All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost pile. My
father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part of his property
and lets it expand as necessary. However, since I do not have much yard
space, I am looking for ideas on how to create a relatively compact
compostpile that can be secured so my dog and toddler do not distrub
the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of twins on
the way and diapers are eating away at the paychecks.

Thanks!

"Diggin' it!!!" wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost pile. My
father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part of his property
and lets it expand as necessary. However, since I do not have much yard
space, I am looking for ideas on how to create a relatively compact
compostpile that can be secured so my dog and toddler do not distrub
the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of twins on
the way and diapers are eating away at the paychecks.

Thanks!


I've owned these Soilmaker compost bins for many years, and they work
beautifully.
http://www.composters.com/docs/bins_p4.html#sm

There are numerous products on that page. I'm referring to the black 4-sided
box. There are hatches at the front and the neighboring side, for removing
finished compost. Very convenient. And, the dark color helps warm the thing,
so I get maybe an extra month or so of composting at either end of the
season.

A couple of friends have not been impressed with the tumbler type units, but
others report good results. Without knowing how someone's feeding their
compost (types of scraps, size of scraps), there's no way to say one unit's
better than another.

If you think you'll be collecting a day or two worth of scraps in the
kitchen before bringing them outside, head to a tackle shop or sporting
goods store and get an inexpensive small bait bucket. They have a perforated
lid. If you don't have ventilation, you'll get anaerobic decomposition which
stinks like crazy. Give the scraps some air, and they can be indoors for 2-3
days before getting smelly.

Use free wood pallets on edge and tied at the corners to construct a
bin.

"Diggin' it!!!" wrote in message
oups.com
All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost
pile.
My father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part of his
property and lets it expand as necessary. However, since I do
not
have much yard space, I am looking for ideas on how to create a
relatively compact compostpile that can be secured so my dog
and
toddler do not distrub the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of
twins
on the way and diapers are eating away at the paychecks.

Thanks!

Use Google to find plans to build your own.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

On 13 Jan 2006 07:21:27 -0800, "Diggin' it!!!"
wrote:

All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost pile. My
father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part of his property
and lets it expand as necessary. However, since I do not have much yard
space, I am looking for ideas on how to create a relatively compact
compostpile that can be secured so my dog and toddler do not distrub
the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of twins on
the way and diapers are eating away at the paychecks.

Thanks!

Congratulations on the coming Great Event.

diapers, I guess this isn't any of my beeswax, but how about just
using cloth diapers and laundering them? That's how I did, and that
was abroad, with a helper but without a washing machine or recourse to
a laundromat.

Today, with a washing machine, should be no pain no strain. Just
flush the, er, solid matter in the toilet, rinsediaper lightly,
deposit in pail of soapy water, and do a batch daily in washer. ily.

Suggestion is because (a) keeps ENORMOUS QUANTITIES of throwaway
diapers out of the landfill and (b) much easier on your paychecks.

HTH

--

Persephone

Heres a site that has some suggestions
http://www.mastercomposter.com/equip/buildbin.html
Chuckie in the forzen north, zone5

On 13 Jan 2006 07:21:27 -0800, "Diggin' it!!!"
wrote:

Be careful to keep them away from bushes and trees or the roots will grow into the pile.

Persephone wrote in message

On 13 Jan 2006 07:21:27 -0800, "Diggin' it!!!"
wrote:

All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost
pile. My father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part
of
his property and lets it expand as necessary. However, since
I do
not have much yard space, I am looking for ideas on how to
create
a relatively compact compostpile that can be secured so my
dog
and toddler do not distrub the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of
twins on the way and diapers are eating away at the
paychecks.

Thanks!

Congratulations on the coming Great Event.

diapers, I guess this isn't any of my beeswax, but how
about
just using cloth diapers and laundering them? That's how I
did,
and that was abroad, with a helper but without a washing
machine or
recourse to a laundromat.

Today, with a washing machine, should be no pain no strain.
Just
flush the, er, solid matter in the toilet, rinsediaper
lightly,
deposit in pail of soapy water, and do a batch daily in washer.
ily.

Suggestion is because (a) keeps ENORMOUS QUANTITIES of
throwaway
diapers out of the landfill and (b) much easier on your
paychecks.

HTH

How about not having children one can't afford.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Travis M." expounded:

How about not having children one can't afford.

