A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 What did you feed your compost today?

Our other more knowledgable friends will be popping in here and answering some questions soon I think. lol. I just happen to be working on the computer all day today and see the posts as they show up. But in the meantime, Noxzema.... Not even a little bit! Absolutely!

Even less garbage for our landfills! Wonderful. Thank you so much.

I am getting another composter this weekend. So now I only have to build one. YAY!

I have my mother and sister in law saving potato peelings and such. Since we dont eat all that many veggies here.

And I think I will ask others to save thier leaves for me...instead of transporting them in bags to the dump...will just keep them in the back 40 for when I need them. Since I have no leaves here.

Obsession I tell ya!

What about flyers..I know you can put newspaper which they are...but it has colored ink..is that allowed? I am thinking yes..but thought it would be best to ask.

My garbage has cut down so much just in the last few days...I think everyone should get on the composting bandwagon. We would not have such a problem when it comes to landfills.

Wow, this is so exciting! Noxzema, great questions - and SuzyQ you're already a pro

I can't believe how many pine needles you have! wow! If you have a back 40, can you put what you don't use in compost there? Pine needles will work - but like straw/hay they'll take longer to break down. Not that thats a bad thing. You can mulch with it, but you would probably want to just mulch that stuff that likes acidic soil, like rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, etc.

Be careful about flyers. Don't use glossy/slick paper. Colored ink can contain toxic chemicals, so I generally dump them too (even newsprint in red, which they're really excited about doing here :p ) If there's just a tad bit of colored ink, I'll put it in, but a die-hard organic composter would probably disagree with doing that...

Yes! You would think I was the new compost spokesperson. I have told everyone and anyone that will give me the time of day how amazingly beneficial composting is. I've been able to get 2 local people composting - I've adopted a personal slogan 'changing the world, one compost heap at a time' Anyone wanna buy a t-shirt?

Oh, and btw, I haven't peed or asked anyone to pee in my heap either. Though I completely understand the benefit of it, it's too freaky for me personally. Imagine that!

Keep the great questions coming, we love em!

Thank you Mary. I think I am driving friends and family insane...I want them all to compost..and if not..give all that great stuff to me.

I have ALOT of land..so I can have compost heaps too. That is what I will do with all of my needles. Even if I take them back to the bush and put them there. Mother Nature will take care of them for me.

What I have put in so far today:

Dryer Lint (big family..lots of laundry)
Cucumber peelings
banana peeling
2 egg shells (crushed)
Ripped up Pizza box
Part of the newspaper (ripped up pretty small)
2 stale english muffins
2 stale bagels (flax seed)
empty packets of Sweet n Low
Paper Towel (2)
coffee
coffee grounds

NO pee though not yet anyway Hee Hee

Todays additions...

Dryer Lint (yet again)
Cardboard box (ripped up small)
potato peelings
coffee
coffee grounds
Sweet and Low empty packets
Zest soap (hope this is ok)
paper towel roll
toiler paper roll (both ripped up)
paper towel
corn (leftover)
egg shells (crushed)

What's with the soap??
I haven't ever heard of that being
put in???

Did you read it somewhere's??

I wouldn't use zest soap because of the perfumes used in it. I'm an ivory girl myself (remember the 99.99% pure commercials?) and will put that in -- soap is made from oil/fat and can be natural and/or organic - but most of the soaps we use are full of junk these days.

Better use for zest IMHO - if ya have any stocking wearing family members who gets a run, instead of throwing em out, cut the legs at the knee, and you've made yourself a garden hand washer. Put your little soap pieces in the foot, tie the top somewhere near your spiggot, and voila!

Thanks all...

I had read somewhere that it was ok, I was wondering, as it did not sound like a good thing to me........mmm it is already in there..so I guess I will leave it..LOL dont know if I would be able to find it. Maybe the bear will wash his ears with it. Hee Hee

My husband threw coffee grounds in the garbage this morning. I almost fainted!!! I was like "WHAT R U DOING??"

I can relate!!!!

It's suprising how much more fresh fruit I fix now that I have a compost bin to feed lol. It's freaky alright but I love it.

Hopefully I'll start having leaves to go with all that great grass clippings soon and that will make loads and loads of compost.

Don't forget the potato water too...
*If you have on the drier side of a compost*

OOOO potato water...never thought of that...Thank you!

Well Mrs. Bear got at my composter AGAIN!!

What am I going to do..this time she threw it way over to the side...

Yikes Noxema!!

Sounds like the bear may become a problem! When I had my bear, the conservation officers had to trap it, because it was hanging around and coming back sniffing at doors and such. My friend had one come into her home, looking for treats, so be careful!

I went looking about, and found this for you to have a looksie at.

http://www.bearsmart.com/bearsBackyard/Deterrents.html

Shirl

Thank you Shirl...I will go and check that out ASAP. As she was here with her 2 cubs again last night.

When I was young, a bear got into my Grandparents summer kitchen....it was scarey, as it was scared and started to smash things.

Definately DONT want that happening here

I was going to come here and post something on this and your bear, please be careful.....

I looked at that link that ShirlS posted,
definately do something to at least protect
yourself...
*When bears are hungry, and it's been a bad
year in the woods/forrest, they'll definately
find food where ever they can...*

I'd look into only composting leaves, grass,
branches, etc from outdoorsy stuff and maybe
look into learning more about VERMICULTURE
*Worm composting* that can be done inside your home or basement or backroom etc..*
and you could put your food scrap's into there.

