Who Composts?

Oh, I left a lovely compost heap at my house.  Dang it.

Everything can go in there....egg shells, coffee grounds, veggie peeling, any organic type waste, even the plants you pull up at the end of growing season.  You have to add in soil, and you have to stir it to keep it "hot" and breaking down.  But, we lived way out in the boonies and still hot a great compost, and no animals ever got into it.

If you google you'll find some great web sites for composting.

 It's super easy - been composting for 15 yrs or so in various places.  Like Glenda said all your plant based scraps, coffee, tea, paper (I empty our shredder into it), egg shells, leaves, plants, small branches, flowers (don't put weeds in if you want to use the soil), you can buy some 'starter' to get it going or use some 'compost soil'.  Another thing I do when starting is if I find a worm I put it in the pile. I would think in your climate it would be best to get one of the composters.  I like the black plastic ones,we got ours from Costco in the UK and here in NC.  This also helps with animals, clearly a bear could easily get in though.

If you are currently throwing those scraps out you will be amazed at the reduction in trash.  Never put anything that may have fats or meat in it.  No cheese either.  I have a stainless steel container (meant for flour) in the kitchen by the sink.  I dump it all in there and then empty that as necessary into the composter.

I am not very technical about it but you will find lots of info about layering etc.  I am sure that works faster but for me it is an organic trash can.  It should be kind of moist and I do turn it regularly.  Super easy!

The only thing I compost at the moment are leaves and dog poop, lol.  We rent our place, so I don't have the liberty to be installing compost piles.  Around here, you have to secure your compost.  There's a major skunk problem, and the compost piles attract them like flies. 

Liesje

The only thing I compost at the moment are leaves and dog poop, lol

For a compost pile you would never use dog poop. 

 Google it! :-D There are a ton of awesome websites.

I recommend a rolling compost bin - my BF's sister uses one in her very small (1/2 acre) plot and has a lot of success with it. Dog poop is not supposed to be very good for the composting, but good horse/cow manure is great! :) 

kpwlee

Liesje

The only thing I compost at the moment are leaves and dog poop, lol

 

For a compost pile you would never use dog poop. 

I don't re-use compost, for us, it's just a HUGE pile in the back of the woods where all the yard waste and dog waste goes.  If I intended to make soil, I'd use household waste. 

 I just learned about that for the first time today from a coworker- it makes sense but had never occurred to me before!  You couldn't reuse the compose, but at least it's a fairly eco-friendly way to get rid of it.  I think my yard is too small though and it would just smell too bad.

Liesje

I don't re-use compost, for us, it's just a HUGE pile in the back of the woods where all the yard waste and dog waste goes.

I figured that  - I have a poop pile that is poop and straw.  I dug a hole under some leyland cypress and throw it in there.  Even put some paving stones up like a little wall.  It doesn't stink, no bugs, no problem.  I am not going to bag poop from my own yard and put it in the garbage.  This way it just decomposes into the soil.

DogPark

 I just learned about that for the first time today from a coworker- it makes sense but had never occurred to me before!  You couldn't reuse the compose, but at least it's a fairly eco-friendly way to get rid of it.  I think my yard is too small though and it would just smell too bad.

This comment confused me.  Why could you not reuse it?  And why would it smell bad?  From what I've read it shouldn't smell like anything but dirt...am I wrong?

I live in the country, we have several neighbors each on 2+ acres.  We all compost in some way.   My compost pile is at the side of a shed.  I dont have any fencing or  fancy new contraptions.   I usually will start a pile in a different area each spring.  I dont add any dirt unless of course I throw out potted plants, which by the way, I dont do that very often.   I will throw leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, coffee and tea grounds w/the filters, shredded paper, any of my vegatable waste.   I dont have a problem with bugs or animals.   The rabbits will often get the cabbage or lettuce leafs, broccoli etc but the way I figure it as long as they are eating the composted veggies they are not eating my garden!  I am a lazy composter, I dont turn my compost.  A neighbor brought his tractor over a few years ago and turned it for me but thats all.   I have a large area back there and I planted several bushes (lilac, Rose of Sharon, Crepe Myrtle, Pampas grass) in front of my compost area that hides it from view.  It leave plenty of room for me to get my little wagon or a wheel  barrow back there to dig up  and reuse the pile from year before last.  I also pile small tree limbs, grape vines, wisteria vines from prunning at the end of the compost pile.  It gives the bunnies and birds a safe place to nest. 

huskymom

This comment confused me.  Why could you not reuse it?  And why would it smell bad?  From what I've read it shouldn't smell like anything but dirt...am I wrong?

I think she is talking about the poop/leaf pile.

My compost piles have never smelled unless I was lazy about turning them - and I mean seriously lazy.  Then only when you go to turn it and get the underneath that is oxygen deprived does it smell a bit.  But nothing like green tripe  

 Well, as long as its not Green Tripe bad.....hahaha!

kpwlee

huskymom

This comment confused me.  Why could you not reuse it?  And why would it smell bad?  From what I've read it shouldn't smell like anything but dirt...am I wrong?

 

I think she is talking about the poop/leaf pile.

My compost piles have never smelled unless I was lazy about turning them - and I mean seriously lazy.  Then only when you go to turn it and get the underneath that is oxygen deprived does it smell a bit.  But nothing like green tripe  

That's what I thought too, it was referring to my "compost".  Mine does smell bad, but I have a huge yard and all the compost is way at the back, in the woods.  You don't smell it unless you are back there, but we only go back there to toss compost onto the pile.  It is never turned or re-used in any way.  If I was using things like egg shells, peelings, old veggies...I'd start a new pile somewhere else. 

We have 3 compost "piles". The big one is just a square of cinder blocks, about 4-5 wide and stacked 2 high with the good stuff in the center. We also have a tumbler and another commercial compost bin. We toss all vegetable matter into a small plastic bin that's in the kitchen and then DH takes it out, digs a hole and tosses it in or throws it in one of the bins. They have worms, which is the best way to keep the stuff composting. But you have to make sure they have the right amount of water to keep it slightly moist for the worms to live without drowning them.

Last fall, DH took down all the tomato and pepper plants the tossed them into the bin and in a month, it was rich dark beautiful compost! This is DH's avatar on another board: