A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 How to make a compost bin II

If I don't cover the top of the compost pile, would it be too wet when it rains or snows? And later...Aaah! Later, when it gets decomposed, will the rain washes out the good nutrients?

Comfrey,
I like some rocks in my compost pile
when I'm sifting..
Although, they don't go down thru the sifter..
I like them cause when I'm sifting, with my
small trowel or large shovel... they sorta act
like grinders and grind the larger pieces that
might just be stuck together...when I run my
shovel/trowel back and forth..
so, a little less work on my end.. but at the end
I just dump them back in to the new bins..
Plus IMHO, when composting, I like to have different sizes, shapes, consistancies in the pile
for aeration, so it doesnt' all collasp onto it's self.. there's little spaces in between..

But the worms will love that cardboard..
And it may be a very good thing for keep in moisture.. I don't have that problem, cause my wood bins keep moisture.. I have one brown one that is very dry because of the way that the top is designed... nothing gets in by way of the top..
My green one does.. it has two doors on the top
that meet in the middle, so there's a whole space at the top that water gets in...

But the card board may also keep out some weeds from invading inside too...until it breaks down.

Hoa,
The only one's that are covered that I own,
are my plastic bins, again, cause they are smaller, they need something to keep heat in...

For your style pile, don't worry about too much
water on it, during the winter months... that will
actually help in the decomposing process, when the water gets into the leaves, and other items you've put in, it'll soften them up, start them in a breaking down process.. and come spring time,
when it's natually wet, and starts to thaw, it'll
again, help those leaves get to decomposing..
and the worms like moist things....so that helps them..

The only time you may run into the problem of a compost pile being too wet, is when it's placed
in a place that never drains...and it constantly wet and then animals/critters... like the worms drowned trying to get there, or stay away completely..

Always pick a spot that does, eventually dry out..
You can always add water to a dry spot, you can't really drain a constantly wet spot, **Did that make sense*

I have problem with one area I put mine in....
but you quickly learn if it doesn't smell right or dry up some that you need to do something for your pile..I add more dry stuff and turn it, and put in some Beer/Wine/Old Pepsi or Pop....
Get the sugars back into it, and help start up the fermentation process...

Yes, after time, if you let it sit there too long,
some will wash away...*and sometimes if you put your piles next to or near trees, they'll send thier feeder roots over that way to get all the goodies too*
That's why you shouldn't let it sit over a year..

When I do my bins, my favoritest time of the year to start them is Fall, they cook alot faster with grass and chopped leaves mixed together.....
I will start them in the fall.... the freeze, and re~thaw in the spring... I leave them until the beginning of summer..turning and turning...and then black bag it up, and pull them out to start with the stuff from spring clean up...

Next favorite time is spring time... with all the clean up stuff and new cut grass...

again too, I only bag it up cause I have so much stuff to get working... that I need the bins..
and when putting it in the garbage bags, that gives me an area to put the almost finished compost a place to be.. and not wasted.. and it'll finish inside it especially if it's in a dark colored bag, cause it'll heat up and keep the heat and moisture in... and finish up the job
real nice.. so, then I can have the bins to put more in..
I have my yards' worth of stuff, but I also have the house next door, at my mothers' too.. so that's allllllot of stuff..

In your circumstances you may not need to do that, cause you only have a certain amount of stuff do work with...

Oh! Oh! I am starting to realize I may meet some or a lot of worms when I scoop up that black gold dirt by next year? I guest I have to look away when I do it, because I have that "worm phobia".

Hoa Don't worry - I'm right there with you on the worm thing. Or at least, I was before I started composting and gardening. I decided I had to make friends with the bugs if I was really going to be able to enjoy this - so I've been working on it I know it sounds weird...but what I mean is, I don't get quite as ickified when I reach into the soil and grab hold of a bug or 2. They're all a part of the big picture, yaknow? It'll get easier -- promise!

The only part about worms I don't like
is when I'm diggin' and I slice them in half..
I'm like, ohhhhh, I'm sorry when it comes to them...
I don't like hurting them..

I do like my double compost tumbler though..
It's a bit of getting used to, different style of
composting and NO WORMS!!!!

I am glad I don't have that worm problem..In fact I was recycling some potting soil from a pot that has been outdoors all summer and I found a few earthworms, but i also found the fattest biggest grub worms in the bottom, I have never seen such big grubs before...these were HUGE. I also found an excellent way to sift the potting soil...I took a clean cat litter scooper, this one is big...and it sifted the soil real good.

Mary and Weezie,
I appreciate very much your feedback and advises. Thank you.I understand completely what you mean. Since I read that worms are good for gardening I have learn to precious them. I use new papers to do gardening. But I just avoid to look at them.
Ya! I am glad to know about the grub worms from you because I just saw them in August on a raining afternoon. Boy! They are really, really bi.i.i.g and fast. They almost jump from nowhere and disappear quit in a hole. Mine! I dig not know there are many kinds.
That cat scoop for filtering the compost is neat, Mary. Good tip!
Yesterday, I piled up a second compost pile next to the first. All the leaves mixed with cut grass come from a neighbor behind my house but I could not caught the gardener so I had to go around the block to bag 10 big ones. They are grey and smoking already.
I am not sure about the compost piles right on top of a cliff (what do we call if the ground behind them is 5 feet lower?). The rain can wash away all the good thing? Should I move them at another place next year.

