Frogleg wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 19:45:16 -0400, DigitalVinyl
wrote:

expense -- It just about kills me to see TV cooks throwing their
veg peelings and whatnot into a trash bin. We produce *free* soil
ammendments every day. I keep an open, about 2qt plastic bowl on my
kitchen counter for veg scraps, and empty it every 2-3 days onto The
Pile. Except when I make a batch of gazpacho, which pretty much fills
the bown with leftovers from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and celery.
You don't need an expensive "system" to brew compost, either. See:

http://www.nyccompost.org/how/smallspace.html

Nice link, some very good info & links there. Thanks.
I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

First too much, and then not enough. :-) If you eat out most of the
time, and never have potato peelings, tomato skins & seeds, cabbage
leaves, melon rinds, onion skins and tops, coffee grounds, used tea
bags or leaves, egg shells, or any leaves or grass clippings or bush
prunings, by all means stop at K-Mart for a bag of compost and dig it
in.
I NEVER peel potatoes I love eating the skin! Potato salads, fried,
mashed, baked...I just clean the skins. Lettuces, tomatoes, onion,
peppers, garlic peels, carrot tops, celery, egg shells, apple cores,
leftover grapes are the most common stuff. I don't drink coffee or tea
at home--haven't made one of either in the last 3 years here. I admit
to being a big meat eater, but I like lots of vegetables mixed in.
I've seen some grains are bad other say add bread. I don't often have
bread go bad on me. I guess my assuption is without variety the copost
wont have any many nutrients and be less "helpful".

Compost, for the most part, provides little nutrients to plants, but
That's what I've really been wondering about...I do need to keep
amending this soil--its not the best condition.
it vastly improves almost any soil, evening out wet/dry conditions and
making the dirt easier for plant roots to wander around in. Composted
(animal) manure has more nutrients, and is also a good soil
ammendment. Lacking a cow or friends with farms, I have to buy mine.
Doesn't keep me from composting those tired lettuce leaves, 'though.

DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)