Composting

[WiseOwl]

I finally created the ole 3 pallet compost bin.

Since I have always bought manure and the such I thought now would be a better time than any to start making my own.
I know everyone always says they throw their table scraps in there but what would that consist of?

We eat a lot of pasta, chicken, beef, mexican, asian fusion, fruit, veggies, rice, ice cream and sweet tea.


What are some things that yall would suggest I toss in?

I did till the fall/winter garden over the weekend and raked the top layer of grass (mostly bermuda and centipede) and put in in with some leaves and good black dirt from the woods in the first pile.

What are some organic items that can go in from the woods? Grass clippings, small twigs? Weeds?


I did luck up Sunday morning and have a cattle rancher herd about 20 cows through my front yard (which made my kids go nuts) and a few of those cows left me some surprises. They were a lil too moist yesterday. Figured I would let the sun dry the half dozen or so patties out and toss them in.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.


WO

[Grand58742]

Don't toss the pasta, any meat products, fats or dairy products to include eggs. Evergreen tree leaves and small branches are iffy since they contain a good amount of acid. Use sparingly.

Your fruits and veggies are fine as long as they aren't processed. Tea bags are okay (remove the staple). Egg shells are okay. Yard clippings, weeds, leaves and small twigs are okay up to about the size of a pencil or so. Smaller the better, but I typically burn them myself and use the ashes to fill in holes and whatnot (have a mole problem). Chipped wood is okay, just takes a bit longer to break down.

Pretty much any organic matter as long as it isn't processed.

[Karen]

After we till the garden under, we usually just leave everything in the ground to break down over the winter. We add chicken manure, cow manure, horse manure, compost and any other organic material. It breaks down over the winter to leave us with improved garden soil for spring planting.
We use a compost pile to collect any organic material that we have during the growing season.
Grand is right. Avoid adding pasta, dairy, meat and fat to your compost pile. We don't usually have a lot of leftover meats from the kitchen, but when we do, the chickens eat them.

[Grand58742]

the chickens eat them.

You're raising CANNIBALS!!!! :eek:

[Karen]

Yep, yummy tasting cannibals :) I have a freezer full of them!

[goatlady]

You cannot "make" balanced compost without using animal waste, i.e. barn bedding, chicken house bedding. That is what adds necessary nutrients to the compost and helps the pile heat up and breakdown appropriately. The "formula" is 1 layer of green *fresh stuff), 1 layer of brown (dired stuff) and 1 layer of black (animal waste) = Primo fertile compost.

[WiseOwl]

You cannot "make" balanced compost without using animal waste, i.e. barn bedding, chicken house bedding. That is what adds necessary nutrients to the compost and helps the pile heat up and breakdown appropriately. The "formula" is 1 layer of green *fresh stuff), 1 layer of brown (dired stuff) and 1 layer of black (animal waste) = Primo fertile compost.

Thanks yall. Now I have the green and brown layers down pat, but I gotta find someone with a load of black that I can come rid them of......

[Grand58742]

Thanks yall. Now I have the green and brown layers down pat, but I gotta find someone with a load of black that I can come rid them of......

Sounds like its time to get some chickens or a goat lol

[protus]

my pile is nothing but veggie food waste,, and yard waste. its become a earth worm haven. i tried to stir it and musta busted out 50 worms- free bait lol.
not much veggie waste into it so far chicks get that. but pretty much what garand said,,we dump coffee grinds in there as well.