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Compost ingredients?
What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Andrew |
Compost ingredients?
"Andrew McMichael" wrote in message ... What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Andrew http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/s...647001285.html That may help you. Fito |
Compost ingredients?
On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 12:31:12 -0500, Andrew McMichael
wrote: What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? I think it's because meat scraps, bones, etc. will encourage animals to feed from the compost (rats, mice, whatever). I don't put meat or oils in the compost for this reason - also ours is pretty close to the house and I don't want the smell of rotting meat. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
I had problems with neighborhood cats and things. But I understand that if you
BURY the stuff deep inside the pile, it's not that much of a problem. Also, I read in "let it rot", the master work on composting, that things with oils and fats sort of act like a varnish or waterproofing layer, and that slows down the bacteria from breaking things down. If you're going to use meat products, try to keep from using a lot of stuff with fat. I suppose drained meats, or low fat meats and bones, if you bury them deeply would be ok. Still, I'd add at least a couple of weeks to the composting process, just to make sure that the bacteria has "eaten" up the meats and oils and stuff. They can do it, it just takes a little bit more time. |
Compost ingredients?
A local dairy farmer sells compost and manure. Guess where his dead cows
go! Pat Meadows wrote in article ... On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 12:31:12 -0500, Andrew McMichael wrote: What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? I think it's because meat scraps, bones, etc. will encourage animals to feed from the compost (rats, mice, whatever). I don't put meat or oils in the compost for this reason - also ours is pretty close to the house and I don't want the smell of rotting meat. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
Andrew McMichael wrote:
What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Andrew Before the day is long gone, you'll get a lot of different answers. Mine is that, if you have the carbon to go with it and a deep enough pit, you can compost an elephant. The answer to your question changes dramatically based on what sort of compost process you have in mind. If you are going to be attentive and ensure a "hot process" pile, you can chuck just about anything that comes to hand into the pile. Vermin and pets are not an issue with a pile that is cooking along at 135 degrees or better or that is enclosed in a composter such as the rotating models now available. Nor are they a problem with pit composting or any of a half-dozen variants on the theme of composting. On the other hand, builders of 'slow process' compost piles need to show greater restraint and avoid not only meat scraps but also pet and human manures of all sorts. Here's a link to a pretty exhaustive treatment of the topic. http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html Bill -- Zone 5b (Detroit, MI) I do not post my address to news groups. |
Compost ingredients?
Fito wrote:
"Andrew McMichael" wrote in message ... What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/s...647001285.html That may help you. Hmmm, I'm in the market to try one this fall myself and from what I've read elsewhere one should turn the compose fairly often. How does one do that if you make a round wire affair as suggested in this FAQ? |
Compost ingredients?
Andrew McMichael said:
What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Normally people don't have their compost 'cooking' enough to bury meat and bone scraps in without risking serious odor or vermin problems. If I have a hot batch that is really cooking I can throw in shrimp peelings, fish bones, dead birds and mice and other stuff that is usually 'not allowed' in the compost guides. Once we even splurged on lobsters for the family and buried the leftovers in the middle of a really hot batch. No smell, and the shells all broke down. The only thing we recognized when sifting the compost later were the tips of the biggest claws. I can email some information on hot, batch composting (written originally by an professional compost man) to those who are interested. -- Pat in Plymouth MI Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (attributed to Don Marti) |
Compost ingredients?
Wow, pat! Gormet compost? I'm sure the plants love you for it as much as your
family! My pile sort of has the "college student diet" of lots of veggie scraps, whatever I can scrounge up off the curb, the occasional Raman Noodle feast..... |
Compost ingredients?
