[txscraper39]

It has to be moist to decay. And yes you can add apple cores and avocados

[Z and G's Mom]

I was wondering about the trash can thing too. We have a dog who would DEFINITELY enjoy nosing around an open compost pile.

[noellebrow]

I have the same set-up(trash compost) as you.
I've found that as long as I am adding enough wet materials to the mix there is no need to add water. I actually have a problem with needing to search out dry compost materials since my compost tends to be moist.
I avoid too much of anything with a harder peel or larger pit since it takes longer to break down.

Here's a list of wet vs dry from this article.
Green / wet materials

Fruit and veggie scraps
Egg shells
Tea bags, tea leaves
Fresh green grass clippings and plant trimmings grown without pesticides or weed killers
Plate scrapings (excluding meat and bones)

Brown / dry materials

Dry leaves, dried grass clippings
Wood shavings or sawdust
Nuts and shells
Coffee grounds and filters
Pinecones, pine needles
Shredded egg cartons (the paper kind)
Shredded newspaper and tissue paper
Twigs
Hay
Peanut shells
Cold wood ashes
Dryer lint
Shredded cereal boxes and other paperboard items

[BlueMoon187]

I keep a small compost going, and invested in a plastic compost bin designed for that purpose. I purchased my bin at Sam's Club, and it cost about $30. The advantage over a garbage can is that it has air holes to allow circulation, and has small holes in the cover to admit rain. It is also black, so that it holds in the heat well. Oxygen/air circulation is important for the breakdown process.

It's important to keep your pile moist but not wet. It should be damp enough for the stuff to stick together a little bit, but not so wet as to clump up in a ball in your hand. Without some moisture, it will not decompose. It is also important to keep a balance of the greens and browns (see above) so that it heats up and breaks down faster.

I have developed a technique for speeding up the process, since my pile is small. I have an old blender in my utility room, and I put all my compostables in it. When it is full, I add a little water and blend all the stuff together into a "smoothie." That adds both moisture and nitrogen (greens) to the pile, and the stuff is immediately mixed in. I cut up things like apple cores and put them in the blender. I would put the peel of avocados (and the moldy part inside) into the blender, but discard the pit. It really is not as much of a hassle as you might think, and it allows my small pile to absorb all of the food compostables (vegetable trimmings, etc - no meat or dairy).

[simba123]

About how long does it take to produce a batch of compost?

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by simba123

About how long does it take to produce a batch of compost?

It varies according to what you have in it, the balance of moisture, how often you turn it (aerates the pile, allowing more oxygen in), and the season of the year. I only get one "harvest" of compost a year, but I'm not trying to produce more than that. In the fall, I start fresh with newly fallen leaves and the last grass trimmings. I add the "smoothies" throughout the winter, and it breaks down a lot, even when it is cold outside. In the spring, when the weather heats up, the pile really gets going and it breaks down everything into compost. I harvest all of this in the summer into a big covered garbage can, and that is what I use to feed my plants and work into pots in the spring.

I look at the compost pile as a kind of "garbage disposal" as much as I do the source of a finished product. I am happy that it absorbs so much of our vegetable waste and recycles it into something ultimately useful.

[artmayer1]

The instructions from my compost bin said to add water. I'm not sure how effectively i'm actually creating compost...I think that my bin has essentially become a place to throw all of my yard waste (but every summer it becomes too full to actually get composted correctly).

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by artmayer1

The instructions from my compost bin said to add water. I'm not sure how effectively i'm actually creating compost...I think that my bin has essentially become a place to throw all of my yard waste (but every summer it becomes too full to actually get composted correctly).

