In article , gary davis wrote:
On 6/3/04 5:22 PM, in article , "Ignoramus23878"
wrote:

In article , Steve Wolfe wrote:

thanks for your outstanding post. Not sure if my pile is hot or not
yet...

As long as there's moisture, decomposition should happen. I (and others
that I know) take a lazier approach to composting: Throw it all in the
pile and forget about it. My pile is about 7 feet in diameter, and the
wire fencing is 3 feet high. I've occasionally got the pile to about two
feet high (maybe just a tiny bit more), but it shrinks back down before
too long. The top six inches don't really undergo decomposition in my
pile, because they dry out, but underneath where it's warm and moist,
nature takes its course. Others that I know who take the same lazy
approach as I do tell me that their experience is pretty similar.

With a relatively hot pile, you can get things pretty well decomposed in
as little as a few weeks. In a cooler pile, it could take a year. It all
depends on how quickly you want it to happen, and how much effort you're
willing to put into it.

steve



I have the same philosophy, I like things like that to run their
course almost by themselves.

i
Yes, it can be done with no effort at all...now that is good! The main thing
is to not send it to a landfill. That is a waste; a loss of good growing
soil and it costs to get it there.

Last week, I already reduced production of non-recyclable garbage to a
bare minimum (mostly diapers). All food not suitable for chickens goes
into my bin and will go into the middle of the compost pile when I
turn it. Or, I will mix layers of rotting food with compost from my
pile, in the bin.

Will that work? Say 6 inches of rotting food, 6 inches of half rotted
compost, alternating, all "fermenting" in a plastic garbage bin with a
tight lid.

I am trying to think of best solutions that require little work. Some
things I have are such solution, for example my chicken coop is very
efficient and my fishtank requires almost no maintenance. I want
something easily workable for my rotting food, as well.

My feeling is that alternating rotting food with garden compost will
reduce the stink, especially if the bin is tightly closed.

i

Composting slow or fast; either way it bodes well for dinner! There is
nothing like fresh potatoes, fresh lettuce or carrots from a garden!
Do you want flowers like your mother had? Use the compost. It will surprise
you...and your mother!
Gary
Fort Langley BC
Canada

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