Oh Boy!!

Right now they ( bears) are trying to fatten up because they will soon go into their den for winter. If not mistaken,it is usually early in Oct. Could go much later than that, I suppose. Because this bear has cubs she will be much more agressive, so please take Weezie's advice and protect yourself. If you are worried about her, call the conservation officers and ask them what they suggest at this point. Hopefully she will quietly go into her den and leave you be! The bad thing about bears and garbage is once they know where food is, they will keep coming back. if relocated they have been known to walk miles and miles to get back to the source! Good luck with her!

Guess you and I may just be going into worms lol!!

Shirl

I'm lucky I don't have to deal with bears here. I wonder if any of those contraptions you posted might work out, Shirl. Or you and Noxzema might just have to get your husbands and sons to, well.. ummm, relieve themselves around your bins. lol. That sounds a lot quieter, safer and easier than some of the other methods they showed, and may actually even work long enough until the bears leave to hibernate. I'd be tempted to try it.

Noxzema, with that bear tossing your compost bin all around, is it staying sealed shut? Must be awfully frustrating for her. I wonder if they're bright enough to eventually give up when they can't get at the goodies.

I think I have critters too, but I'm guessing it's mice, or my constant companion, Merle the Squirrel, helping themselves to the heat and free food. When I pull the straw bales off my compost heap, I see these ruts running across the top of it and some shallow holes. I notice a lot of the bread and buns I threw in seem to be gone too, but that may be a good thing. What's left is all gummy and doughy anyway, and doesn't seem like it's breaking down at all. I think I'll pass on the soft bread from now on and just toss in the stale stuff.

In my yard I'm sure the compost will be attracting Deer, but unless they're really aggressive I can't see them getting into it. I'm going to put out lots of Hay for them anyway so hopefully they'll be satisfied with the easier to get at nummies.

Hope you're all having a great day.
~Suzy~

Becareful of deer in rut (mating season) because they do get aggressive during that time and can do damage to a human. I think your compost is safe from them but your flowers may not be. It's my understanding that they like a lot of ornamental flowers especially roses and can do a lot of damage in one night.

LOL Suz~~

I have never heard of such a thing ( using the compost bin as an outhouse)!!! Then again, strange things do have a way of working! I sure do have alot to learn! I lived in Kimberly B.C when I had my bear experience 2 yrs ago. Kimberly has a huge bear problem. Which is why I was inquiring about the composting in bear country. I did not compost while there. After reading poor Noxema's dilemma I think maybe I will investigate vermicomposting ( worms). We are not building until the new yr so I have time to get my ducks in a row. I sure am looking forward to gardening again!


Shirl

I know, Shirl! Peeing on (or around) the compost never occurred to me either. But DBB from Southern England mentioned it on the previous page of this thread, (good source of nitrogen apparently) and then if bears don't like it, it's a double bonus! lol

After I read DBB's post, I jokingly said to my family that if they're outside and have to go, to head straight over to the compost. lol. A few days later my stepson was stepping out, and with one hand sliding the door open and the other sliding his zipper down, he says, 'Hey Suzy! I'm going to go feed the compost now.' lol. Four of us yelled out, "NO!!!" in unison. I guess I'm just not that desperate for nitrogen yet. lol

TK, we're pretty careful about the deer here but I do love to see them through the windows. They actually bolt pretty quick when they see us so I'm not terribly concerned. You're right though... they do a wicked job of pruning some of my shrubs! Apparently my Dogwoods are a real gourmet treat. I heard a rumour that soap-on-a-rope keeps them away, so I'm going to give that whirl. My neighbours and I will be putting out a bunch of hay this year too, so I hope they'll go for that instead.

Thank you all for your concern and advice. She is still coming around. And you are so right, even next year if they think it is a food source they will come back. We do know alot about bears, as my father is a bear guide. And they can be VERY AGGRESSIVE especially with young.

I was also told to try moth balls around the edge of our property...so I am also going to try that.

And yes, she is getting into the composter..picked the whole thing right up and threw it..and it has been all over everyday. So it is quite the clean up daily.

I might have to give the others ways a thought.

Usually the bears here dont den until there is so much snow..usually December.

What I added today:

12 Egg shells crushed
coffee
coffee grinds
cardboard box
sweet n Low empty packets
toilet paper roll
Paper towels & roll
Toast
Stale bread and buns
6 tomatoes that just dont want to ripen
potatoes

Well I just had to turn the compost bin today. I couldn't resist. I had some leaves I had gathered on top not doing anything so I had a good excuse lol. Ok, maybe not a good excuse but it was close enough. I was suprised that when I sifted it I got about a bucket of finished fine compost/black gold out of it. I'm thinking by the look of it that if I turn and sift on Sunday I may well get another bucket out of it then. A lot of it was looking mighty close to done. So of course after I got it all turned I just had to add some of the new grass clippings that the landlord brought to me the other day. And then I noticed that they were awful brown so I guess I have a premade reason for turning the compost bin on Sunday.

And I've been thinking with the reserve pile and the grass clippings pile I could actually rotate and do one a day and get my compost addiction taken care of first thing each day lol. Wouldn't that be great.

hi all,

can i compost apples,seems to me i recall reading somewhere we could not that it was bad but me and my ggoooddd memory cant recall why.

oh ya, go see my message on the banter hall it s call warning : if y....

have a good one.

Noxema,

did you receive my seeds,aand how is it going with the garden.