My first composting method was a disaster but this second generation
improved method seems to be working well enough to tell you what
it is and to ask about suggestions for improvement.

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12877414.jpg

1. A closeable container sits in the kitchen corner
2. Foodstuffs go into the container instead of in the trash
3. After about a week, we dump the food onto a fenced-in area
4. We chop the food into the soil for about a minute or so
5. This breaks large chunks into small pieces for faster breakdown
6. And it thoroughly 'infects' the foodstuff with soil bacteria
7. After a minute of chopping, the food is barely noticeable
8. Then we shovel a thin layer of soil on top to keep away birds
9. The fence & soil, we found, keeps cyotes & vultures away
10. We spray with water, often daily, to aid bacterial growth
11. We wash the plastic (and sometimes disinfect with chlorine)
12. And the cycle starts anew, with foodstuffs in the kitchen

We've found that we can't even find the food after just a few
weeks, although before we fenced it in, the cyotes, vultures,
or whatever would dig up the chicken bones, fish skins, etc.

Any ideas or suggestions or comments are welcome.

On May 8, 4:18*am, Danny D wrote:
My first composting method was a disaster but this second generation
improved method seems to be working well enough to tell you what
it is and to ask about suggestions for improvement.

*http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12877414.jpg

1. A closeable container sits in the kitchen corner
2. Foodstuffs go into the container instead of in the trash
3. After about a week, we dump the food onto a fenced-in area
4. We chop the food into the soil for about a minute or so
5. This breaks large chunks into small pieces for faster breakdown
6. And it thoroughly 'infects' the foodstuff with soil bacteria
7. After a minute of chopping, the food is barely noticeable
8. Then we shovel a thin layer of soil on top to keep away birds
9. The fence & soil, we found, keeps cyotes & vultures away
10. We spray with water, often daily, to aid bacterial growth
11. We wash the plastic (and sometimes disinfect with chlorine)
12. And the cycle starts anew, with foodstuffs in the kitchen

We've found that we can't even find the food after just a few
weeks, although before we fenced it in, the cyotes, vultures,
or whatever would dig up the chicken bones, fish skins, etc.

Any ideas or suggestions or comments are welcome.Ads not by this site

You are a long way behind on the curve.
You can start here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

On Wed, 08 May 2013 00:12:43 -0700, harry wrote:

You can start here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

Reading that, I seem to be missing the mixing in a barrel.
Also I seem to not be aiming for that 30:1 carbon:nitrogen mix.
None of the composting ideas in that article appeared to be
simply placed in the ground. I wonder why?

Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 00:12:43 -0700, harry wrote:

You can start here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

Reading that, I seem to be missing the mixing in a barrel.
Also I seem to not be aiming for that 30:1 carbon:nitrogen mix.
None of the composting ideas in that article appeared to be
simply placed in the ground. I wonder why?

Probably because they wnat it to get hot enough to kill harmful diseases, bugs,
and weed seeds. That requires some volume and certainly not the heat sinking
effect of the ground.

I'm certainly no expert on composting, but it seems to me that the soil in Manhattan before the white man came was fertile because the bacteria in the ground digested dead grasses, fallen leaves, and the occasional dead tree. That is, the things that normally grew in that area died and decomposed, thereby providing nutrients in the soil for new growth. And, it was the bacteria and tiny fungii in that soil that did the decomposing. Undoubtedly, it's the same types of bacteria and fungii in that soil today.

I can't help thinking that giving those bacteria and fungii egg shells, fish skins and orange peels to digest is like feeding pizza and beer to a bird. You would undoubtedly have better success with the bacteria in your soil by composting grass clippings, leaves and similar vegetable matter from your kitchen table; like corn cobs for example.

I know that in some of the landfill sites in the world, they use pigs and goats to eliminate the rotting food in the garbage that's discarded. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to feed what you're discarding to a pig or goat and let the bacteria inside it's stomach do the composting for you. Then, it's just a matter of collecting what comes out the other end to use as a fertilizer for your soil.

Depending on where you live, there may be some laws concerning keeping farm animals like this in your yard.

On 5/8/2013 4:11 AM, Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 00:12:43 -0700, harry wrote:

You can start here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

Reading that, I seem to be missing the mixing in a barrel.
Also I seem to not be aiming for that 30:1 carbon:nitrogen mix.
None of the composting ideas in that article appeared to be
simply placed in the ground. I wonder why?


