Composting At Home: A Project

[JGPangi]

From one of the latest threads, I think most of us are realizing that chemical fertilizers are a bit of a hit and miss. There are so many little tips and tricks for making your own natural fertilizer that it would be a waste not to apply them to our gardens. I am wondering though, for all of us who are beginners in organic gardening, how to actually start properly composting. Just throwing eggshells into the garden isn't cutting it, though my mom says it's a lot easier than drying them out and then grinding them into a fine powder, which was what I used to do.

Given that our space is extremely limited, I was thinking of starting the compost heap in a plastic trash can. Not an ideal place, but it's better than nothing. So how do I get started? And what's the difference between phosphorous-rich fertilizer and nitrogen-rich fertilizer? Do I have to keep them separate, or can I just make a sort of balanced compost?

 

[Gardener]

So what I would suggest is just throwing your compost in your garden or grassy area and then covering with a plastic sheet. We did that for the last 2 weeks in our garden and the sun really accelerated the composting. All we saw was black, rich compost soil. Try it out and see how it works for yourself

 

[Cheesy Potatoes]

I think you might find this link useful: http://www.eldoradochemical.com/fertiliz1.htm

It has information on the different nutrients the plant needs.

 

[Chuck]

From one of the latest threads, I think most of us are realizing that chemical fertilizers are a bit of a hit and miss. There are so many little tips and tricks for making your own natural fertilizer that it would be a waste not to apply them to our gardens. I am wondering though, for all of us who are beginners in organic gardening, how to actually start properly composting. Just throwing eggshells into the garden isn't cutting it, though my mom says it's a lot easier than drying them out and then grinding them into a fine powder, which was what I used to do.

Given that our space is extremely limited, I was thinking of starting the compost heap in a plastic trash can. Not an ideal place, but it's better than nothing. So how do I get started? And what's the difference between phosphorous-rich fertilizer and nitrogen-rich fertilizer? Do I have to keep them separate, or can I just make a sort of balanced compost?

Your compost pile MUST be able to drain or it will go anerobic and smell to high heaven. You should also be able to turn it once in a while. And don't worry about words like nitrogen rich or pot. rich. Just put it all into your compost pile and Mother Nature will figure it out. To really speed up your pile add a little molasses to it once in a while.

 

[firelily99]

Drainage is the key as is keeping the core temp at the right level. It looks simple enough to compost but knowing what will keep the pile doing its best is really important.

 

[JGPangi]

Alright, so not a plastic trash can. Maybe a plastic trough so as to make everything easier to turn, with holes punched in the bottom and sides for aeration. I'm thinking a bag of soil, cuttings from the garden (should they be dried out?), and kitchen scraps.

On the subject of kitchen scraps, I have been tossing a lot in the garden: onion peels, tomato tops, eggshells, banana skins. I'll try the plastic bag tip as well, thanks so much.

With adding molasses to the compost, does the 1/64 rule still apply?

 

[Rosyrain]

There are small composting ceramic pots you can buy to store in a small space. You want something that seals well as the compost will start to stink when it decays. I have even seen ones that you can set on the kitchen counter in your home if this is something you are interested in.

 

[headfullofbees]

The best compost accelerator is to allow it contact with the microbial life in your garden soil.

 

[Chuck]

Alright, so not a plastic trash can. Maybe a plastic trough so as to make everything easier to turn, with holes punched in the bottom and sides for aeration. I'm thinking a bag of soil, cuttings from the garden (should they be dried out?), and kitchen scraps.

On the subject of kitchen scraps, I have been tossing a lot in the garden: onion peels, tomato tops, eggshells, banana skins. I'll try the plastic bag tip as well, thanks so much.

With adding molasses to the compost, does the 1/64 rule still apply?

Basically yes, but there are no hard and fast rules using organic methods. If you add a little more or less it won't make any difference no matter what you are doing or what you are using.