On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:53:41 -0600, John DeBoo
wrote: Hmmm, I'm in the market to try one this fall myself and from what I've read elsewhere one should turn the compose fairly often. How does one do that if you make a round wire affair as suggested in this FAQ? Pull up the wire circle - pull it off the compost. Or un-hitch it so it's not a circle anymore. Move the wire circle to a new spot. Fork the compost into the new spot. We use a wire fencing circle for compost too, but we just leave it, all this forking business is too much work - it will slowly decompose all by itself. Slowly. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
On 30 Jul 2003 23:56:52 GMT, "TomC" wrote:
A local dairy farmer sells compost and manure. Guess where his dead cows go! Not in the manure/bedding, unless he wants a lot of trouble from (at least!) the local health department. |
Compost ingredients?
TomC wrote:
A local dairy farmer sells compost and manure. Guess where his dead cows go! Cow heaven? Andrew |
Compost ingredients?
In article ,
Pat Meadows wrote: On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:53:41 -0600, John DeBoo wrote: Hmmm, I'm in the market to try one this fall myself and from what I've read elsewhere one should turn the compose fairly often. How does one do that if you make a round wire affair as suggested in this FAQ? Pull up the wire circle - pull it off the compost. Or un-hitch it so it's not a circle anymore. Move the wire circle to a new spot. Fork the compost into the new spot. We use a wire fencing circle for compost too, but we just leave it, all this forking business is too much work - it will slowly decompose all by itself. Slowly. Pat Yep, we do the same. Our piles are slower but have always performed well over the years. |
Compost ingredients?
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Compost ingredients?
On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 20:13:21 -0400, Noydb
wrote: ... but also pet and human manures of all sorts. Bill After living in Italy for several years where they routinely use human manure for fertilizing and seeing several Americans struck with Hepatitis I am totally against using dog or human manure anywhere near my edible plants! Have also read in several places that cooked meat, bones, and human/pet manure should not be included in compost materials. Lee JMTCW |
Compost ingredients?
At the time, which was a couple of years ago, I was interested in compost.
When I saw bones sticking out of several piles, I passed. Just couldn't handle the idea of the neighborhood dogs digging for the bones in my garden....;-) Frogleg wrote in article ... On 30 Jul 2003 23:56:52 GMT, "TomC" wrote: A local dairy farmer sells compost and manure. Guess where his dead cows go! Not in the manure/bedding, unless he wants a lot of trouble from (at least!) the local health department. |
Compost ingredients?
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:51:15 -0400, NC_FUBAR
wrote: Have also read in several places that cooked meat, bones, and human/pet manure should not be included in compost materials. I put nothing I wouldn't eat in my pile, that includes ALL animal products. For some of us organic meat is an oxymoron.... I don't mean to demean anyone that eats or uses animal products, just happen to believe in "Diet for a Small Planet". |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:53:41 -0600, John DeBoo wrote: Hmmm, I'm in the market to try one this fall myself and from what I've read elsewhere one should turn the compose fairly often. How does one do that if you make a round wire affair as suggested in this FAQ? Pull up the wire circle - pull it off the compost. Or un-hitch it so it's not a circle anymore. Move the wire circle to a new spot. Fork the compost into the new spot. We use a wire fencing circle for compost too, but we just leave it, all this forking business is too much work - it will slowly decompose all by itself. Slowly. Pat I knew that embarrassed. Is there a better structure in general that would do a faster or better job than wire? |
Compost ingredients?
Tom Jaszewski wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:51:15 -0400, NC_FUBAR wrote: Have also read in several places that cooked meat, bones, and human/pet manure should not be included in compost materials. I put nothing I wouldn't eat in my pile, that includes ALL animal products. For some of us organic meat is an oxymoron.... Well, now there's an interesting concept. I don't use any animal products in my compost. I just use grass trimmings, leaves and rotting hay. Not exactly tasty stuff but it serves the purpose for me. My plants also seem to like it. I don't mean to demean anyone that eats or uses animal products, just happen to believe in "Diet for a Small Planet". |
Compost ingredients?
|
Compost ingredients?
