What are you Composting? I

[ellipsis]

I am a big fan of composting, and it never really gets covered here, despite its clearly revolutionary potential.

So we can talk about it in this thread. I have a good amount of experience here, but am pretty self taught, i didn't go to composting class, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.

Well, its winter here and that means the compost is kinda just piling up and not doing anything. My latest project is to dilute and hasten the decomposition of chicken manure. Chicken shit is very potent and must break down for a period of years before being suitable for composting. I have been layering it with food scraps and soiled paper, and lots of coffee grounds and some wood ash. I only started it this winter, although the chicken shit is rather old, my land lady never cleaned the coop it seems, so come spring ill start turning it (aeration) and see how it goes.

I work at a motel/hotel/inn, and am responcible for making the coffee in the morning. This provides me with a lot of coffee grounds, which really help get a 'post pile cooking. manure is also pretty good at acceration the pace of decompostion, because it is so full of bacteria.

any questions? comments?

[ellipsis]

My second compost bin is fast approaching full, nothing is breaking down and there a Is still at least a month of winter left.

[Rusty Shackleford]

is there anything special about coffee grounds or is it just that it is your most common compostable item besides manure and leaves/clippings?

[ellipsis]

There is, but I'm not sure what it is. It is my most available item because of work. For whatever reason it helps make awesome compost. Although I am worried about the ph, coffee is obviously acidic, as is wood ash I think.

[Ele'ill]

cat poop and my boogers

[ellipsis]

Lol, wise ass. meat eating animal poop doesn't composts very well, that's one of the reasons by chicken poop takes so long.

Your not composting, you are just too lazy to change the cat litter.

[ellipsis]

Pizza boxes too. Good way to get rid of them because you can't recycle them.

[ellipsis]

9021 coffee and rice

[ellipsis]

If it wasn't so cold, I would be turning (mixing up) the compost, and maybe even sift out the large bits in my older batch.

[ellipsis]

All of my wrappers and bags from dunkin donuts.

[ellipsis]

Post on the compost at the urban farm where I used to work http://thefreefarm.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-revolution-will-be-compost.html

[#FF0000]

I'm actually gonna start composting and seeing what I can do with the shitty appalachian rock desert excuse of a yard I have.

My diet means endless apple cores and orange peels to feed to the bin.

[ellipsis]

That's great, maybe raised beds are in order but I bet you could amended the soil to be productive. at said farm, we started with pure sand and grime, and were harvesting within four months of breaking ground, thanks to compost and other forms of soil amendment.

You'd be surprised and how much of your waste you can compost.


I think I forgot to include floor sweepings and animal hair. And roach papers.

[ellipsis]

Old cotton/linens too.

[The Jay]

If you eat eggs then compost those shells! Fruit peels, apple cores, anything like that should be composted. If you are able to get ahold of people's cut grass all the better! If you have your own yard don't bag your grass and dump it elsewhere, let it stay where you cut it so that it can feed the still living grasses. Also, mulched leaves work wonders. I think that my compost pile is a few hundred pounds by now as well as being years old. It was really annoying to make because the previous tenants didn't do shit for the land. (now I sound like a primmie haha). When we get another crisis which I suspect will be soon I will expand the garden.

[ellipsis]

9054 Bin #2

[ellipsis]

im looking at that picture and realizing that its probably time for another layer of some fine material like manure or wood ash. theres a fair amount of pizza box and other paper goods in there. so it will compress significantly as it decomposes. i won't be living at this property much longer so i guess ill have to stuff as much in there as i can, set it and forget it, whenever my land lady gets around to using it, it will be ready.

its pretty common to not compost bones and fat and meat and such, although i am pretty lenient on this. i will say that bacon rags seem to always attract critters or dogs.

[beardie]

Hi

I used to compost my own manure (humanure), but I no longer have the space required for that. I can really recommend reading the Humanure Handbook, by Joe Jenkins, it´s a fun book. Some of the best raspberries I ever grew were amended with my humanure compost. "The human kind is divided into two parts: those who shit into their drinking water and those who do not."

[ellipsis]

Old pizza crusts. And coffee, soo much coffee.

[Durruti's friend]

Leftover vegetables, leftover fruits, peels, leaves, sometimes paper, egg shells, guinea pig shit... Almost everything biodegradable, except for meat and cat litter.

I don't know if it fits here but also making mulch out of wood clips. That's good for keeping the ground moist during summer.

[ellipsis]

Meat is compostable, it just attracts the critters.

[ellipsis]

I just added a top layer of chicken shit. Weather has been warm so I hope the compost will start doing it thing, all my bins are full!

[Asmo]

I'm going to start composting when I move into my new house. Free nutrient-rich soil can't hurt.

[ellipsis]

I'm going to start composting when I move into my new house. Free nutrient-rich soil can't hurt.

Plus it reduces landfill mass and green house gasses.

[ellipsis]

Spring warmth has started to break down the matter, so I have space. Crisis averted.

[Comrade Nasser]

Kind of off topic, but i've always wanted to compost stuff but idk where to even start lol. Any suggestions?

[ellipsis]

Kind of off topic, but i've always wanted to compost stuff but idk where to even start lol. Any suggestions?

That's actually the topic of the thread. What kind of space are you working with?

[Comrade Nasser]

That's actually the topic of the thread. What kind of space are you working with?

Well I have a place in my backyard where I could make up a compost pile and my parents probably won't care. Is there any specifications to where the compost heap needs to be? And what kind of things can you put in it?

[ellipsis]

Sunny is best but not necessary. Just read the thread, you can compost almost anything, except plastic, metal, bones and certain plants like bamboo shoots and pine ones. Also no eucalyptus leaves. Or cat/dog poop. Other than that you are good to go. Put down a nice layer of sticks first, so you have good airflow.

[Comrade Nasser]

Sunny is best but not necessary. Just read the thread, you can compost almost anything, except plastic, metal, bones and certain plants like bamboo shoots and pine ones. Also no eucalyptus leaves. Or cat/dog poop. Other than that you are good to go. Put down a nice layer of sticks first, so you have good airflow.

Yeah I read the thread, but I didn't know what to set as the base. Just a bunch of sticks at first right. I'm afraid my cousins chihuahua dog (who is staying with us for the next couple days as my cousin is on vacation) may attack/poop in the compost pile :(

[ellipsis]

Lol, a little god poop is fine.

[ellipsis]

Lol, a little god poop is fine.

Dog poop too.

[slum]

vegetable scraps, leaves, cardboard, coffee grounds
sun's out, shit's cookin, i am a happy gardener
started sowin seeds yesterday, it's gonna be a good season i can tell

[ellipsis]

i just added dead house plant leaves, lint from drier, wicker basket, coffee, chicken shit on top, left the top off to absorb ambient moisture.

[Domela Nieuwenhuis]

My first composting-bin is starting to get full. It's filled with some grass and a lot of moss (mowed my lawn for the first time this season so it was a lot of excess grass wich wouldn'd fit in my waste-container and we had to get all the moss out of the grass).
Thing is: someone told me grass won't compost real well.
Anybody knows if this is true? Still got lots and lots of moss though (and even more to come).
Does that compost well? Experiences anyone?

[greengiant]

if its winter the stuff is probably too cold to rot

[greengiant]

I am a big fan of composting, and it never really gets covered here, despite its clearly revolutionary potential.

So we can talk about it in this thread. I have a good amount of experience here, but am pretty self taught, i didn't go to composting class, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.

Well, its winter here and that means the compost is kinda just piling up and not doing anything. My latest project is to dilute and hasten the decomposition of chicken manure. Chicken shit is very potent and must break down for a period of years before being suitable for composting. I have been layering it with food scraps and soiled paper, and lots of coffee grounds and some wood ash. I only started it this winter, although the chicken shit is rather old, my land lady never cleaned the coop it seems, so come spring ill start turning it (aeration) and see how it goes.

I work at a motel/hotel/inn, and am responcible for making the coffee in the morning. This provides me with a lot of coffee grounds, which really help get a 'post pile cooking. manure is also pretty good at acceration the pace of decompostion, because it is so full of bacteria.

any questions? comments?
i built a compost bin a while back (i call it the lopsided crate thing) the bulk of what i have in it is sticks orange peels and a little bit of meat and fish scraps it rotting surprisingly fast

[Palmares]

Okay... so first of all, I'm no expert composter (though I have a bit of a background in permaculture these days), nor am I actually composting at the time (actually semi-homeless at the moment).

