Composting Resources

[avaserfi]

Come late July I will be moving to a house. The partner and I have been planning on getting a compost going, but this will be a first for both of us. I have a feeling it will primarily fall on me, since I am the cook, brewer etc... This is more my interest than hers, but she wants to do it as well. We will be using the soil for a produce garden as well.

Does anyone have any resources that helped them start out on the cheap? I am hoping to avoid investing much money in this - I was thinking of using a large rubbermaid trashcan if possible, for example.

 

[Yooper]

We just have a fenced circular area (not inside an enclosed container). But we don't have a problem with rodents or other critters getting into it. If we had skunks or raccoons, then I'd have to rethink it, I'm sure. We don't have an odor or anything, but we have a huge yard it it's quite a way from the house.

 

[bobjohnson77]

I bought a large plastic trash can and poked holes in it for air circulation and it works well or if you are really a DIYer Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association > Publications > Articles for Reprinting > Building a Homemade Worm Composting System

 

[rsmith179]

I was searching at work the other day for compost tumblers... Most are well above $200.00 retail. Then, I stumbled on this DIY project for Boy Scouts:

Make a compost tumbler -- Boys’ Life magazine

I figured, $hit if a 13 year old Boy Scout can do this, I'm sure I can too! I'll be looking for these blue cans on Craigslist and hopefully will have this built next weekend. Composting is great, but I hate the little mount I have in the backyard right now...

 

[Marko73]

There is an incredible book called, "The New Self-Sufficient gardener" by John Seymour. I used to run a vocational rehabilition greenhouse for people with mental illness, but I learned more from this book than from even that experience.

There is a whole chapter on composting and some of the different systems. This is my first year in my house so I am starting just a heap pile, but I would highly recommend this book. There are 2 versions and the one from the 70's is in just about every library.

Good luck!!!

 

[eriktlupus]

for my yard waste from the dog pens i use an old trashcan with holes in the bottom and an open top. just make sure you get a good mix of dry and green materials. if its to green it'll just rot and stink too dry and it does nothing but sit there. also you need to rotate or mix the pile over every wk or so to aerate the pile. also dog waste compost is not recoomended for food bed, but it works fine in the flowers. i keep the dog and yard/houshold composts separate for this reason. my yard/house is done similar to yoops.

 

[avaserfi]

Thanks for the recommendations. I am going to be in an urban area so an open compost probably won't be the best idea. I was thinking something along the lines of this. Seems like an easy, simple, starting solution that could be kept right in the backyard without any issues.

How does something like that look?

 

[Yooper]

It looks ok, but I'd consider a different shape. If you want to turn it (and you do!), it's hard to use a pitchfork or shovel to turn that pile in a round container, especially when it gets 1/2 full. . If you use a rectangular rubbermaid, it'll be easier to turn. I've seen some trash can ones set up on a metal dowel through them so they can be turned, but I don't know how they did it!

 

[NJTomatoguy]

I'll take a pic if the rain ever stops, but what I did was a yearly pile method. This year, that changed, and way better. I made a U shape out of extra pavers, and use that this year. turned it over a lot, and it looks great. what I used to do is for a whole season, everything goes in one pile. One year, behind the shed, one year, next to the woodpile. Another year, a pile in a garden bed I was letting rest. you get the idea. Not very efficient, but good compost. and no turning.
I believe it is worth the effort to turn the pile once a week. way faster production of Black Gold.

 

[pen25]

check mother earth news

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/How-To-Start-A-Compost-Pile.aspx

 

[Homercidal]

I got plans for a steel barrel tumbler. It's about half done, like some other projects around here. I guess I should break out the welder and finish it. Supposed to compost in a couple of weeks at most.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I re-claimed some old commercial real estate "For Sale" signs. Metal frames with sheet metal inserts. And tacked those to some bits of landscape timbers to make a 3 sided, two box, compost holder.

Weekly I turn the pile from one box to the other to aerate and water. In one season I amassed nearly 10 cubic yards of near perfect compost from yard waste, and kitchen scraps. The ONLY thing I paid for was a pitch fork to turn it with.

Turing it sucks, especially when it's this much, but I consider it a workout routine.

 

[Hotspur]

We used left over pressure treated lumber from building a deck to create a square, with walls ~3' high, and hinged one side to be a door.

 

[avaserfi]

Finally got around to get a compost going. So far so good, except we seem to have a fly problem. They don't seem to be vinegar or black soldier flies, they look more like house flies to me. Anytime, after feeding the compost, the next day or two we get swarms of the flies when it is opened for aeration. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[broadbill]

Thanks for the recommendations. I am going to be in an urban area so an open compost probably won't be the best idea. I was thinking something along the lines of this. Seems like an easy, simple, starting solution that could be kept right in the backyard without any issues.

How does something like that look?

If you have your compost mixture right, then is really shouldn't smell. Even if it did smell, I wouldn't worry about the neighbors being able to smell it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Keep the compost moist and aerated. Don't fear the flys too much. If the composter is balanced the insects will be in check. Anytime you introduce new material, especially food waste you will attract guests to the buffet.

Mix the additions and the nuisance infestation will be minimalized.