Space and ease of use, most probably. Most ground is already put to
use so there's no free space to incorporate garden/kitchen waste.
Also, adding it to a heap or barrel is less effort than digging it
into the ground, and makes it less available for scavengers.

When I was a kid, our weekly kitchen waste removal chore involved
digging a deepish hole in an open spot in the vegetable garden. Every
evening the day's kitchen scraps got dumped in, followed by a
shovelful of soil. At the end of the week the hole was filled in and a
new hole started. But in those days gardening wasn't as
space-intensive as it is nowadays. You'd be hard pressed to find much
open space in most contemporary gardens.

On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:49:34 +0200, nestork wrote:

I can't help thinking that giving those bacteria and fungi egg shells,
fish skins and orange peels to digest is like feeding pizza and beer to
a bird.

Interesting way to say it.

I did read not to put chicken, pork, beef, shells, etc. in the compost,
but, for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

I understand your analogy - but I wonder if it applies. I mean, what
are eggshells anyway? They're just calcium carbonate, right? Must dissolve
in the soil, right?

And, what are fish skins? They're just scales (keratin?) and slippery
fat. Why wouldn't bacteria love eating that stuff?

Same with orange peels. They fall on the ground all the time from
a wild orange tree, right? They must go somewhere or they would just
pile up until they covered the tree (since they don't blow away
in the wind).

In summary, I have heard these admonitions - but I've never seen a
decent believable explanation of why it would be bad for compost.

On Wed, 08 May 2013 11:16:31 -0500, Moe DeLoughan wrote:

Space and ease of use, most probably. Most ground is already put to
use so there's no free space to incorporate garden/kitchen waste.
Also, adding it to a heap or barrel is less effort than digging it
into the ground, and makes it less available for scavengers.

Makes sense. Luckily I have plenty of space.

I was adding it to a square 18" high recycling bin prior - but that
bin was too heavy to move after it got full of soil + compost.

Now, I just chop it into the ground; cover with soil; and water it,
and it seems to work (although I have to keep animals away as I had
found all the bones were dug up if I didn't).

Long term, I'll see how well it works over a year's span. I do realize
I'm "breaking the rules" by adding everything (fish, chicken, beef,
pork, bacon fat, eggshells, orange peels, banana peels, lettuce cores,
avocado pits, stale bread and crackers, etc.) from the kitchen.

I never saw a good explanation of why not.

On 5/8/2013 4:14 PM, Alfred Fox wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 11:16:31 -0500, Moe DeLoughan wrote:

Space and ease of use, most probably. Most ground is already put to
use so there's no free space to incorporate garden/kitchen waste.
Also, adding it to a heap or barrel is less effort than digging it
into the ground, and makes it less available for scavengers.

Makes sense. Luckily I have plenty of space.

I was adding it to a square 18" high recycling bin prior - but that
bin was too heavy to move after it got full of soil + compost.

Now, I just chop it into the ground; cover with soil; and water it,
and it seems to work (although I have to keep animals away as I had
found all the bones were dug up if I didn't).

Long term, I'll see how well it works over a year's span. I do realize
I'm "breaking the rules" by adding everything (fish, chicken, beef,
pork, bacon fat, eggshells, orange peels, banana peels, lettuce cores,
avocado pits, stale bread and crackers, etc.) from the kitchen.

I never saw a good explanation of why not.


"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3! Not to mention digging
into a pocket of rotten meat if one turns the pile. Link he
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/ID-182.pdf

Someone who likes breeding worms explains how to (carefully) incorporate
meat to a compost:
http://greenliving.nationalgeographi...aste-2320.html

I just set up my new compost pile this morning...new home, doing lots of
landscaping and planting veg. garden....I just melted some holes in a
black plastic tub to keep out by the garden and koi pond. Can dump in
kitchen stuff and algae from the pond if the koi don't eat it )

one word... pathogens, some say the reason for the human population
explosion is due more to sanitation than anything else.. but that's
like saying what was the most important factor in winning a war.
keep googling, energy cycle, nitrogen cycle, food chain, food cycle..
when you get all done, dig a hole and bury it and run the kitchen water
out in the yard. There is a reason the grass is greener over the
lateral lines of a septic tank system.
a starter,...
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/X9199E/X9199E04.htm

Danny D writes:

On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:49:34 +0200, nestork wrote:

I can't help thinking that giving those bacteria and fungi egg shells,
fish skins and orange peels to digest is like feeding pizza and beer to
a bird.

