"Eggs Zachtly" wrote in message
...
dkhedmo said:

So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of
property. I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated to
composting and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond that.

Congrats. Sounds like a nice place. =)


I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so far,
but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside?

They're fine. crush them up as much as you can, prior to adding them.
Smaller pieces of anything will break down quicker.

I won't contaminate the yard with salmonella?

Not if it heats up properly. The center of the compost should heat up
nicely, and there will be plenty of "good" organisms to counter the "bad"
ones.

I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the compost in
the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all with the wet egg
shells.

Give him a beer and the remote. Then just don't tell him the shells are
there. He won't be eating the compost, you know.

- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?

Sure, why not? It's organic, no?

- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels in
the kitchen compost bin?

I stay away from paper in my compost bin. Shredded, it makes a good mulch
for veggies, though.

- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

Nah, my compost bins are wide-open. No lid, and the sides are a nylon
mesh.
I've never had a problem with anything eating from them.


I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of
autumn leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous
pine bark chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed. Should I
mix these all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all of them with
the kitchen scraps in the bin?

Why "layer"? Things compost much more quickly when they're stirred up. You
need several things to make good compost. You need the nitrogen-rich grass
clippings, as well as the chopped up leaf material. Bark and other hard
material takes much longer to break down.


What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in?

Sticks, twigs, and other hard debris. They just take too long to break
down. If you're not planning on stirring the compost often, I'd stay away
from any diseased plant material.

We get
monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap or can
of bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

Yup, you're on the right track.


I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on the
shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things progressing?

Stir it with a fork, weekly. Sunny areas are better choices, but it'll
work
in the shade. It just takes a bit longer.

Compost accelerator products?

Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red
wigglers.
=)

HTH
Eggs


All good advice - but why is everybody in such a hurry ? Including a little
soil also helps.