How many of you make compost? How do you do it?
By marguicha
@marguicha (215389)
Chile
July 17, 2009 4:05pm CST
I was just answering another post and I remembered when I had my compost pile. I don´t anymore because I live alone and the veggies I plant are very few.
But years ago, when I had husband and kids and a housefull, I made a compost pile and had a very nice veggie garden besides my flowers and shrubs.
It is very easy and costs nothing. Of course you have to help it and give it some time. But I put almost anything in my compost pile. I saved in a special bucket in the kitchen everything that was organic: peels, outer leaves of lettuce if they were not fit to eat. and so on. I tried to pick out at the super or at the farmer´s market the veggies with more leaves (they are not more expensive if they are selling them by the unit) but the leaves went to the pile. Dry leaves and grass cuttings helped too. My hubby turned the pile once a month if I made a special smile to him.
We didn´t need to buy extra soil or anything like that. We had decent soil and the plants went back to the earth as soon as we took out what we wanted to eat of them. I bought a booklet about organic gardening and it helped me a lot with compost and insect repelents.
Do you make your own compost? WEhat do you put into it? Share
We didn´t need to buy extra soil or anything like that. We had decent soil and the plants went back to the earth as soon as we took out what we wanted to eat of them. I bought a booklet about organic gardening and it helped me a lot with compost and insect repelents.
Do you make your own compost? WEhat do you put into it? Share3 people like this
7 responses
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
17 Jul 09
I like you used to have one, I lived in Salem Oregon but had a large area with a garden, and like you I saved all the organic waste out of the kitchen, grass clippings, when I pruned the trees I'd throw the smaller twigs in it! The ashes from the fire place, but I went a step further, we used to go out to the country on the week ends to the farm stands by the sides of the highway! Oregon is a very fertile area where they grew things I never knew existed! LOL! like Marion berries! I'd throw a couple of large containers in the back of the pick up and get free manure from the farmers they were more than happy to help me (the city guy) out! It really helped with it decomposition of the other material had in there! I got the Idea from Mother Earth News, a great mag, for back to nature type people! tdemex2 people like this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
19 Jul 09
Yesterday, as I was writing this post, I got interested again. I was making diner for guests and discovered I had a lot of organic waste. So yesterday, after a long time, I decided to start a compost pile again.
I understand your manure picking
. I did that with my late husband. The girls would look away if we went with them. They were ashamed at us. Now my youngest daughter likes to garden and understands what we did
. I did that with my late husband. The girls would look away if we went with them. They were ashamed at us. Now my youngest daughter likes to garden and understands what we did2 people like this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 09
My mum has always had compost bins ever since I was a child, she has two and they are always filled up, she puts scraps in there, vegetable peelings, fruit peels and skins, basically you can put most food in there, even meats, leaves are ideal especially in the fall. We do a lot of shredding as well, and shredded paper is ideal. We have lots of great compost as mum grows a lot of vegetables, more vegetables more peelings, more peelings more compost, it's a wonderful way of recycling!
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
17 Jul 09
Afternoon, marguicha...yes, I make a lot of compost, as a matter of fact, all my gardening soil, I make! My beds are all raised, as many years ago, my home was built on an old gravel pit! I use pallets from the Local store...layer household compost, leaves, screened soil, lime, leaves, a bit of peat, and just keep layering it that way! Usually, I have 4-5 on the go all the time! I do pick up all the trimmings from the local store, even tho' it make not be organic! The reason that I don't worry too much about "organic" is that after being to Organic Gardens "certified"...and watching the next door neighbour spray his crops, and the wind carrying the spray all to the Organic Garden, I have little faith in the label "Organic." Most often, when your compost gets hot enough, it will "off-gas" a lot of the chemicals! Happy growing/gardening! Cheers!
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
19 Jul 09
I have had wonderful responses with this post. I´m begining to think that people who make compost have a higher IQYou are giving everyone of us wonderful ideas on how to turn a "bad" soil into a good one. Thank you for sharing
You are giving everyone of us wonderful ideas on how to turn a "bad" soil into a good one. Thank you for sharing1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
20 Jul 09
thanks for the thumbs up! If you started the process now, you would have wonderful soil for next years gardening. The reason I add the peat and lime is twofold! Both heat up the compost pile, to decompose faster...and one offsets the other and I have a soil that is basically ph neutral! I then adjust the soil to the requirements of the plants I am putting into it. e.g. more manure for the plants that require more nitrogen...or more peat for plants that require more acidic soils! Happy gardening! And Cheers!
@Elixiress (3878)
•
18 Jul 09
When I was younger, my Great Auntie used to have a compost pile and when we did a bit of gardening, we used to put the bits of plants we had cut off etc in the compost pile, which was in a glass box. But at home, I do not have a garden, only a backyard, so there is no need to have a compost pile.
1 person likes this
@Elixiress (3878)
•
20 Jul 09
We do not have potted plants for compost to be added to, due to my hayfever. I am not a fan of optional plant life.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
19 Jul 09
You are right. A compost pile is for more space. But there´s compost to be bought that you can add to your potted plants
1 person likes this
@kprofgames (3091)
• United States
17 Jul 09
Well I live in the country and burn my own trash. Papers, boxes and things like that. I also burn off most of my leaves and fallen tree branches. I then mix in all the left overs, as you do, grass clippings and dirty. I hold back some leaves to keep the mix soft and add straw too to help maintain the heat in it.
Turning it every so often and moving it around makes for some really rich soil. I didn't go garden mania this year, but I still use the compose for flower beds.
2 people like this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
19 Jul 09
I remembered yesterday about when I made compost and started a pile right away
1 person likes this