Yes, I would think about moving the compost next year. Under your compost pile is going to become soft and crumbly like compost is - which could be a bad thing if it's on a cliff - more dangerous (if stepped on) and also it may contribute to more erosion in that area which wouldn't be a good thing either.

As for the rain, yes, even if you have your compost pile in a flat area, if it gets too much rain, the nutrients will be leached out of the pile by washing down below it or running off it. If you're in a rainy season, you can cover the pile with a tarp or plastic sheeting to protect it from getting too much rain.

What do you think if I move the compost piles unto the lilac tree because grass cannot grow well there. Or I may have peace of mind if I get big huge carbage cans?

The lilac tree roots will eventually go
into the pile.. I know from experience....
But I left it there too long..

To be honest, any tree or shrub or plant,
will know that there is some good eats there and
head on over eventually, especially if you
never move it from the same spot.

I move mine around..

Sometimes, cause I have so many, I will lay the cardboard down, and put one in back, and one bin in front, and then as the season's go, and emptied, I just keep moving the two down..
takes time, patience, and no money, but eventually
it'll be an nice bed.. 3ft at a time....

Woohoo the bin is turned. And it's still heating up but only a little. Wish I could talk the landlord into mowing I'm pretty much out of green. I guess I shouldn't be greedy lol. I just want bunches of compost for next year. I have so many seeds and so many ideas lol. Well I got 1/4 of the bricks in place for mortaring next year. The cold got to me before I could get to Lowe's for the mortar this year. But I am going to be so ready next year. Oops wrong topic for that sorry. I plan to do the compost pile tomorrow unless I get more energetic than I think I will today.

Tk, how are you! We have a little big of sunshine today but we don't know for how long. I still winterizing and planting more bulbs.
Do you still do your compost in a garbage can?
I have got a big box of 4'x2.5'; would the compost hot enough to kill weeds in there?
I also get a new idea. Would it be good to have the compost pile under my balcony which is about 5' high?
Have a good day, every one.

I have a garbage can and I have a pile now. Composting is definitely addicting lol.

That's pretty close to optimal size from what I've read so it should. As long as, you can provide the ratio of green to brown necessary to keep it hot.

About the balcony I would think it would be difficult to get at to turn in that location. But then you would know that better than I. My concern would be if you got to much green in it. Because that does smell which would not be good that close to the house lol. Next what is your balcony made out of? If it is treated wood that chemical leaches out of the wood and infects the soil so that would be bad. If it's not treated then you are putting bacteria that likes to decompose wood very close to any wood used in your balcony. Maybe not a good idea? These are just thoughts I'm no expert by any means.

My balcony is more than 10' long. One end has the steps and the other is opened and without any support.
I don't have a fork but usually, I use a rake to drag most of the stuff out and push them back into the compost pile. If I have a good ratio of brown/green it would not be too smelly, isn'it?

if you use the 25% green and 75% brown you won't have any smell at all. Next thing that comes to mind (I'm a worry wart, can't you tell?). is table scraps. If you use them they can attract rodents and again you don't want them in or near the house. But if you use just leaves and grass you are fine and don't have to worry about that.

Thank you TK. Yesterday I got a last pile of leaves and grass all mulched from the gardener in the back.

For a hauling leaves with out any motorized tools, you can get one of those tarps.. lay it
on the ground and rake your leaves on top of that..and haul your leaves away..
It's not too heavy or bulky, just add as much as you can pull...we have two people pulling, one on each corner and can really pull alot...

My thoughts on that would be... not to put it close to your house....remember your compost bins and piles attrack bugs and other things you need to break down the contents..but you don't want them near your house, either to get in the house itself, or work up the soil around the base of your house...

Ya! I will move it to the lilac tree and put cardboard underneath and move again around the lilac once it's ready. I may do when the weather is good because I will prepare the previous spot for semence.
Another question: It's said I need to plant something in order to stop the erosion. Are annuals still good for that or it should be perennials. I read somewhere saying that thyme is good but not easy to start from seeds?

I think a perennial would be better but it's just a thought. I haven't done any research to back it up.

I've certainly had problems growing thyme from seed but then I'm a beginner. I've had trouble with all kinds of plants at one time or another lol.

I believe there is a phlox that is an aggressive grower and good on slopes. Would that be a possibility?

The phlox will be one of the plants on the list then.
Today,I bought some more spared cut wood to make more palet just in case I need to replace the old ones.

I don't have any palets. I just use the limbs that are pruned for underneath the pile. It seems to work fine. I am on a fixed income so I don't spend money unless I absolutely have to.

Up! Sorry! There is no such English word as "palet". What I mean is a crate. Home Depot sell odd wood pieces(4' long) at 51 cent a piece. So it cost me like 5 dollars (canadian) to make one side of the pin.

Tammy and Hoa,
Is there any business near you that use's
those crates as shipping crates???
**Motorola, use's them to ship parts..
and I knew someone there that could bring some
home to me...**
Some company's often look for people to take
them, cause they just pile up on them because they can't reuse them...*what a waste*

Thanks for the thought Weezie but I think I'm doing good pretty much as is. Of course I don't have much experience to judge my progress on lol.