You get the best results by layering the stuff you put in when you start the pile. Layer of browns (see above), layer of greens (also above), water it, repeat until bin is full. Then you can add it water as needed to keep it moist (about as damp as a wrung-out sponge) and turn it to aerate it every once in awhile. If you only put in browns (example - dead leaves), it will not break down as fast. Add some nitrogen-rich elements to get it started cooking (green grass clippings, coffee grounds, hair trimmings ). If you're really desperate to get it jump-started, add a little urine (have your DH pee on it. At night, while the neighbors aren't looking. )

It will eventually break down, no matter how full it is, but not if you don't keep it moist. If you have a great BIG pile, you don't have to be so picky about the size of things you put in it, but it still needs to be watered a little if it doesn't rain. Bigger piles will actually heat up and you can see steam rising as the pile works. Cool!

[simba123]

(have your DH pee on it. At night, while the neighbors aren't looking. )



I may have to ask your DH about this at church next week!

[BlueMoon187]

Yeah, if only I could get him to do it.

But, seriously, here's a link about the benefits. Maybe YOUR DH will help out????
Urinate on the compost heap to save the planet says the National Trust - Telegraph

[crazy8kids]

If you are trying to heat up a pile and get some compost quickly, a cheap bag of dog food mixed in with the pile works.

[Tatonka]

What all can go in compost? Tea bags? I'm a juicer so can I put the pulp from juicing in compost? Can you use compost for your garden?

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by Tatonka

What all can go in compost? Tea bags? I'm a juicer so can I put the pulp from juicing in compost? Can you use compost for your garden?

Your compost would love the pulp from your juicing. Tea bags are also fine, although the bag will take longer to decompose than the tea. Gardening is the reason many/most people compost - there are so many benefits to the soil of adding compost. Too many to list here - just Google "benefits of composting" and you will find lots of information. Same for a list of what all can go into compost. The basic recommended things to compost are: anything that is organic (fruits, vegetables, plants, etc). See previous post for list of greens and browns, which you want a balance of. It is recommended to avoid meat, dairy, and oils in order to avoid attracting pests to your pile. It is also recommended to avoid waste of dogs and cats because they carry pathogens that you don't want to handle later. But adding manure of horse, cow, sheep, rabbits is good.

IMO, everyone can benefit from composting in some form! Read up on it, and maybe you will be inspired to get started...

[Moggy]

Originally Posted by crazy8kids

If you are trying to heat up a pile and get some compost quickly, a cheap bag of dog food mixed in with the pile works.

Hmm, that goes against everything I've ever heard/read about composting. The way I've always understood it, you're not supposed to put any kind of meat or dairy products (except empty egg shells) in there - that is assuming that most dog foods contain meat and/or meat by products.

We have an acutal compost bin, its open on the bottom. Problem is that the compost is so yummy that all the trees nearby have put out roots into the compost! Its a big gnarled mess that we can't even dig out anymore. I think this year we'll try and move it and put a plastic liner on the bottom, such as a shower pan to keep the roots out.

We put any and all vegetable and fruit scraps. Plain leftover rice, pasta noodles. Stale bread. Shredded paper. Dry grass clippings and leaves from the yard. Cotton clothing/rags (things like old worn our t-shirts). According to the Recyclebank, you can also drop in things like q-tips and cotton balls.

[jwo]

Originally Posted by BlueMoon187

I keep a small compost going, and invested in a plastic compost bin designed for that purpose. I purchased my bin at Sam's Club, and it cost about $30. The advantage over a garbage can is that it has air holes to allow circulation, and has small holes in the cover to admit rain. It is also black, so that it holds in the heat well. Oxygen/air circulation is important for the breakdown process.

It's important to keep your pile moist but not wet. It should be damp enough for the stuff to stick together a little bit, but not so wet as to clump up in a ball in your hand. Without some moisture, it will not decompose. It is also important to keep a balance of the greens and browns (see above) so that it heats up and breaks down faster.

I have developed a technique for speeding up the process, since my pile is small. I have an old blender in my utility room, and I put all my compostables in it. When it is full, I add a little water and blend all the stuff together into a "smoothie." That adds both moisture and nitrogen (greens) to the pile, and the stuff is immediately mixed in. I cut up things like apple cores and put them in the blender. I would put the peel of avocados (and the moldy part inside) into the blender, but discard the pit. It really is not as much of a hassle as you might think, and it allows my small pile to absorb all of the food compostables (vegetable trimmings, etc - no meat or dairy).

