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Captain Obvious
11-09-2015, 08:04 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

Gypsy
11-09-2015, 08:11 PM
Maybe this will help.

http://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/

My son and his fiancee compost but I haven't a clue what they do. I just save the eggs shells and ruffage.

del
11-09-2015, 08:12 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

you need ventilation

a lot of county extension offices give away bins or sell them at cost

Chris
11-09-2015, 08:27 PM
And some way to turn it, mix it up, will help.

Dr. Who
11-09-2015, 09:45 PM
If you have the space, just make a pile in the corner of the yard. It aerates best that way and it's easiest to turn with a fork. It will attract rodents however, so make sure it's well away from your house. Also, come spring you may find potatoes or onions growing. LOL.

donttread
11-11-2015, 06:23 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

I bought a tumbler composter and it works great.Somewhat small though

Matty
11-11-2015, 06:29 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.




Earthworms.

CreepyOldDude
11-17-2015, 12:06 PM
If you have the space, just make a pile in the corner of the yard. It aerates best that way and it's easiest to turn with a fork. It will attract rodents however, so make sure it's well away from your house. Also, come spring you may find potatoes or onions growing. LOL.

What he said.

If you don't have space for a pile, though, they make plastic bins that are meant for composting: http://www.hayneedle.com/product/10cubicfootredmongreencultureplasticcompostbin.cfm

Common Sense
11-17-2015, 12:12 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

It's gotta breathe and allow for rain and drainage.

I made a simple one out of two by twos and one by six fence boards. It has a removable front section and I left it open on top.

We get some amazing soil out of it.

CreepyOldDude
11-17-2015, 12:18 PM
What he said.

If you don't have space for a pile, though, they make plastic bins that are meant for composting: http://www.hayneedle.com/product/10cubicfootredmongreencultureplasticcompostbin.cfm

We compost everything from potato peels to grass clippings. (Unless you put chemicals on your lawn. In that case, you might not want to compost clippings that could go in a food garden.)

We have a small garden, about 90'x20'. After everything has been harvested, I get together all the brush I've clipped during the summer, make a couple small piles in the garden, and burn them. I keep feeding the fires until all the brush is gone, then I spread the ashes, and till them under for the winter.

PolWatch
11-17-2015, 12:52 PM
We built a bin of chicken wire (we found that works better than the plastic bins).....vegetable scraps, coffee/tea grounds, (no meat or fat), leaves, grass clippings. Try to mix more green than brown. Too many dried leaves, etc. will not heat up. Husband tosses it occasionally with a hayfork. He adds a shovel full of soil every couple of feet. Depending on the temperature, we get compost for the gardens fairly often....plus great fishing worms! Sometimes the potato peels will make vines....we just pick fresh potatoes when we dig up compost for the garden.

domer76
11-17-2015, 07:19 PM
So we're mowing through fruits and vegetables a lot lately and I'm thinking of starting a compost for next season, starting it now.

Thinking about doing it in a trash bin with a lid but I'm not sure if the plastic in the can will impact it any or not.

Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

It shouldn't. But be careful of putting stuff from the lawn that may have disease or pesticides in it. I've seen people use grass clippings or leaves that have fungus and that just perpetuates the problem.

Captain Obvious
11-17-2015, 07:46 PM
It shouldn't. But be careful of putting stuff from the lawn that may have disease or pesticides in it. I've seen people use grass clippings or leaves that have fungus and that just perpetuates the problem.

I'm planning on using a trash bin and just food (veg) scraps - and I should have got one this past weekend and I forgot, which is a shame because we're just mowing through fresh vegs lately.

Dr. Who
11-18-2015, 12:57 AM
I'm planning on using a trash bin and just food (veg) scraps - and I should have got one this past weekend and I forgot, which is a shame because we're just mowing through fresh vegs lately.
A trash bin will create rot, but not soil - you need aeration and bugs to make dirt. If you don't want to throw up, don't use a trash bin.

Captain Obvious
11-18-2015, 06:34 PM
A trash bin will create rot, but not soil - you need aeration and bugs to make dirt. If you don't want to throw up, don't use a trash bin.

Someone suggested going to the county to see if I can get at cost a real compost bin, I might try that.

Or build one but I don't have a lot of resources here at this point (tools).

Peter1469
11-18-2015, 06:37 PM
Someone suggested going to the county to see if I can get at cost a real compost bin, I might try that.

Or build one but I don't have a lot of resources here at this point (tools).

Good excuse to buy tools!

Dr. Who
11-18-2015, 06:52 PM
Someone suggested going to the county to see if I can get at cost a real compost bin, I might try that.

Or build one but I don't have a lot of resources here at this point (tools).
Actually, if you can find a couple of old skids, you should have the makings of a composter. Get some chicken wire and you're in business. Or you can just make a pile in the corner of the yard. :tongue: