Karsten Kruse wrote:
Billy schrieb:

Is it really
superior to petrochemical fertilizer, or is it
guilty conscience liberal feelgoodism?

No, the petrochemical producs are better. They sell better and the
market doesn't lie.

And don't forget to use lots of pesticides too. They are made from
petroleum as well. I mean, if we are willing to go to war and cause
incredible suffering, then it must be a good thing ;o), so eats lots
of it. The really good unintended consequence is, of course, it cures
conservative's cranial-rectal inversion, which makes this liberal feel
good ;O).

_Exactly_!

I'm afraid there are no commercial products needed to make compost.

A shame, the industry should do something about it.


Lots of compost products, you MUST have them ALL:

1) Composting "tumblers", $200 and up ($500 for the "twin barrel" system)

2) Cedar or wire compost "bins," $40 and up

3) Canvas "leaf haulers" to get leaves to the compost, $30

4) Chippers, to turn twigs into compostable bits, $700 or so

5) "Ground flush wheelbarrows" wide and shallow, to haul grass and
clippings to compost, regular wheelbarrow or a cardboard box just wont do,
$80 or so

6) "Compost Maker" or "Compost Excellerater" -- all brands are unique and
wonderful with magic ingredients, around $10 per container, buy several
kinds, including liquid, granular, or sticks that can just be pounded into
in pile.

7) Worms! Starter batch of wigglies, $15

8) Sand! to make compost drain better. $8 a bag

9) Shovel to turn compost, $15.00

10) Tined bail fork to aerate compost, $15.00

11) Aerator plunger, because a tined fork and shovel ain't enough for a
really well aerated pile, $20

12) Soil Sifter to help granulate finished compost, $100

13) Rotary sifter to mix different kinds of finished compost as
granulated, mounted over wheelbarrow, only $500

14) Stainless Steel "Peely bin" for kitchen waste, handled for ease of
carrying to compost pile: $80 gets a pretty nice one, you don't want the
$10 chintzy plastic jobby.

15) Galvanized chimney-lid on galvanized can, to use as incinerator to
make your own ash out of paper and twigs: $50

16) Compost thermometer, you could die if it cooks too cool to kill germs, $20

17) Biodegradable leaf sacks, fill 'em up, toss 'em bag and all on
compost: $15 for three.

18) "Tidy screens" look like bamboo mats, make nice "wraps" for the
compost pile so it won't be an eye soar, $30 per screen, you'll need
probably three of them, so $90

19) Plastic composting bag, "kit" with tripod bag-hanger, for that kitchen
waste that stinks too much for the regular pile, $30 starter kit, extra
bags $8 each, get a dozen of those to start with.

20) Compressed bails of sawdust or wood shavings, ESSENTIAL soil builders
mixed into the garden waste, $15 per bail, you'll need lots of bails

21) Fleece Compost Covers, keeps compost moist and none of it blows away,
$75 or so, not so much when you consider it's "CO2 permeable" making these
covers absolutely essential.

22) Compost bucket, to move finished compost from place to place in teh
garden, because you well know an ordinary bucket will never do it as well:
$20

23) Compost Test Kit. You'll end up killing your entire garden if you
don't test the pH, nitrogen level,, sodium content and what-not. $50 for
the kit in a nice leathette case, but you can go cheaper if you don't
actually love your garden.

24) Compost Planning Software. If you don't have the right computer
software with compost recipes and loads of advice, you're just wasting
your time. $250 might seem an awful lot, but do you want a dead garden? I
didn't think so.

25) Compost tool holder, $25

26) Finished compost holder bin. You certainly can't leave that finished
compost on the ground getting all dirty. And a special bin is only about
$50

27) Concrete toad, gnome, hedgehog, or jockey. Something nice for the top
of the pile. $50. If you'd prefer a Japanese stone lantern, $300.

28) Books about composting, get several, preferably published by vendors
of the above products as they explain best why you need all that stuff:
$20 per book on average, get about ten different titles so you'll become
expert, so: $200

If you run out of cool compost essentials to buy, just ask your vendor
what else you can get, there'll be something else, never fear.

-paghat the ratgirl
--
visit my temperate gardening website:
http://www.paghat.com
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http://www.weirdwildrealm.com