Interesting way to say it.

I did read not to put chicken, pork, beef, shells, etc. in the compost,
but, for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

I understand your analogy - but I wonder if it applies. I mean, what
are eggshells anyway? They're just calcium carbonate, right? Must dissolve
in the soil, right?

And, what are fish skins? They're just scales (keratin?) and slippery
fat. Why wouldn't bacteria love eating that stuff?

Same with orange peels. They fall on the ground all the time from
a wild orange tree, right? They must go somewhere or they would just
pile up until they covered the tree (since they don't blow away
in the wind).

In summary, I have heard these admonitions - but I've never seen a
decent believable explanation of why it would be bad for compost.

Do some Google searches. Putting meat into compost isn't really a good
idea. Use Google to understand the issues. I think you're asking for
trouble.

--
Dan Espen

On Wed, 08 May 2013 21:20:51 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Do some Google searches. Putting meat into compost isn't really a good
idea. Use Google to understand the issues. I think you're asking for
trouble.

Googling, all I can find is that it's a "pest magnet", which is no big
deal since I live in the mountains anyway and since it's fenced in.

Before I fenced it in, something (probably a coyote) dug up the ham bones,
but nothing has been digging there other than the vultures and other
birds since I fenced it in.

Seems to me pests are no big deal; they're part of nature, which is what
composting is all about.

BTW, while googling for why meats are deprecated, I found this article:
http://weblife.org/humanure/chapter3_11.html

Which insists the 'secret' is the aeration which can come about if I
build air spaces into the pile by heaping straw or other course material.

So that's one improvement on my technique that I will attempt as I won't
be physically 'turning' the compost anytime soon ...

On Wed, 08 May 2013 20:10:27 +0000, Danny D wrote:

I did read not to put chicken, pork, beef, shells, etc. in the compost,
but, for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

Looks like folks who actually did it (like I am doing it), have found
no problems with substances on the "banned" list, according to this
article: http://weblife.org/humanure/chapter3_11.html

VERBATIM:
I get a bit perturbed when I see compost educators telling their students
that there is a long list of things "NOT to be composted!" This
prohibition is always presented in such an authoritative and serious
manner that novice composters begin trembling in their boots at the
thought of composting any of the banned materials. ... Those banned
materials include meat, fish, dairy products, butter, bones, cheese,
lard, mayonnaise, milk, oils, peanut butter, salad dressing, sour cream,
weeds with seeds, diseased plants, citrus peels, rhubarb leaves, crab
grass, pet manures, and, perhaps worst of all: human manure....Luckily, I
was never exposed to such instructions, and my family has composted EVERY
bit of food scrap it has produced, including meat, bones, butter, oils,
fat, lard, citrus peels, mayonnaise, and everything else on the list;
we've done this in our backyard for almost 25 years with never a problem.

On Thu, 09 May 2013 11:18:39 +0000, Danny D wrote:

Googling, all I can find is that it's a "pest magnet", which is no big
deal since I live in the mountains anyway and since it's fenced in.

Actually, there are three supposed problems with composting cooked meat:
1. It reputedly attracts pests
2. It purportedly stinks
3. It supposedly changes the chemical balance

Reading on, I find all compost attracts pests and mine certainly doesn't
stink, and ground up bones and blood is often used in commercial
fertilizer, so, all three reputed reasons can be argued either way.

For me, I'll continue to compost everything from the kitchen, until,
and unless a real problem actually arises from doing so ...

First the background. our town encourages everyone to compost

Last year the neighborhood had a rat problem

I was contacted by allegheny county because I have a compost pile. I
was ordered to remove it.

Now my compost pile is strictly 100% yard waste only!!!

grass, twigs branches leaves etc etc.....

I got very upset and refered the county gal who was nice, to our
community and asked WHY one encourages composting while the other
orders they be removed?

the pest management guy at allegheny county was abusive and obnixious.
I suggested to the county gal her boss should watch his attitude, lest
the media get involved. How that jerk treated me would get him
fired.....

I locked out my caller ID and left a message for the jerk, Your
treatment of people who call you looking for help is terrible, and
abusive. the media has been informed you are being monitored. You have
a good job dont get fired!!