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 19:14:18 -0600, John DeBoo
wrote: Pull up the wire circle - pull it off the compost. Or un-hitch it so it's not a circle anymore. Move the wire circle to a new spot. Fork the compost into the new spot. We use a wire fencing circle for compost too, but we just leave it, all this forking business is too much work - it will slowly decompose all by itself. Slowly. Pat I knew that embarrassed. Is there a better structure in general that would do a faster or better job than wire? I think it would be nice to have a compost heap made out of pallets (or other wood). I have usually seen them in the shape of a letter 'E' - so that there are two compartments and you fork the compost from one compartment to another. This requires that you buy or find pallets or wood, however, and do some basic carpentry. I'll probably stick with the wire fencing, at least for now. We have too many other projects with higher priority than making a better compost container, unfortunately. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
On 31 Jul 2003 20:42:35 GMT, "TomC" wrote:
At the time, which was a couple of years ago, I was interested in compost. When I saw bones sticking out of several piles, I passed. Just couldn't handle the idea of the neighborhood dogs digging for the bones in my garden....;-) It seems fairly obvious that you need not put bones in *your* compost pile, regardless of what others may do. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
On 31 Jul 2003 20:42:35 GMT, "TomC" wrote: When I saw bones sticking out of several piles, I passed. Just couldn't handle the idea of the neighborhood dogs digging for the bones in my garden....;-) I've thought of creating a separate compost pile for things that take a longer time to break down than the usual things. Bones, eggshells, corn cobs and the like. They can break down in their own time and not mess up my other compost which will be ready in a couple of months. |
Compost ingredients?
Oooooohhhhh, don't put any more oil, fat or meat trimmings into the compost
pile. It attracts animals (mice, rats, racoons etc...) and doesn't break down. The rest of your kitchen scraps are okay to place in the compost: eggshells, coffee grinds, tea bags, vegetable and fruit trimmings. Other items that can be added to the compost are black/white newspaper (none of those color advestising pages), grass clippings, pine needles, non-diseased yard trimmings. I avoid putting weeds or rotten vegetables such as tomatoes in my compost after learning the hard way. My compost doesn't get hot enough to kill off the weed seeds so now I have tomatoes and purslane growing wherever I put the compost in my garden - I just love weeding (she said sarcastically). I've also added small amounts of bone meal and blood meal to my compost piles to help speed up the composting process. We also have a guinea pig so the used bedding gets placed into the compost pile. We used to compost our rabbit droppings too but we gave the rabbit back to the pet store because my kids weren't taking very good care of it. Of course, I'm no expert. These are just some tips that seem to work for me. Take care, Lynn Smythe e-mail: website: http://users.adelphia.net/~lynnsmythe "Andrew McMichael" wrote in message ... What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Andrew --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.504 / Virus Database: 302 - Release Date: 7/24/2003 |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
I think it would be nice to have a compost heap made out of pallets (or other wood). I've used pallets for years. I use those metal fence posts that cost about $3 at the hardware store to support them. Pallets can be found most anywhere, so the entire set-up costs me no more than about $15. Basically I stand a pallet on its end, and put the post down the middle. The pallets aren't tied together in any way so there's no need for anything other than a hammer, the pallets, and the posts. Takes about fifteen minutes to put it all together. Andrew |
Compost ingredients?
Lynn Smythe wrote:
Oooooohhhhh, don't put any more oil, fat or meat trimmings into the compost pile. It attracts animals (mice, rats, racoons etc...) and doesn't break down. The rest of your kitchen scraps are okay to place in the compost: eggshells, coffee grinds, tea bags, vegetable and fruit trimmings. Other items that can be added to the compost are black/white newspaper (none of those color advestising pages), grass clippings, pine needles, non-diseased yard trimmings. Also paper towels, paper napkins, and dryer lint. My compost gets pretty hot, so I'm not al that worried about the other stuff. Andrew |
Compost ingredients?
