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#31
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message ... I took on an allotment plot earlier this year, and quickly cleared half of it to grow at least some crops this season whilst I intensively double-dig and clear the other half. All of that is going well. So, now I want to make a compost bin. Eventually I plan to have 3. I have scavenged 4 pallets each of which is 3ft x 4ft which I intend to use to build a box that is 3ft square and 4 ft high. One of the sides will be loosely (but securely) tied in so that it is removable for access. But what to do next? I have read so much here and on google that I am utterly confused. Firstly, should I line the box with something like lino or old carpet in order to keep the heat in or leave it as it is to allow for aeration? Secondly, do I have to stick to a strict regime as to how I build up the layers? I was just thinking of simply piling in layers of stuff as and when I harvested crops throughout the season , maybe throw in some grass cuttings from home, maybe throw in paper from the shredding machine, maybe throw in some straw if it available. Do I have to add accelerators? Do I have to add lime? Do I have to turn it? Do I add worms? Do I have to pee on it LOL!! Making compost seems to have become such a scientific skill that I am now quite wary of even starting to do so, lest I end up with some smelly sickly sludge that it no good for anything. Ed Composting obviously doesn't have to complex or difficult. That being said, there is an excellent work on composting available on the web at: http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0.../03010200.html Chas |
#32
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:49:43 GMT, "debnchas"
wrote: Composting obviously doesn't have to complex or difficult. That being said, there is an excellent work on composting available on the web at: http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0.../03010200.html Good stuff. I just scored a copy of the original "Let it rot" in a homesteading lot I bought last week but haven't had a chance to thumb thru it yet. I need some help with a fairly large vermicomposting bin design to process rabbitry waste, preserve the "liquid gold", and not kill my back. Anyone have any ideas? |
#34
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
On Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:32:42 -0500, Omelet
wrote: In article , se (JustTom) wrote: On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:49:43 GMT, "debnchas" wrote: Composting obviously doesn't have to complex or difficult. That being said, there is an excellent work on composting available on the web at: http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0.../03010200.html Good stuff. I just scored a copy of the original "Let it rot" in a homesteading lot I bought last week but haven't had a chance to thumb thru it yet. I need some help with a fairly large vermicomposting bin design to process rabbitry waste, preserve the "liquid gold", and not kill my back. Anyone have any ideas? I was at a rabbit farm once that built the composting "bins" out of wood right under the rabbit cages, and stocked them with worms. The worms did not look that healthy tho', kinda pale and slender. That might work if it was managed properly to keep it from becoming too acidic. I;ve seen those, but I'm redesigning my barn to have the rabbits on the second floor and sliding the waste out of a drain to the bins outside. Most of the acidic urine will be washed out before making it to the bins, and they tend to stay away from the "hot corner" anyway. I'm kind of thinking of something modular like the "can o worms" thing, only on a much larger scale. I'd like it to be modular in design so that I could capture all of that lovely "liquid gold" the worm also produce. A little bit of that on the plants and they become very very happy. I'd also like to easily remove a section of compost without killing my back, and allow stacking new modules as needed, just like the can o worms thing. I currently basically just use the manure straight or diluted as manure tea, but I'd like the worms to refine it further for me. |
#35
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article ,
se (JustTom) wrote: On Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:32:42 -0500, Omelet wrote: In article , se (JustTom) wrote: On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:49:43 GMT, "debnchas" wrote: Composting obviously doesn't have to complex or difficult. That being said, there is an excellent work on composting available on the web at: http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0.../03010200.html Good stuff. I just scored a copy of the original "Let it rot" in a homesteading lot I bought last week but haven't had a chance to thumb thru it yet. I need some help with a fairly large vermicomposting bin design to process rabbitry waste, preserve the "liquid gold", and not kill my back. Anyone have any ideas? I was at a rabbit farm once that built the composting "bins" out of wood right under the rabbit cages, and stocked them with worms. The worms did not look that healthy tho', kinda pale and slender. That might work if it was managed properly to keep it from becoming too acidic. I;ve seen those, but I'm redesigning my barn to have the rabbits on the second floor and sliding the waste out of a drain to the bins outside. Most of the acidic urine will be washed out before making it to the bins, and they tend to stay away from the "hot corner" anyway. I'm kind of thinking of something modular like the "can o worms" thing, only on a much larger scale. I'd like it to be modular in design so that I could capture all of that lovely "liquid gold" the worm also produce. A little bit of that on the plants and they become very very happy. The worm castings are she on top of the soil (I gather them in my yard during the rainy season) in little piles. You can scoop them by hand. :-) I'd also like to easily remove a section of compost without killing my back, and allow stacking new modules as needed, just like the can o worms thing. I currently basically just use the manure straight or diluted as manure tea, but I'd like the worms to refine it further for me. Coffee grounds make worms happy too, as does vegetable compost. :-) Are there any vermiculture lists? I've not looked. My back yard is full of red worms so I've never had to box or buy them. -- Peace! Om All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797) |
