Thrilling topic, I know. I built a compost bin this spring, and it’s been, up to this point, a major disaster. It wasn’t cooking whatsoever. I certainly didn’t spend a ton of time paying attention to the mix in there, but there wasn’t much I could do. I’m just a single guy with a decent-sized yard. So it consisted of (to this point) a ton of weeds from Landscapapalooza 2010, grass clippings (which stopped in August, since we’ve had zero rain since then), and a small amount of food scraps (one guy doesn’t generate much in that respect). One side was mostly weeds with large clumps of dirt (waaaay too much dirt), and it had become rock hard from the lack of rain. I hadn’t done a great job turning it, but still did so when I thought of it.
But this weekend, I spent some time on it. Turned it completely over, and broke up the dirt clods. My neighbor got done vacuuming his leaves, and his blower/sucker chops them up - so I mixed in three bags of leaves. BAM! Instant reaction once the leaves were added. The very next day there was some major heat coming off the pile, and things started cooking. Turning became extremely easy, and I’m looking forward to continued success. I just wish I had more grass clippings to add at this point - but there’s really no chance of that anymore.
Mine’s a disaster. Started last fall with leaves. This spring, I had all sorts of fun things sprouting from it, so I just let it go to see what would happen. I got two sorts of pumpkins. I pulled all the maple trees before they go too big. Lots of tomato plants sprouted, but didn’t get enough sun to get big enough to produce fruit. Last time I looked, there were some interesting mushrooms.
I’m going to try a sunnier location (that’s in short supply in my yard) and not toss in squash with seeds this fall!
Ha! Mine’s in a fairly shady spot (I have a big yard, but the sunny spots are pretty premium locations - and this is back by the garage), so I didn’t get much growth (I did get some grass growing, but managed to turn that out early). I say keep throwing those squash in there - if you do manage to get the right mixture, the heat’ll kill the seeds. If not - free squash!
Mine’s doing awesome. I’m following the method where you store up small batches of materials and then layer it in the pile once you have enough. My “green” stuff is veggie scraps/leftovers, first stored in a small kitchen bin, then moved outside to a covered bucket. (Local wildlife hasn’t disturbed it, or our garbage can.)
We have a lawn service guy due to the rental situation, so we don’t have grass clippings/leaves to add, so my “brown” materials are mostly leftover or soiled hay that our rabbits didn’t eat, rabbit droppings (important: do not do this with other animals’ droppings; rabbit droppings are actually clean enough to mix right into soil, if desired), and leftover/not-very-soiled pelleted litter made from pulped newspaper. I’m hesitant about adding very soiled litter due to the rabbit urine, as I don’t know what that’d do to the pile. This stuff is collected in another large covered bucket, also left outside, from cage/litter box cleanings.
I bought an open-top/open-bottom bin made from a thick plastic, perforated with many holes and rolled into a cylinder. I just dump the stuff in the top, “green” first and then the “brown” over it. A few weeks ago, I stirred it up with a rake before adding to the pile, and under the first pair of layers there was so much rich, dark soil, so I must have gotten the temperature right.
I’d like to try to continue through the (Chicago) winter, but am not sure if I should leave the bottom soil in place, or spread much of it over the nearby bed.
Bah. We let our grass clippings lie on the lawn, so there’s not nearly enough green in ours - it never heated up, not even during 105F weather. Plus, I let too much clay (what passes for native dirt 'round here) cling to the roots of weeds that I pulled up, so now it’s full of heavy, hard clay. I rooted around into the middle last weekend when I was potting some things and desperately needed more fresh soil - found some nice, dark, soft stuff in the middle. But not a lot.
Frankly, between the amount we cook at home (and the amt. of resulting kitchen scraps) and the fact that we don’t bag our grass clippings, I’m starting to think that we’re poor candidates for a compost pile, and would be better of switching to vermiculture. On the other hand, there’s a certain amount of intertia involved with the status quo - the compost pile is already there - so I don’t see us switching over unless I spearhead the project completely.
I’m a very laissez-faire composter, too - I dump everything green and brown on a pile, and leave it there. I also dig stuff into the garden - got some interesting volunteers in there this summer. I’ll probably get a proper composter some day, but I’m in no particular hurry.
Mine is quite mature - eight years old at least, and doing fine. I don’t put weeds or grass clippings in mine since I’m concerned that seeds survive when I put the compost on the garden. (We have a green can where we can dump the stuff.) My compost is primarily food scraps and coffee grounds, so is a good balance. The five dozen corn husks and cobs from our end of summer freeze the corn extravaganza is rotting away nicely now.
Those with issues - how is your worm count in the compost?
Mine was doing so well that a root system developed throughout it, after which it was a pain to manage. It’s still there and i’m sure a local tree is feasting upon it still.
I bought my composter at the start of the summer as an excuse to get out of the house for a few minutes each day. I started out with some rotting vegetables, coffee grounds, and newspaper. I turned it twice a week, and watered every week. It took off good and stayed warm. I have a lot of compost in the bin now, but I don’t really have anything to spread it on. I don’t have lawn clippings, thanks to a lawn man, but we add whatever scraps we have at least once a week. I tried adding worms, but either they escaped or died. I now have roaches and spiders that I see hanging out in my composter. (Better there than anywhere else in my lawn.)
I was really surprised how easy it has been. You get what you put in and, in both time and scraps.
I save the leaves my neighbors bag up in the fall. Then in the spring I mix them in with the ample grass clippings. My compost piles are doing well. I let one of them age inactive for a year before using it.
Zero. I don’t think I have enough dirt in mine to have any worms in there, or the total lack of moisture killed them off this summer. I’m thinking of going out and getting a can to throw in there for the winter. What do you suggest - digging down to the bottom and burying them good and deep?
I’ve been snagging a few bags of leaves here and there this week. Where do you store them? Do you keep them in the bags, or do you create a big leaf pile somewhere?
Munch I keep them in the bags under the eaves of the house, they stay fairly dry there. You could probably lay them on their side and stack them up in a pyramid. In fact I’m going to try that this year.
We don’t have winter per se, we have rainy season. That’s a good time for the compost, since it gets nice and wet. In the summer I sprinkle it when I water the garden.
My worms just showed up, but I think if you make sure the pile is fairly loose they will find their way to where it is warm enough.
I probably neglect my pile more than I should - I only turn it once a month or so - but it works pretty well anyhow.
I have far too many worms, at least IMO. So many worms, in fact, that I was incapable of turning the compost - there might have been worm contact! I may not be cut out for gardening.
I’ll probably get a proper composter some day, but I’m in no particular hurry.