But here's my 2 cents:



Compost (pron.: / (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)ˈ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ɒ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)m (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)p (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ɒ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)t (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English) or / (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)ˈ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ɒ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)m (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)p (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)oʊ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)t (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)) is organic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_matter) that has been decomposed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation) and recycled (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycle) as a fertilizer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer) and soil amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_amendment). Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farming). At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a heap of wetted organic matter (leaves, "green" food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus) after a period of weeks or months. Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture. Worms and fungi further break up the material. Aerobic bacteria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_bacteria) manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide) and ammonium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium). The ammonium is further converted by bacteria into plant-nourishing nitrites (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrite) and nitrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrate) through the process of nitrification (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification).
Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens), landscaping (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscaping), horticulture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horticulture), and agriculture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture). The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_conditioner), a fertilizer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer), addition of vital humus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus) or humic acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_acids), and as a natural pesticide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide) for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost_uses)). Organic ingredients intended for composting can alternatively be used to generate biogas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogas) through anaerobic digestion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_digestion). Anaerobic digestion is fast overtaking composting in some parts of the world including central Europe as a primary means of downcycling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downcycling) waste organic matter.


So basically, compost is humus in it's infant stage(s).





In soil science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_science), humus (coined 1790–1800; < Latin: earth, ground[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-1)) refers to any organic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_organic_matter) that has reached a point of stability, where it will break down no further and might, if conditions do not change, remain as it is for centuries, if not millennia.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-2) Humus significantly influences the texture of soil and contributes to moisture and nutrient retention. In agriculture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture), humus is sometimes also used to describe mature, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_conditioner).[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-3) It is also used to describe a topsoil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topsoil) horizon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_horizon) that contains organic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_matter) (humus type,[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-4) humus form,[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-5) humus profile).[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-6)


And more specifically:




Humification

Transformation of organic matter into humus

The process of "humification" can occur naturally in soil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil), or in the production of compost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost). The importance of chemically stable humus is thought by some to be the fertility (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertility_%28soil%29) it provides to soils in both a physical and chemical sense,[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-7) though some agricultural experts put a greater focus on other features of it, such as its ability to suppress disease.[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-8) It helps the soil retain moisture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moisture)[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-9) by increasing microporosity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porosity),[10] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-10) and encourages the formation of good soil structure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_structure).[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-11)[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-12) The incorporation of oxygen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen) into large organic molecular assemblages generates many active, negatively charged sites that bind to positively charged ions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion) (cations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cation)) of plant nutrients (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_nutrition), making them more available to the plant by way of ion exchange (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_exchange).[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-autogenerated3-13) Humus allows soil organisms to feed and reproduce, and is often described as the "life-force" of the soil.[14] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-14)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-autogenerated1-15) Yet, it is difficult to define humus precisely; it is a highly complex substance, which is still not fully understood. Humus should be differentiated from decomposing organic matter in that the latter is rough-looking material, with the original plant remains still visible, whereas fully humified organic matter is uniform in appearance (a dark, spongy, jelly-like substance) and amorphous in structure, and may remain such for millennia or more.[16] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-autogenerated2-16) It has no determinate shape, structure or character. However, humified organic matter, when examined under the microscope may reveal tiny plant, animal or microbial remains that have been mechanically, but not chemically, degraded.[17] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-17) This suggests a fuzzy boundary between humus and organic matter. In most literature, humus is clearly considered as an integral part of soil organic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_organic_matter).[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-18)
Plant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant) remains (including those that passed through an animal gut and were excreted as feces) contain organic compounds: sugars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar), starches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch), proteins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein), carbohydrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate), lignins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin), waxes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax), resins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin), and organic acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_acid). The process of organic matter decay in the soil begins with the decomposition of sugars and starches from carbohydrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrates), which break down easily as detritivores (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritivore) initially invade the dead plant organs, while the remaining cellulose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose) and lignin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin) break down more slowly.[19] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-19) Simple proteins, organic acids, starches and sugars break down rapidly, while crude proteins, fats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat), waxes and resins remain relatively unchanged for longer periods of time. Lignin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin), which is quickly transformed by white-rot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting#White_Rot) fungi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus),[20] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-20) is one of the main precursors of humus,[21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-21) together with by-products of microbial[22] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-22) and animal[23] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-23) activity. The end-product of this process, the humus, is thus a mixture of compounds and complex life chemicals of plant, animal, or microbial origin that has many functions and benefits in the soil. Earthworm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm) humus (vermicompost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost)) is considered by some to be the best organic manure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manure) there is.[24] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-24)

