New to Composting

[SuarezMama2018]

My husband and I recently bought a home and I decided to compost and use it to grow our grass and a small vegetable garden. I just got started, finally got a bin in the ground, and would like some help and guidance. I took a large tote and cut the bottom out of it and added all of my compost items with a layer of top soil and watered it slightly. Then I capped it. I read that I need to stir it every 2 weeks to get soil in about 3 months. How accurate is this? If I continually add kitchen scraps and such to the bin and still stir it every 2 weeks, will the stuff that is already decomposing help eat up the newer, fresher additions? Please help. I'm sure tryin lol.

 

[headfullofbees]

It's best if you can, to divide your composting into two areas, so that one area is finishing the decomposing process whilst you add your new material to the other.
Lack of space means that you may have to use just one area, and that means that at some point, your likely to have to stop turning it and use the stuff from the bottom, whilst leaving the top half/two thirds.
You'll be amazed at how much your vegetation rots down, and that's why you'll have to leave so much.
It's also why I was surprised at how little finished compost I got, and why I suspect you will be too.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[SuarezMama2018]

Thank you so much! Do you compost brown in one and green in the other, or do both the same and just use them to offset the timing of one another? I am going to need quite a lot of finished compost to do my yard and garden, and don't want to be left with very little. Admittedly, I had no idea that was going to be a problem so I am super thankful for that input.

 

[MaryMary]

You need to compost the two together. The green helps rot the brown, if that makes sense. Cardboard and newspaper are considered browns, they would take forever without the greens!!

The reason you want two is so you can have one to fill, once the other is full. That way, you won't have new additions that need to "catch up" to the almost finished compost.

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[SuarezMama2018]

You need to compost the two together. The green helps rot the brown, if that makes sense. Cardboard and newspaper are considered browns, they would take forever without the greens!!

The reason you want two is so you can have one to fill, once the other is full. That way, you won't have new additions that need to "catch up" to the almost finished compost.

Welcome to the forum!!

Thank you so much! I think I have a little bit more space I can do doubles!! Ill have hubby dig another hole for me lol
Thanks guys this has been a lot of help already. What a great idea this is.

 

[headfullofbees]

So, add what you can from now until next spring in one pile, then add to the other for a year, by which time (Spring 2020) you'll have some excellent home-made compost, hopefully full of worms, and their excrement.

 

[David from Dothan]

I tell ya......I just about enjoy making compost more than raising vegetables....ALMOST. When I lived in the country, I made 2 tons of it a year.....by hand, no heavy machinery employed. There is oddles & oddles of books on composting, but ( IMO ) if there has ever been a "bible" written on the subject, it's this one. It's available on ebay.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I was out using my compost to fill bare spots on the lawn today. It is really amazing how much is under the pile when I flip it.

 

[Captain Belly]

I gave up on my compost pile. The weeds grow faster than my pile. I think maybe the barrel idea is best.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I gave up on my compost pile. The weeds grow faster than my pile. I think maybe the barrel idea is best.

We get hot down here, but even then not hot enough sometimes. I could use 4 of those big black roller drums. I would compost most of it in a pile and throw it in the drums to get the temps way up.

 

[SQWIB]

I lazy compost but try to alternate browns and greens respectively. I dont fiddle with it at all. During the growing season, most of the yard/vegetable trimmings go right back in the garden as a mulch. I also trench compost a lot.

 

[Captain Belly]

Looks like you have some fishing bait in there as well!

 

[BarbO]

My compost piles have those same little worms. Do any of you know what they are? Some sort of fly larvae I think? They do their work very fast.

 

[ramirez202]

When I had a lot of larvae, I added browns and it got rid of them because of the dryness.

 

[SQWIB]

My compost piles have those same little worms. Do any of you know what they are? Some sort of fly larvae I think? They do their work very fast.

They are Black soldier fly larvae and great for the compost bin.