She puts kitchen scraps in the blender and pours it on the pile. Says it is quicker... LOL

Posted 2 years ago #
dianeinthevalley
Member

Smart woman!

Posted 2 years ago #
AnnOfGreenoak
Member

a blender... thats so funny....

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

On the web, I saw someone had hooked up a garbage disposer to make cider - why not just hook up a disposer going to the compost pile??? What. ever. Makes more sense than putting it down the drain I guess.

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

Copperhead, I like that blender idea. Whatever works! Last night we shaved our dog because it's suddenly goten hot here. I dumped a ton of dog fur in the composter. I think I had enough to make a whole other dog. LOL.

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

you can go to a dog groomers and they will give you a trash bag full of dog hair...

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

Now there's a thought, Copperhead. I'll probably just stick to my own dog's fur though. We have to shave her about once a month in the warm months and that's a lot of fur. But I like the recycling aspect of getting fur from a groomer.

Well, my first batch is close to being ready. I love that the tumbling method speeds up the composting process by several weeks. I get rich, black dirt in two weeks instead of 6 to 8. Last year, I used the first batch for herbs and lettuce and they went crazy. This year, I'm going to use it on my flowers.

Posted 2 years ago #
huggybear38
Member

I was lucky I found a large compost tumbler on Craigs list for $20.00 went and got it.. had heck of a time getting it into the Exploer, it had a little rust.. not that much , have had it now for two years.. Son is going to patch the rust places with some new metal.. should be good to go for another couple of years.. funny one time I asked grandson to turn it a couple of times..the lid was not hooked down.. and yeppers you guessed it all fell out and he had to get shovel and scoop it back in.. but all was good..

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

You really got a great deal, Huggybear.

Other never ending supplies of green and brown - green: at the market where most people shuck their corn on the cob before they take it home. Most markets will gladly give you all you want. And for brown: crosscut shredding from work and in the Fall, you can pick up bags of shredding on trash day in your neighborhood and keep them til Spring. We rarely make coffee at home, so DH has a big. lidded 5 gallon container at work where they dump their coffee grounds. He brings it home once a week or so and tosses it into the tumbler.

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

HA! I found instructions on line to make a composter. I searched Craig's List and found you can buy big plastic food grade barrels to make a composter.

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

Copperhead, you can use just about anything with a lid that is waterproof. For people who only have patio pots or just want to make a little dirt, even one of those 5 gallon buckets that kitty litter comes in would work because they have good snap on lids. Bakeries get jelly filling for donuts in the same kind of big buckets and might be willing to give one or two away. We got some of those when a local bakery closed and threw them away. I use them for all kinds of things.

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

We have old drywall buckets around.......... maybe poke a few holes
I checked CL and found food grade barrels for $10 so I think I'm going to go for it.

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

On a similar note, it's been raining for the last few days. I have a lot of containers on the deck to catch rain water and just filled up a big watering can and still have a lot left. Rich dirt and rain water - my plants should do really well this year. I can't wait til it's warm enough to plant my flowers!

Posted 2 years ago #
SecondHandRosie
Member

No, I've never tried it. The idea appeals to my frugal side (not having to buy potting soil, etc.) Although I don't spend enough time in the yard with projects to warrant doing it, I don't think.

It's another one of "those" projects that I keep filed in the back of my mind! LOL

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

I know what you mean, Rosie. So many projects, so little time. And it's really worse this year for us gardeners because where I live, Spring is still trying to decide if it's coming or going.

I have all these gardening and outdoor painting projects that I'm dying to do, but it's been too cold and wet. If things don't warm up soon, summer will be in full swing and I'll be too busy at work to get to my yard work.

Posted 2 years ago #
copperhead
Member

My yard is woefully neglected this year - it's been WET or cold or too hot and WET. We haven't tilled at all. I'm thinking maybe this will be the year to make a lot of compost...

Posted 2 years ago #
dianeinthevalley
Member

We planted snap peas which didn't do anything, potatoes are doing good, broccoli is bolting and I can't find my asparagus except when it has grown so tall and gone to seed. Same here, it has been so wet I can't get into garden to do anything.

Posted 2 years ago #
Peony
Member

Well, ladies, at least it's been good for grass seed. And I was worried that I waited too long to plant my lettuce (because it's a cool weather crop) but the way the weater has been, maybe not.

Diane, we always plant peas on Good Friday and harvest them in early June. Maybe yours are just a little confused this year and will just be a little late.

Posted 2 years ago #

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