Stability of humus

Compost that is readily capable of further decomposition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition) is sometimes referred to as effective or active humus, though scientists would say that, if it is not stable, it is not humus at all. This kind of compost, rich in plant remains and fulvic acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulvic_acid), is an excellent source of plant nutrients, but of little value with respect to long-term soil structure and tilth. Stable (or passive) humus consists of humic acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_acid) and humins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humin), which are so highly insoluble (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solubility), or so tightly bound to clay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay) particles and hydroxides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxide), that they cannot be penetrated by microbes and are greatly resistant to further decomposition. Thus stable humus adds few readily available nutrients to the soil, but plays an essential part in providing its physical structure. Some very stable humus complexes have survived for thousands of years.[16] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-autogenerated2-16) The most stable humus is that formed from the slow oxidation of black carbon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_carbon), after the incorporation of finely powdered charcoal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar) into the topsoil. This process is at the origin of the formation of the fertile Amazonian dark earths or Terra preta do Indio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta).[25] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus#cite_note-25)


So that's the complexity of it, but I guess the way I would paraphrase the totality of that is...


Compost(ing) is simply the attempt at creating fertile soil from organic matter. You can kind of compost anything, but it really depends on the type of compost system you wish to undertake. For example, what you put in a traditional compost bin is different to what you may put in a wormfarm (worm casting!), a compost toilet (usually 2 years needed for proper break down, and to be used only on fruit trees), or in a bokashi system (for meat), etc. But the basic fact is, everything breaks down eventually, some quicker than others. Everything eventually becomes some form of soil. The soil eats everything.

So composting is also an attempt to rejuvenate our planet's dwindling topsoil.

Inorganic material does take an exceedingly long time to break down though... So not heaps suited to compost. But do I think slow composting elements are still important, at least if you wish to have ongoing composting system, as you can just keep putting the slow composting materials back into the next round of composting.

As examples in my own life, I have experience with some wormfarms, for example a bathtub version. A little bit of veggie scraps, some shredded paper, some comfrey, etc. I've also shat in some compost toilets. Haha. And... I've used more traditional compost bins, in various forms. At a huge community garden I used to help with the gigantic one there. It was a three stage system, but was all continued in the same... "area". At home, the last compost bin I used was a "tumbler" type, one which is raised from the ground. This suited me, due to the fact I had no actual soil at this particular house. But in the end, I liked it most, because due to it being kind of a barrel that you could just push and it spun, meant I did not need to mix the contents of the bin like other types of compost bins. No laborious garden-forking. And I also chose to put everything (organic) in there because I knew my housemates wouldn't be onto it enough to differentiate what should or shouldn't go in. And also because I had no soil, worms would not be present. So the composting process would be slower, I would be relying on tiny microbes, etc to break down the organic matter rather than their larger and faster amigos, the worms. And also without soil, I also had no grass, so finding good carbon was difficult (lots of newspaper...). So my compost went a bit... anaerobic due to both the bad carbon/nitrogen ratio, and needing to be more mixing to make it aerobic. I also included some slowing to break down elements, like sticks (for carbon, and their larger mass helps aerate the compost) and even bones (it's like... really slow releasing fertiliser - I actually found a bunch of soil from some old Vietnamese women filled with bones. I liked old-school wisdom passing down to me!). And of course some nutrient rich (due to it's deep roots) organic matter like comfrey always works a treat.

