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

[Mischka]

Very nice setup, John.

I noticed you used galvanized hex wire aka poultry netting to partition off each bin. I was going to build some compost bins here and had been wondering if hex wire was small enough to keep debris from falling through.

Your photos answered my question. I have two rolls of 9 ft. x 150 ft. hex wire left over from my new peafowl pen. I used it to cover the top to keep predators out and the birds in. There's a local wire fence manufacturer that also specializes in coating all kinds of fencing with PVC vinyl and I was able to get three rolls for the price of one, provided I picked it up.

I spoke with the owner of the company last fall and also asked if he would be interested in making tomato cages...he smirked and replied that he didn't know that tomatoes "were in the habit of running away from the garden".

I guess he's never done any tomato growing.

http://www.riverdale.com/company.shtml

The mill is huge and on another interesting note, was used for the filming of the movie "A Civil Action" starring John Travolta.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120633/locations

[dcarch]

Second picture, first compartment to the right. Is the thing on top a sieve? I made one which looks the same. I hang mine with ropes from a tripod to eliminate back-breaking labor when I am using it.

HD sells galvinized wesh with square holes 1/2" and 1/4"

dcarch

[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?

[giardiniere]

Thanks John. That gives me idea of the size for each bin.

You have some great compost bins bins too Sherry. That's looks like a beautiful area. LOTS of leaves available, huh?

[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!

[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

[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!