Chain link dog kennel turned compost area and I have some ?'s

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by bower

That sounds good... squash is one of the best things to grow in an unfinished (resting) compost pile. They don't mind the decomposing activity below and will get lots of nutrients from the pile.
I often have potato volunteers in my winter compost, after I tidy it up and covered with some kelp or soil on top in the spring. Get a few nice potatoes most years from that, without much effort. Sometimes laziness does pay off...

My squash plant is doing very well out there and I can see at least 20 male flowers on it, but no female yet. It looks like three male flowers have opened and closed but the rest are just making their way.

[Rockporter]

Update on my volunteer squash plant. Looks like I have two zucchini growing out there. What is strange is they look like the round "eight ball" variety. I have never bought them because they are not available in store. So, is there a possibility I bought a long zucchini squash that was a hybrid using the "eight ball" as part of the process? I searched online but I can't find anything that says it's possible.

[Rockporter]

I think I'm talking to myself on this thread, lol.

Ah well, I hand pollinated one of the zucchini squash this morning. The second flower has not opened yet. I'll be keeping an eye on it.

[bower]

Hey Rock, I don't know enough about zuch shape genetics to answer your question.
If long is dominant to round then it could be a round parent in the hybrid.
A lot of magic happens in my garden, things appear just by wishing for them or thinking of them, and then again, things also appear when I don't wish or think of em either..... and I absolutely know, the secret to all that "magic" is the birds. Heck I have found nutshells and peach pits in my garden that didn't come from my house at all, but likely were 'delivered' from someone else's compost. with some birdly wishful thinking.
So if you have any flightful critters in the garden, or any squirrel etc the possibility that a seed was transferred from elsewhere cannot be entirely discounted.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by Rockporter

So, I have turned the old 6'x'6'x6' kennel into a compost pile holder and raised it up onto some cinder blocks to make it a little taller.

Question #1

There is no top, I keep saying I need something to help keep the rain off of it but I don't have a clue what to use for it.


The sides are allowing small paper products to blow out into the yard with the wind. We have a lot of wind here so it's a constant issue to pick up the pieces that have blown out. I have used a plastic trash bag on top of the pile held down with pvc piping but it still gets blown around because our winds are always high gusts of wind nearby the gulf of mexico. Plastic and even tarps deteriorate very quickly here so I need a better solution for covering the pile.



Question #2

So, what can I use to surround the kennel to keep everything inside? and I need it to be strong enough to handle if I accidentally hit it with the pitch fork when turning it all. Is it best to just use some wood to enclose the inside of the kennel for the composting? Or is that just taking away the need for the kennel in the first place?

I told my husband today that the kennel would be better served turned into a greenhouse instead of composting inside of it, lol.

Sounds like you have a firepit, instead of a compost pile. LOL

Most piles need water, so open is good considering the amount of rain you get won't be tremendous. Or give it a squirt:










Should bake down pretty good in that texas heat, and promote a better soil base at the bottom of the pile. My "paper" products go on the fire pit, usually only organic material goes in my compost.

[Worth1]

You're not talking to yourself.
I read a lot of post but do you see how many posts I have?
I'm I'm trying to cut back.
Worth

[Rockporter]

Bower, I see where you are coming from regarding little birdies. However, I do cut the ends off the zucs and toss in my compost bin but I throw out the seeds I dig out of them. Same for cucumbers, I toss the seeds in the trash. I don't really want volunteers in the garden, lol. I would prefer to decide where things go, I guess it's the control freak in me. That zuc is doing quite well in there. I think the round was just that it was a female that had not bloomed yet. I pollinated it today because the flower was wide open this morning. There is one more on there I will keep an eye on too.

Worth, I know you read, lol. I do the same thing too.

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

Sounds like you have a firepit, instead of a compost pile. LOL

Most piles need water, so open is good considering the amount of rain you get won't be tremendous. Or give it a squirt:










Should bake down pretty good in that texas heat, and promote a better soil base at the bottom of the pile. My "paper" products go on the fire pit, usually only organic material goes in my compost.

Hahaha, gotta love that pic. I figured it all out by wrapping some hardware cloth around it at the bottom half and it seems to be keeping things inside. There is plenty of water for it. I make my husband hard boiled eggs all the time and I use that water to toss into the pile with the eggshells. I also add other water when I think I need to.

[Rockporter]

Hand pollination didn't take on the first zuc, I am watching the other one to open so I can pollinate that one.

[Rockporter]

Pollinated another zuc this morning. The plant is getting huge in there and if it keeps growing it will cover the door entrance to the kennel. Good thing I have another door on the opposite side of the kennel.