I'd love to find out more about the compost bin you found at Sam's for $30. I've been wanting to compost for a long time as I love to garden, but the cost has always prohibited it.

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by jwo

I'd love to find out more about the compost bin you found at Sam's for $30. I've been wanting to compost for a long time as I love to garden, but the cost has always prohibited it.

Well..uh...this is the one I have. Now $82.00. Sorry about that! I guess i've had it a few years - I remember it being $30 and change when I bought it.

Amazon.com: Soilsaver Classic Composter: Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can make a bin out of 4 wooden pallets - nail them together standing up. I had one made of fencing for awhile. But the enclosed one works much better.

[simba123]

For those of you who are going to make the rolling trash can composter there are black trash cans (32 gal) at places like Family dollar and Dollar Gen. for about $15.

[jwo]

Originally Posted by BlueMoon187

Well..uh...this is the one I have. Now $82.00. Sorry about that! I guess i've had it a few years - I remember it being $30 and change when I bought it.

Amazon.com: Soilsaver Classic Composter: Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can make a bin out of 4 wooden pallets - nail them together standing up. I had one made of fencing for awhile. But the enclosed one works much better.

Haha! Well, thanks anyway. I'm glad you got such a great deal. I may just have to try it with a garbage can. My husband is a bit squeamish about the idea. He's afraid it will smell awful, but I know if you do it correctly, it shouldn't smell at all, right? Of course "do it correctly" is the key here

[delsol1]

I want to start one too!

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by jwo

Haha! Well, thanks anyway. I'm glad you got such a great deal. I may just have to try it with a garbage can. My husband is a bit squeamish about the idea. He's afraid it will smell awful, but I know if you do it correctly, it shouldn't smell at all, right? Of course "do it correctly" is the key here

If it smells, you know that one of these things has been done: (1) You put in meat, dairy, or oil-based stuff, (2) You have too high a proportion of greens to browns (remedy - add browns), (3) Your compost is too wet (remedy - let it dry out, aerate it, add some dry ingredients, or (4) Not enough air circulation (stir it up, make sure it can get air.) A well-functioning compost pile has a nice, earthy smell.

[marenian]

I have a question - DH made me a wooden bin from old wood we had lying around last fall. I filled it up with leaves and remnants of what was my attempt at gardening. I added fruit/veggie scraps over the winter. It never really did much over the winter but now that things have warmed up I'm hoping it all will start to break down.

Question - should I stop adding material to it to give it a chance to "finish"?

[TinkleTushies]

What makes a good bin? We had ours in an old watering trough but it dries out

[TinkleTushies]

Sorry guess I was on the wrong page! Good ideas! Plastic black trash bins are ok? Don't leech chemicals?

[BlueMoon187]

Originally Posted by marenian

I have a question - DH made me a wooden bin from old wood we had lying around last fall. I filled it up with leaves and remnants of what was my attempt at gardening. I added fruit/veggie scraps over the winter. It never really did much over the winter but now that things have warmed up I'm hoping it all will start to break down.

Question - should I stop adding material to it to give it a chance to "finish"?

The recommended system is a 3-bin. In the first bin, you put all the new stuff. Then, when it is full, you turn that into the second bin. You leave that alone (except for keeping it moist) and then several months later, turn it into the third bin. Leave it alone until finished. So, you're always giving the compost time to "cook" without adding new stuff.

BUT...I only have one bin, so I keep adding new stuff all the time. I'm OK with this, as it does continue to break down, just not completely. I keep adding vegetable scraps, etc, and occasionally add some chopped leaves if it needs some browns. Toward the end of the summer, it is really getting ready, and I turn it into a big covered garbage can to finish up.