Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:18:45 GMT, submon wrote:

Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Several handfuls of walnut shells won't have much impact on a 30-cubic
foot compost heap. Just stay away from adding animal products and
oils.

no prob, but why waste time and electricity grinding the shells?

"submon" wrote in message
...
Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:33:39 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:18:45 GMT, submon wrote:

Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Several handfuls of walnut shells won't have much impact on a 30-cubic
foot compost heap. Just stay away from adding animal products and
oils.

Thanks, I was worried about wasting all my compost. No animal or oil
in my compost....I've tried to be careful.

Thanks,

I've only been grinding the shells of stuff since it just seems to
speed up the "breakdown" time. I guess I've been getting too
impatient since I keep coming across 4 year old peanut shells in the
soil when I turn the soil in spring. Every time I come across a shell
now it goes into the blender for "size reduction". If I don't see it
it won't bother me so much.

And yes, I've stood in front of a microwave on occasion and
yelled...faster, faster! I've really been thinking of getting one of
the turning compost bins if it can make it faster....although I tend
to stir it regularly it still takes too long.

I blend all those nice hard banana peels, orange rinds, egg shells and
nut shells. Maybe I just like reducing things from big to small
pieces? If I had a method to do this without using electricity that
didn't involve a windmill or something laboriously difficult I would
love to. Any ideas?

Thanks again.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 14:17:56 -0000, "Oxymel of Squill"
wrote:

no prob, but why waste time and electricity grinding the shells?

"submon" wrote in message
.. .
Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.

One of the "tricks" to a good compost heap is to keep it at least 3
feet wide, 3 feet tall. I dig a foot hole in the top (steam pours
out!), pour in the table scraps, cover it up, and it's gone in 2-3
days. I cut up rinds, skins, etc with a knife to speed the process.
You might see a peanut shell or two every so often, but more due to
animals digging in the heap. Egg shells compost very slowly, but
these are good for the compost and a good candidate for the blender.

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 07:23:58 GMT, submon wrote:

Thanks,

I've only been grinding the shells of stuff since it just seems to
speed up the "breakdown" time. I guess I've been getting too
impatient since I keep coming across 4 year old peanut shells in the
soil when I turn the soil in spring. Every time I come across a shell
now it goes into the blender for "size reduction". If I don't see it
it won't bother me so much.

And yes, I've stood in front of a microwave on occasion and
yelled...faster, faster! I've really been thinking of getting one of
the turning compost bins if it can make it faster....although I tend
to stir it regularly it still takes too long.

I blend all those nice hard banana peels, orange rinds, egg shells and
nut shells. Maybe I just like reducing things from big to small
pieces? If I had a method to do this without using electricity that
didn't involve a windmill or something laboriously difficult I would
love to. Any ideas?

Thanks again.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 14:17:56 -0000, "Oxymel of Squill"
wrote:

no prob, but why waste time and electricity grinding the shells?

"submon" wrote in message
. ..
Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.

"submon" wrote in message
...


On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:33:39 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:18:45 GMT, submon wrote:

Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Several handfuls of walnut shells won't have much impact on a 30-cubic
foot compost heap. Just stay away from adding animal products and
oils.

Thanks, I was worried about wasting all my compost. No animal or oil
in my compost....I've tried to be careful.

if you are really worried about your compost you need not necessarily use it
as soil food in say a vege garden. I use alot of compost as weed supressant
under hedges and shrubs and it works fine. If it is not ideal compost it
doesn't matter too much as it does a job anyway. Another way is water based
composting to produce a continuous compost tea. One die hard even thorws
road kill into his liquid compost barrell.

rob

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:43:14 +1300, "George.com"
wrote:


"submon" wrote in message
.. .


On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:33:39 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:18:45 GMT, submon wrote:

Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Several handfuls of walnut shells won't have much impact on a 30-cubic
foot compost heap. Just stay away from adding animal products and
oils.