Sorry if I missed anything important, but check out these links to fill in the gaps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost
http://www.composting101.com/c-n-ratio.html

And all the other links at:

http://www.composting101.com/

But honestly, just go to your local community garden, some real life people can both tell you, and show you the real deal.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

Approximately 25lb of spent malt and 12oz of spent hops

[HoboHomesteader]

Approximately 25lb of spent malt and 12oz of spent hops

how did that go? did you dry them out a little first? mix them in with other compost?

[HoboHomesteader]

ive been thinking about doing a compost on the roof where i garden. one of those spinning barrel seems optimal at least to process kitchen scraps and "yard" trimmings. vermiculture is another option but thats more complicated and expensive.

[Sea]

Better just to bury your old food into the dirt. No reason to break it down beforehand. There are plenty of itty bitty things in the group that will eat it up, and it doesn't attract unwanted critters that way.

[HoboHomesteader]

Better just to bury your old food into the dirt. No reason to break it down beforehand. There are plenty of itty bitty things in the group that will eat it up, and it doesn't attract unwanted critters that way.

I'm sorry but its clear you don't know what you are talking about.

[laoch na phoblacht]

It's funny I was composting before I knew what composting was, we have a dung heap which has been built with help from our horses as well as waste they won't eat like eggshells and teabags. I spent part of the summer digging a few tons of compost, It's just part of my lifestyle of rural living, keeping animals, gardening ect

[tallguy]

What am I composting? Everything except my shit. I'd compost that too if I could but my uneducated neighbours would probably object.

[HoboHomesteader]

What am I composting? Everything except my shit. I'd compost that too if I could but my uneducated neighbours would probably object.

Hu-manure is usually met with skepticism by neighbors and hostility by the health department. i can't imagine why, prudes.:laugh:

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

Still composting predominantly malt and hops, all our other stuff goes in the little green bin to some magical wonderful heap somewhere I don't doubt. Malt seems to compact down really quickly, we've thrown at least 300lb in there and it still seems like there's barely anything down there.

[tallguy]

Better just to bury your old food into the dirt. No reason to break it down beforehand. There are plenty of itty bitty things in the group that will eat it up, and it doesn't attract unwanted critters that way.
If you do that, it will turn to nasty anaerobic slime that will take ages to break down due to a lack of capacity for aerobic bacteria to get to work on it. The point of composting is to allow plants to access the nutrients quickly and efficiently. That's the point of composting. What you are suggesting defeats the object of it. In other word, what you are suggesting is not composting. None of which is to suggest that it will not break down eventually. But it'll take ages.

I also suspect you don't know how aerobic composting works. The nature of the aerobic bacteria is that they generate heat that kills everything in the pile until it is essentially sterile. Indeed, one of the biggest issues is not letting it get too hot such that is starts to impinge of the aerobic bacteria themselves. As for critters, this is merely a matter of adequate security, if that's an issue for someone. Chicken wire securely fastened over the top of an enclosure is more than sufficient.

[Sea]

I'm sorry but its clear you don't know what you are talking about.

If you do that, it will turn to nasty anaerobic slime that will take ages to break down due to a lack of capacity for aerobic bacteria to get to work on it. The point of composting is to allow plants to access the nutrients quickly and efficiently. That's the point of composting. What you are suggesting defeats the object of it. In other word, what you are suggesting is not composting. None of which is to suggest that it will not break down eventually. But it'll take ages.

I also suspect you don't know how aerobic composting works. The nature of the aerobic bacteria is that they generate heat that kills everything in the pile until it is essentially sterile. Indeed, one of the biggest issues is not letting it get too hot such that is starts to impinge of the aerobic bacteria themselves. As for critters, this is merely a matter of adequate security, if that's an issue for someone. Chicken wire securely fastened over the top of an enclosure is more than sufficient.Want me to charter a bus so you can see how nice and dark the soil is in my garden and how shitty and sandy it is in the surrounding area?

[Ele'ill]

just an idea, if you have a small/medium sized garden you should get close with folks who work in a kitchen that collects their compost and ask for 1 or 2 big trashcans full a week or however much you need, lots of good stuff