calnetalk.com

Durgan · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:04 pm Post subject: Practical, Sensible composting.

Practical Composting

http://aajepo.notlong.com/ 20 June 2008 Practical Composting.

All garden waste is chopped into small pieces and placed in the composting bin.

A compost bin must be readily accessible, for placing waste into, and also for ease of removing, plus convenient for mixing. A block and a machete will suffice for chopping plant vegetation if the quantity doesn't warrant the expense of a chipper/shredder. Small pieces is the aim.

The bin contents is rototilled for mixing purposes periodically. All vegetation is added until the Fall season, and left to brew until Spring, then put onto the garden beds. It takes a lot of vegetation to make any reasonable quantity of compost. Never turn a good working pile, leave it until the brewing is completed, then turn. Heat is the clue that the pile is working. Turning inhibits the brewing action considerably.

Most urban compost initiatives are about selling silly containers, rather than a practical aim. From my 0.4 acre of garden the compost quantity is about four cubic yards, for all practical purposes almost nothing.

Kitchen wastes should never be put into an urban compost pile, since they stink and attract unwanted beasts, and insects. A good compost pile shoud almost smell as nice as Channel 7 perfume.

_________________
Durgan. Brantford, ON, Canada Zone 5B
http://aeragh.notlong.com

Geddi · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject:

Sorry, but this is seriously out of touch of most people.

For a start, this is written in the USA for US citizens, not us humble Brits, so there are words involved which have no meaning in English, only in 'American English', like "rototilled"! Looking this up on Google I found it meant rotavated. I don't have one. I don't like to use mechanical devices in my garden unless I can do nothing else. I don't even particularly like to use a lawnmower and can't stand electric hedge trimmers for the tiny bits of hedge most people have. Shears are far better and make the hedge last longer and grow better.

Compost is a matter of taste and convenience and how much of space and matter is available. If there is a nice space for it, a basic conical heap on the ground is the best there is. I like to do a lazy kind of New Zealand composting, with wooden sides and layers of woody fibrous stuff, green softer stuff and a scattering of soil every foot or so to activate the rotting and introduce all the wonderful aerobic bacteria and wotnot.

As for kitchen waste, I put all my raw veg waste and loads of tea bags into my compost heap. I NEVER put egg shells or cooked stuff, as these attract rats. Turning is a matter of choice. Patience is the most important thing.

For some absolute blinding tips on all this sort of thing, try Googling either of the following terms -

Bio dynamic compost.
Permaculture compost.
Percy Thrower compost.

Great subject Durgan. :thumbl:

_________________
Democracy is dead.