Thanks, I was worried about wasting all my compost. No animal or oil
in my compost....I've tried to be careful.

if you are really worried about your compost you need not necessarily use it
as soil food in say a vege garden. I use alot of compost as weed supressant
under hedges and shrubs and it works fine. If it is not ideal compost it
doesn't matter too much as it does a job anyway. Another way is water based
composting to produce a continuous compost tea. One die hard even thorws
road kill into his liquid compost barrell.

rob


The only thing I grow that I can't eat is grass. I suppose I could
eat that too if I tried. ;-) Which is why I want my compost to be as
perfect as possible with what I have to fill it with. I've read of
the compost tea and opted out of that. As far as the road kill
goes...well that's just icky! I've thought about indoor worm
composting but that got vetoed by the wife. I keep telling her they
won't get out!

Thanks. I'll work on more "fluffing"

On 27 Feb 2006 00:10:05 -0800, "Laura at theGardenPages"
wrote:

I turn my compost about once a week. I use a pitch fork to sort of
fluff it (like a salad). And if it's dry a little water should help get
things cooking. It wants oxygen and moisture. I toss in peanut shells
and I still find a few shells uncooked at the end of the process too.
Just toss them back in for another round.
I think it's just the roots of walnuts that inhibit other plants. And I
agree, it's only a few handfulls..
Good luck

"submon" wrote in message

Thanks. I'll work on more "fluffing"

That is a different group.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Yikes, I forgot sometimes men hear that word entirely differently... I
was going for salad metaphors but it's difficult to toss a compost
pile. Best to leave it at that or we will get sent to another group!


submon wrote:
Thanks. I'll work on more "fluffing"

On 27 Feb 2006 00:10:05 -0800, "Laura at theGardenPages"
wrote:

I turn my compost about once a week. I use a pitch fork to sort of
fluff it (like a salad). And if it's dry a little water should help get
things cooking. It wants oxygen and moisture. I toss in peanut shells
and I still find a few shells uncooked at the end of the process too.
Just toss them back in for another round.
I think it's just the roots of walnuts that inhibit other plants. And I
agree, it's only a few handfulls..
Good luck

"submon" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:43:14 +1300, "George.com"
wrote:


"submon" wrote in message
. ..


On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:33:39 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:18:45 GMT, submon wrote:

Hi, I've gotten into composting and I like to get everything in
there. During XMas we had tonnes of nuts and I have gone to the
trouble of using an old blender to take the shells of the nuts and get
them down to a smaller consistency. I just wonder if my enthusiasm
got the better of me and is this wise? I've ground hazelnuts, pecan,
walnut. Now I've read in this group that walnut trees can affect
other plants, but what about the shells? Will I have to toss my
compost?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Several handfuls of walnut shells won't have much impact on a 30-cubic
foot compost heap. Just stay away from adding animal products and
oils.

Thanks, I was worried about wasting all my compost. No animal or oil
in my compost....I've tried to be careful.

if you are really worried about your compost you need not necessarily use
it
as soil food in say a vege garden. I use alot of compost as weed
supressant
under hedges and shrubs and it works fine. If it is not ideal compost it
doesn't matter too much as it does a job anyway. Another way is water
based
composting to produce a continuous compost tea. One die hard even thorws
road kill into his liquid compost barrell.

rob


The only thing I grow that I can't eat is grass. I suppose I could
eat that too if I tried. ;-) Which is why I want my compost to be as
perfect as possible with what I have to fill it with. I've read of
the compost tea and opted out of that. As far as the road kill
goes...well that's just icky! I've thought about indoor worm
composting but that got vetoed by the wife. I keep telling her they
won't get out!

Tell her the worms are just as worried that people might get into their
soil.

"submon" wrote in message
...
Thanks. I'll work on more "fluffing"

It helps to make layers if possible. Ideally, you'd alternate layers of
leaves, kitchen scraps, grass & garden clippings (assuming you don't poison
your lawn).

No poison on my lawn. I don't even use the grass the dog craps on in
my compost. Maybe a bit excessively paranoid...I don't know. Every
time I compost in layers though I think, "What's the point, since I'm
always stirring the stuff?"



On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:03:27 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"submon" wrote in message
.. .
Thanks. I'll work on more "fluffing"

It helps to make layers if possible. Ideally, you'd alternate layers of
leaves, kitchen scraps, grass & garden clippings (assuming you don't poison
your lawn).