#36
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article
, Billy wrote: In article , Omelet wrote: In article , Ed ex@directory wrote: A simple alternative is to dig a small trench. Put your kitchen scrapes into it, and then cover it back over. Don't do that if you have black bears in the area. They'll find it and dig it up. My MIL could never figure out why she always had a bear in her yard... I run my kitchen scraps through my hens, then use the end product in the garden. Jan |
#37
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
On Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:56:49 -0500, Omelet
wrote: Are there any vermiculture lists? I've not looked. My back yard is full of red worms so I've never had to box or buy them. Not that I could find on usenet, but found a few on yahoo groups. |
#38
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article ,
Jan Flora wrote: In article , Billy wrote: In article , Omelet wrote: In article , Ed ex@directory wrote: A simple alternative is to dig a small trench. Put your kitchen scrapes into it, and then cover it back over. Don't do that if you have black bears in the area. They'll find it and dig it up. My MIL could never figure out why she always had a bear in her yard... I run my kitchen scraps through my hens, then use the end product in the garden. Jan Note to self: check for black bears ;O) -- Billy Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related |
#39
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article ,
Omelet wrote: Coffee grounds make worms happy but apparently not zucchini. I can only presume that the pH of the coffee grounds was to low. The zucks wilted in the late morning light.They are recovering now but aren't happy campers. I put the grounds right where the stem comes out of the ground. I've put coffee grounds in the lettuce patch in the past, with no reaction. -- Billy Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related |
#40
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
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#41
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article
, Billy wrote: In article , Omelet wrote: Coffee grounds make worms happy but apparently not zucchini. I can only presume that the pH of the coffee grounds was to low. The zucks wilted in the late morning light.They are recovering now but aren't happy campers. I put the grounds right where the stem comes out of the ground. I've put coffee grounds in the lettuce patch in the past, with no reaction. You are supposed to compost the coffee grounds first, preferably thru earthworms. g -- Peace! Om All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797) |
#42
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
On Aug 8, 12:38�pm, Omelet wrote:
In article , �Billy wrote: In article , �Omelet wrote: Coffee grounds make worms happy but apparently not zucchini. I can only presume that the pH of the coffee grounds was to low. The zucks wilted in the late morning light.They are recovering now but aren't happy campers. I put the grounds right where the stem comes out of the ground. I've put coffee grounds in the lettuce patch in the past, with no reaction. You are supposed to compost the coffee grounds first, preferably thru earthworms. g But those zukes will give a good buzz, even without D cells. g |
#43
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message ... Making compost seems to have become such a scientific skill that I am now quite wary of even starting to do so, lest I end up with some smelly sickly sludge that it no good for anything. Ed Just to see, I put some garbage with a little water into a plastic pail with lid and left it out in the sun. What I wound up with was a pail of rotting garbage that eventually started breeding crop destroying worms! I finally doused the whole mess with Malathion and dumped it a dumpster. |
#44
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
In article
, Sheldon wrote: On Aug 8, 12:38?pm, Omelet wrote: In article , ?Billy wildbilly@get the.net wrote: In article , ?Omelet wrote: Coffee grounds make worms happy but apparently not zucchini. I can only presume that the pH of the coffee grounds was to low. The zucks wilted in the late morning light.They are recovering now but aren't happy campers. I put the grounds right where the stem comes out of the ground. I've put coffee grounds in the lettuce patch in the past, with no reaction. You are supposed to compost the coffee grounds first, preferably thru earthworms. g But those zukes will give a good buzz, even without D cells. g Only if cross-bred with San Pedro. ;-) -- Peace! Om All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797) |
#45
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Compost Making. Utterly Confused!!
"Mike" wrote in message news:Pc0nk.409$EL2.204@trnddc01... "Ed" ex@directory wrote in message ... Making compost seems to have become such a scientific skill that I am now quite wary of even starting to do so, lest I end up with some smelly sickly sludge that it no good for anything. Ed Scientific!!! Nah, I just pile everything in to a wire mesh frame until its over full, leave it until it drops to about half full, spread it on the garden. Works for me see; http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...e.10280?sort=5 This one is about 8 ft square and has now been filled way over the top of the frame, and is now well on its way back down again all by itself. The other one is about quarter full, should take another 18 months to completely fill it. the only other thing I do is cover the full one with and old bit of carpet. I lifted a corner last weekend and there were loads of little red worms working away under it. Yea I know, I even take pictures of the compost heap, if you rummage around you will even find the second one half empty. Mike |
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