Show us your compost

[Sherry_AK]

The bin was nearly empty by the end of last summer, but we've filled it over the winter with horse, duck, chicken and goat poo mixed with straw and wood shavings. Yum!

[Sherry_AK]

Good looking finished compost. That must be your screen on top of the third bin. Do you screen it all? I used to, but we now make so much I just couldn't possibly.

Sherry

[giardiniere]

John
I've always been impressed by your compost bins. How large is that whole setup? It looks like it's about 12' x 4', with each bin 4' x 4'. Is that about right?

[caascher2]

I redid my compost bin. It was small with only one bin, now I added another bin. Have to still take the good composted material and put it in the new bin so I can use it. That was the problem with only one bin.
Carol

[korney19]

OK, here's mine:




For about $13 a truckload, it's the only way to go for me.

[Sherry_AK]

Dave -- Thanks. Yes, lots of leaves ... as many as I feel like collecting. A few years ago I made a deal with a neighbor to trade baked goods for his bagged leaves. That worked well for both of us! (Most of our leaves are left on the lawn and mulched in.)

korney19 -- Even if I could buy it at that price, and I probably would buy some, I think we would still make our own. Sometimes I think we find the making of compost just as enjoyable as the gardening itself!

Sherry

[the999bbq]

I use an old bedspring as a sieve for my compost (inclined) - just throw a 'scoop' of ripe compost on it, it jumps down on it and with a little tick or two the rest jumps down... what is too big goes on the first or second pile. Underneath the bedspring is than first quality fine compost and no backaches at all, no changing tools

our village hands subsidies compostbins so we can get them at about 20$, made from recycled material, I will try to post a picture tomorrow (it is kinda dark in Belgium now being past midnight)

[Dunkel]

Here's a wheelbarrow full. I screen it to 1/2" then 1/4" anything that doesn't go through goes in the new pile. I just pile it up and turn it now and again. No great science involved here.

[Sherry_AK]

That's some beautiful compost!

[Sherry_AK]

Carol -- I think you'll enjoy your new two-bin system. Good job!

Sherry

[the999bbq]

This is a picture of my "compostfarm" (not the best pic but maybe another one later) :



There are four heaps (a small wooden one accessible by the chickens about 20 cm high and three from bought made from recycled materials (promoted by most city governments in my country), chicken-one goes into plastic-one, goes into plastic-two, matures into plastic-three). the last two are covered. Chicken manure gets mixed on plastic-one with the content of chicken-one every time the chicken-villa is cleaned (on average twice a week). Plastic-one is turned a lot, chicken-one is turned and diminished by the chickens, the last two are turned less often.

As usual this gives me never enough compost for my garden, but what comes out is definitely the real stuff - the black gold. Harvesting good compost gives you all the energy you need to continue and increase composting.

[phreddy]

Mine was a bit of a mess this year but how about a pic of the sheep/goat manure - Ovchi Tor.

Just found out how to upload pics so showing off, excuse me!

[soleado]

Wow! I wish I could make/get that much great looking compost here in Georgia! Everyone's plants must love it! I have the hardest time finding browns for the pile. Any suggestions? I usually cut up my veggies by hand into small pieces... that helps them disappear quicker.

[the999bbq]

the browns are indeed the hardest ones to find enough of. A 'new' source of browns I use now are (unprinted and especially unpastified) cardboard, ripped into pieces, just plain (news)paper could do to. Carefully though since paper adds carbon but doesn't offer structure like wood chippings would do (so they could compact the heap like too much grass could do). When I have pastified cardboard, I let it sit in the rain for a while and the plastic comes of very easy.

I never let anything bigger than 10cm (4 inches) go straight into the bins. I get 'punished' everytime for being laizy, and long grasses in particular can be a pain in the ### when you come to turn the bins. So chopping everything up doesn't only accelerates your composting but it sure speeds up your maintenance (and slows down your backpain ;-) ).

If you have the room it can be a good idea to plant your sources. Buddleja gives you lots of material, and lovely flowers (in all shades of white to purple, even yellow) and butterflies in the garden. There are many more plants that give you loads of material (just think that you give something back to them from time to time) : hazle,...

I sometimes clean a little piece of land that is just across my street and is in fact owned by the community. Every once in a while they come with their huge tractormower and flatten it all - so they don't miss those few barrels of material that I 'loan' ;-)

[soleado]

Thanks for the advice. I will look into the buddleja and other compost crops. I saw a post somewhere in the newspaper online here for leaf pick up. I will call and ask what they do with those leaves. I could also post a message online asking for leaves/spent hay. Plus, my mother may have some decomposed leaves. I have considered going to a nearby farm and asking for cow patties. Apparently they are green material though and can be full of weed seeds - and need some heat to compost properly?. Ok, I just read they can contain E. Coli... nevermind. :O). Again, thanks for the advice. This is on my priority list. Compost is so important for the garden it seems. I built a square-foot-garden. My plants were stunted... and the culprit seems to especially be limited nitrogen... I'm def. working and counting on the compost. :O))).