Nice judgement/indictment.

Trying to economize hardly means you shouldn't have children. Nor
does trying to use a better solution to diapering than expensive,
everlasting disposable diapers. I used cloth diapers on both my boys.
It was a bit of work, but worth it.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 07:55:52 GMT, "Travis M."
wrote:

Persephone wrote in message

On 13 Jan 2006 07:21:27 -0800, "Diggin' it!!!"
wrote:

All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost
pile. My father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part
of
his property and lets it expand as necessary. However, since
I do
not have much yard space, I am looking for ideas on how to
create
a relatively compact compostpile that can be secured so my
dog
and toddler do not distrub the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of
twins on the way and diapers are eating away at the
paychecks.

Thanks!

Congratulations on the coming Great Event.

diapers, I guess this isn't any of my beeswax, but how
about
just using cloth diapers and laundering them? That's how I
did,
and that was abroad, with a helper but without a washing
machine or
recourse to a laundromat.

Today, with a washing machine, should be no pain no strain.
Just
flush the, er, solid matter in the toilet, rinsediaper
lightly,
deposit in pail of soapy water, and do a batch daily in washer.
ily.

Suggestion is because (a) keeps ENORMOUS QUANTITIES of
throwaway
diapers out of the landfill and (b) much easier on your
paychecks.

HTH

How about not having children one can't afford.

Nominated for non sequitur of the millennium.

Persephone


--


Several excuses are always
less convincing than one

Aldous Huxley

Persephone wrote in news
Nominated for non sequitur of the millennium.

Has Travis ever said anything useful or is that just his mating call?

I use a very simple bin, The Presto Hoop. About 20 bucks and it's easy
to turn the pile with this low tech design.


http://www.composters.com/docs/bins_p3.html#pr

I suggest just digging a hole in a new place, everytime you have a batch to
put away. Did that with my first small garden and it had numerous effects.
There wasn't a "pile" to turn or otherwise take care of. The clay soil got
mixed in with the compost. Even during the winter, I would dig holes and
had very little garden prep in spring. The garden had excellent results.
Even the next door neighbors who I considered experts in the field, were
amazed. A long narrow shovel did best.

Persephone wrote in message news
On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 07:55:52 GMT, "Travis M."
wrote:

Persephone wrote in message

On 13 Jan 2006 07:21:27 -0800, "Diggin' it!!!"
wrote:

All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost
pile. My father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part
of
his property and lets it expand as necessary. However, since
I do
not have much yard space, I am looking for ideas on how to
create
a relatively compact compostpile that can be secured so my
dog
and toddler do not distrub the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of
twins on the way and diapers are eating away at the
paychecks.

Thanks!

Congratulations on the coming Great Event.

diapers, I guess this isn't any of my beeswax, but how
about
just using cloth diapers and laundering them? That's how I
did,
and that was abroad, with a helper but without a washing
machine or
recourse to a laundromat.

Today, with a washing machine, should be no pain no strain.
Just
flush the, er, solid matter in the toilet, rinsediaper
lightly,
deposit in pail of soapy water, and do a batch daily in washer.
ily.

Suggestion is because (a) keeps ENORMOUS QUANTITIES of
throwaway
diapers out of the landfill and (b) much easier on your
paychecks.

HTH

How about not having children one can't afford.

Nominated for non sequitur of the millennium.

Persephone


--


Several excuses are always
less convincing than one

Aldous Huxley

I do this too. Works great and cost nothing.

wrote:

Use free wood pallets on edge and tied at the corners to construct a
bin.


--
http://www.smellyhound.com

"Diggin' it!!!" wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

I want to set aside a portion of my small yard for a compost pile. My
father-in-law simply started a heap on the back part of his property
and lets it expand as necessary. However, since I do not have much yard
space, I am looking for ideas on how to create a relatively compact
compostpile that can be secured so my dog and toddler do not distrub
the pile.

Any suggestions? The cheaper the better since I have a set of twins on
the way and diapers are eating away at the paychecks.

Thanks!

I salvaged an old fence a mate was pulling down and used the posts and slats
to build a double bin compost system. I used beading from the fence on the
inside of the front posts and simply slide planks in or out as the compost
heap grows or gets dug out. A spade, some nails, a hammar and a saw was all
I needed.

Other people I know have used old car tyres stacked 3-5 tyres high.

rob