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My First Time
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Posted by pattyokie 6b (My Page) on Sat, Nov 14, 09 at 19:47
| I have been composting in a big garden cart with a hole in the bottom (about the size of a 1/2 dollar) for drainage and it seemed to work. I started about Aug. with grass clippings, leaves & stuff from the kitchen. Turned it pretty often, let the rain water it, & it turned all black & soil looking. It never did seem to get hot, but the kitchen scraps disappeared pretty quickly each week so I figured it was working. Anyway, the cart got too full, so I rolled it to my new beds & dumped it. Since it didn't seem to get hot, should I do anything different this time? You guys are awesome at answering questions for us newbies. Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: My First Time
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- Posted by pt03 3 Southern Manitoba (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 14, 09 at 19:54
| That is pure genius! How big is "big"? What is it made out of? How did you turn it? Dump and re-load or just mix inside the cart? Any pictures? Hot isn't necessary and as you didn't seem to use anything that would be iffy, I wouldn't worry about it. Black and crumbly sounds good to me. Lloyd |
RE: My First Time
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| +1 Lloyd. I've had batches that got hot and I've had batches that didn't get hot. The important thing is the final product, and it's always compost. The only time I really want to make sure I get it really good and hot is when I use something that "they" say I shouldn't, like meat, eggs, etc. I'll only do that if I know teh compost is going to really cook for at least a few days. |
RE: My First Time
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| Yes, I agree with Lloyd---brilliant! I made compost in my truckbed once, but I'm not proud about that. |
RE: My First Time
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| Thanks all. It is just a black plastic bin I bought at Aldi's. I think it may be 25 gallon. It is about 2x3 on top but pretty deep. I did it out of desperation (or cowardice) because I wanted a bin, couldn't afford one & am so terrified of snakes I couldn't have a pile on the ground. However, since I read the mice post I'm wondering about the hole in the bottom. I might plug it up & put a bunch of small nail holes in instead. Being able to wheel it to where I wanted it was a bonus, but by the time it compacted it was really heavy. I just stirred it with a garden fork & a couple of times moved the whole thing into a wheel barrow & put it back in the bin. |
RE: My First Time
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- Posted by pt03 3 Southern Manitoba (My Page) on
Mon, Nov 16, 09 at 7:28
| Every once in a while something comes up that makes me slap my forehead and say, "now why didn't I think of that". This is one of them. It sounds like a perfect system for you and I'd speculate for many others as well. One ought not argue with success so I shan't I'm going to bow in the general direction of Oklahoma. Lloyd P.S. If you're not in Oklahoma it's okay because for sure you're south of me! |
RE: My First Time
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| If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I wouldn't recommend changing the drainage hole, becoz that seemed to work fine. I hate to tell you but mice can climb and jump and could possibly get in your bin anyway, but I don't think they will. If you could post a picture of your system it would help others. |
RE: My First Time
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| And the newbie of the year award goes to.... Pattyokie! Kudos to you patty, I don't know that they give awards out--I'm a newbie too--but I didn't realize how good I had it. I've read a number of 'brags' about the homemade chicken wire, etc.. composters and I thought it was 'Composter Swagger'. I mean some people might have some chicken wire on hand, but for the rest of us... I thought they were forgetting to count the cost of all the supplies they bought to make these 'free' composters. I hadn't priced composters in the US until I read your post *gasp*. I paid $20 for my first plastic compost bin, and $25 for my second (but it's a Cadillac version that usually costs close to $90 and I couldn't resist the sale.) I don't know if I would have started this journey if I had to be as inventive as you are. I think newbies are often frightened that the whole thing might be a stinky, unsightly mess and we want it contained, covered, and hidden. In the US, seems like you pay dearly for this luxury. I'm forced to compost because if I don't, I pay a lot for my slovenly ways. I was brow-beaten into righteousness. You were noble and inventive. Anyway, the other reason for this post is to let you know that this high-end composter (nice thick, double walled, solid feeling--it just feels high end) doesn't have a bottom. I have a 4x4 bottomless bucket. The instructions (I think) tell me to put it on soil, cover the bottom with leaves, twigs, or bark, and then compost as usual. Your drainage hole seems to be fine and if you haven't had problem, I doubt you will. |
RE: My First Time
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| Well, the hole is on the very bottom without much clearance so hopefully it will be ok. It is not mice I'm scared of but snakes. If one got in there I'm afraid my gardening days would be done & then who knows what kind of tics & irrational behaviors I would come up with to compensate. I bought the cart originally to use for a cart (it was cheap- $24, I think) not knowing about the hole, but I never got rid of my old, smaller, more convenient one & I put water in it sometimes to soak down the newspapers, so the hole-one just sat there. I've started my second "pile" now, so I hope it wasn't a fluke that it worked the first time. I'm pretty much a techno-idiot, so don't know how to post pics. I'll let you all know how it turns out tho. Thanks for all the kind words. Patty |
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