On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 09:20:41 -0500, Andrew McMichael
wrote: Pat Meadows wrote: I think it would be nice to have a compost heap made out of pallets (or other wood). I've used pallets for years. I use those metal fence posts that cost about $3 at the hardware store to support them. Pallets can be found most anywhere, so the entire set-up costs me no more than about $15. This is really frustrating for me, as - look though we have - we've NEVER found a free pallet. I'd certainly like to have some. *Where* do you find them? Pat |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
This is really frustrating for me, as - look though we have - we've NEVER found a free pallet. I'd certainly like to have some. *Where* do you find them? I was having the same problem. I was tooling down the boulevard here in Connecticut and I spotted a bunch of nice pallets behind a Sears Tool store. I inquired and they gave me all I could cart off in my pickup. The Sears people were very nice and the pallets are all new and they even match. I have since noticed there aren't always pallets there. I think I just got there on the right day. Hope that helps. |
Compost ingredients?
On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 11:16:14 -0400, WCD
wrote: I was having the same problem. I was tooling down the boulevard here in Connecticut and I spotted a bunch of nice pallets behind a Sears Tool store. I inquired and they gave me all I could cart off in my pickup. The Sears people were very nice and the pallets are all new and they even match. I have since noticed there aren't always pallets there. I think I just got there on the right day. I do too. If I ever see a stack like that, I'll surely ask. Thanks. Pat |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 09:20:41 -0500, Andrew McMichael wrote: Pat Meadows wrote: I think it would be nice to have a compost heap made out of pallets (or other wood). I've used pallets for years. I use those metal fence posts that cost about $3 at the hardware store to support them. Pallets can be found most anywhere, so the entire set-up costs me no more than about $15. This is really frustrating for me, as - look though we have - we've NEVER found a free pallet. I'd certainly like to have some. *Where* do you find them? Pat I'll probably go the 'pallet' route as I can get several for free by asking at Lowes or Home Depot, any of the lumber type stores. Sometimes they are not the best but they'll work. I've gotten them in the past for use under my firewood pile. |
Compost ingredients?
Pat Meadows wrote:
On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 11:16:14 -0400, WCD wrote: I was having the same problem. I was tooling down the boulevard here in Connecticut and I spotted a bunch of nice pallets behind a Sears Tool store. I inquired and they gave me all I could cart off in my pickup. The Sears people were very nice and the pallets are all new and they even match. I have since noticed there aren't always pallets there. I think I just got there on the right day. I do too. If I ever see a stack like that, I'll surely ask. Thanks. Pat If you know anyone that does 'Intarsia', a type of woodworking, they'll love some of the pallets too as some pretty exotic woods (grains and colors too) are used in them. Oak is very common. |
Compost ingredients?
Tom Jaszewski wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:51:15 -0400, NC_FUBAR wrote: Have also read in several places that cooked meat, bones, and human/pet manure should not be included in compost materials. I put nothing I wouldn't eat in my pile, that includes ALL animal products. For some of us organic meat is an oxymoron.... Thats because your confusing/intertwining two separate concepts. Organic farming (which favors renewable resources and recycling, returning to the soil the nutrients found in waste products) and vegetarianism. |
Compost ingredients?
I wouldn't put any animal type waste in a manure pile. There are disease
risks. "Andrew McMichael" wrote in message ... What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? Andrew |
Compost ingredients?
In article , Andrew McMichael
wrote: Pat Meadows wrote: I think it would be nice to have a compost heap made out of pallets (or other wood). I've used pallets for years. I use those metal fence posts that cost about $3 at the hardware store to support them. Pallets can be found most anywhere, so the entire set-up costs me no more than about $15. Basically I stand a pallet on its end, and put the post down the middle. The pallets aren't tied together in any way so there's no need for anything other than a hammer, the pallets, and the posts. Takes about fifteen minutes to put it all together. Andrew Your local lumberyard may give away their damaged pallets for free. Ours does. Also, if you live near a shipping port, you can get pallets and wooden shipping containers made out of hardwoods (mahogany anyone?) for free, if you're a good scrounge. Jan |
Compost ingredients?
In article , Andrew McMichael
wrote: TomC wrote: A local dairy farmer sells compost and manure. Guess where his dead cows go! Cow heaven? Andrew One of our cows ran the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. She got photosensitivity from eating hay with just the right mold in it, the water system quit for a couple of days and the combination was just enough to push her over the edge. We gave her to Jack Berry, for dog food. So she ran the Iditarod six weeks later, as dog food. (She was a really neat cow, so we were bummed about her dying, but jazzed that her carcass went to such good use. Her daughters and granddaughters are the best brood cows in our herd these days.) Jan |
Compost ingredients?
In article , tomj wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:51:15 -0400, NC_FUBAR wrote: Have also read in several places that cooked meat, bones, and human/pet manure should not be included in compost materials. I put nothing I wouldn't eat in my pile, that includes ALL animal products. For some of us organic meat is an oxymoron.... I don't mean to demean anyone that eats or uses animal products, just happen to believe in "Diet for a Small Planet". Go surf around www.eatwild.com Growing beef on grass helps with carbon sequestration, among other things. Jan organic beef rancher |
Compost ingredients?
"Andrew McMichael" wrote
What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? As others have posted, a "hot" pile will probably consume an old boot. More casual "cold" composting will turn leaves, grass, veg and fruit waste, and an occasional spade- or potful of dirt into a lovely mixture for digging into your garden. In addition to the above, I add (rinsed and crumbled) eggshells, coffee grinds, and sometimes a teabag or 3. The only time my pile has any odor at all is immediately after adding something like canteloupe rind. Fats, proteins, bones, etc. may attract rodents. I don't want oily stuff in my soil, so I keep that out, too. Trimmings from making salad? Into the pile. Leftover salad with dressing? Into the garbage. |
Compost ingredients?
If you know anyone that does 'Intarsia', a type of woodworking,
they'll love some of the pallets too as some pretty exotic woods (grains and colors too) are used in them. Oak is very common. another good place to check is grocery stores. They tend to get lots of stuff in on pallets. Smaller town stores are best, as some of the larger ones have special returnable skids they send back with thier own trucks... Central IL small garden, but do my best! email: daveallyn at bwsys dot net please respond in this NG so others can share your wisdom as well! |
Compost ingredients?
We've had a great worm bin for about 7 or 8 years in our backyard. When we
recently remodeled the kitchen, it turned out that composting had saved us a bunch of money! The plumber looked at our garbage disposal and the pipes attached to it and was amazed that we hadn't had a major breakdown, because the pipe was really too small to handle the job. He said there was no way the disposal should have lasted 25 years, as it had. The worm bin also has provided a great start for new planting gardens that I've been adding to my backyard each year. We started out with a yard that was just a big rectangle of bad lawn. Now we have a great veggie garden, a raspberry patch, a rose garden, etc. I hope to eventually have a back yard that is more garden than lawn. I put everything in the compost bin except fats and meat. I also get my husband to put a layer of grass clippings in a couple of times during the summer. (We usually compost the grass in a separate pile from the worm bin, but it "freshens up" the worm bin to add grass from time to time.) "Frogleg" wrote in message ... "Andrew McMichael" wrote What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house, and we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat trimmings, etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this so? Why? As others have posted, a "hot" pile will probably consume an old boot. More casual "cold" composting will turn leaves, grass, veg and fruit waste, and an occasional spade- or potful of dirt into a lovely mixture for digging into your garden. In addition to the above, I add (rinsed and crumbled) eggshells, coffee grinds, and sometimes a teabag or 3. The only time my pile has any odor at all is immediately after adding something like canteloupe rind. Fats, proteins, bones, etc. may attract rodents. I don't want oily stuff in my soil, so I keep that out, too. Trimmings from making salad? Into the pile. Leftover salad with dressing? Into the garbage. |
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