Danny D writes:

On Wed, 08 May 2013 21:20:51 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Do some Google searches. Putting meat into compost isn't really a good
idea. Use Google to understand the issues. I think you're asking for
trouble.

Googling, all I can find is that it's a "pest magnet", which is no big
deal since I live in the mountains anyway and since it's fenced in.

Before I fenced it in, something (probably a coyote) dug up the ham bones,
but nothing has been digging there other than the vultures and other
birds since I fenced it in.

Seems to me pests are no big deal; they're part of nature, which is what
composting is all about.

BTW, while googling for why meats are deprecated, I found this article:
http://weblife.org/humanure/chapter3_11.html

Which insists the 'secret' is the aeration which can come about if I
build air spaces into the pile by heaping straw or other course material.

So that's one improvement on my technique that I will attempt as I won't
be physically 'turning' the compost anytime soon ...

You should have found mention of anaerobic bacteria and bad smells.

If you really think you need to compost meat, you should be burying
deeper. You may not have pests yet, but rats are going to be attracted
and digging a foot down should be no problem for a rat.

For above ground compost, I throw leaves and other plant waste on the
pile, wait a year, then sift the result. Sometimes I wait 2 years.

A far cry from your daily watering routine.
I can't imagine spending that kind of time on compost.
I admire your energy but don't see the point.

--
Dan Espen

Danny:

Here's an easy way to turn and aerate your compost:



Whomever made that appears to have just drilled holes in the side of the barrel and cut between those holes on three sides to make a crude "door".

If I was doing it, I would have drilled smaller holes, marked between the holes by snapping short chaulk lines, and then before making any cuts with a jig saw, I would have marked and drilled holes for mounting a hinge and hasp.

I'd drill the hinge and hasp holes and cut the lines between the corners. Then I'd mount the hinge and hasp with stainless steel rivens and stainless steel flat washers.

That way, you could pad lock the hasp closed to prevent animals from getting at the rotting meat inside. (But, I expect a grizzly would just consider that a challenge and knock that barrel around all day long trying to get at what's inside, cuz it smells edible.)

On Thu, 09 May 2013 10:48:54 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

You should have found mention of anaerobic bacteria and bad smells.

In a later post, I did mention the three reputed issues with meat
that I had found by googling:
1. Pests == it attracts them (but I live in the scrub anyway)
2. Smells == it stinks (but mine doesn't but it's a dry environment here)
3. Chemistry == unstated problems (but I'd have no obvious way to tell)

If you really think you need to compost meat, you should be burying
deeper. You may not have pests yet, but rats are going to be attracted
and digging a foot down should be no problem for a rat.

For some reason, I'm not sure what the fuss is about a bunch of
animals who are already running wild every day in the chaparral.

A coyote can easily dig a foot down - and this place is teaming
with them, as evidenced by the howls at night and the scat droppings
at their latrines, which existed long before I arrived, and which will
be here long after I'm gone. If I attract coyotes or rats, I don't
really see the problem since they live here anyway and they must be
eating something day in and day out - as my puny compost wouldn't keep
these animals alive all by itself.

So, I'll keep the meat proscription in mind; but for now, I'll
continue on the path of all table scraps, until/unless something
goes wrong.

Note: The last compost method had daily doses of urine dumped in it
and *that* stunk like a bathroom in NYC; so I discontinued that
particular practice of adding nitrogen.

On Thu, 09 May 2013 17:56:30 +0200, nestork wrote:

Here's an easy way to turn and aerate your compost:
http://conflictedracer.files.wordpre...ost-barrel.jpg

I had to laugh when I saw that!
It's ugly - but ingenious!

I expect a grizzly would just consider that a challenge

I do live in California, the bear state; but I think the
biggest predator we have out here are the mountain lions.

Danny D writes:

On Thu, 09 May 2013 10:48:54 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

You should have found mention of anaerobic bacteria and bad smells.

In a later post, I did mention the three reputed issues with meat
that I had found by googling:
1. Pests == it attracts them (but I live in the scrub anyway)
2. Smells == it stinks (but mine doesn't but it's a dry environment here)
3. Chemistry == unstated problems (but I'd have no obvious way to tell)

If you really think you need to compost meat, you should be burying
deeper. You may not have pests yet, but rats are going to be attracted
and digging a foot down should be no problem for a rat.

For some reason, I'm not sure what the fuss is about a bunch of
animals who are already running wild every day in the chaparral.

Feed those wild animals and find out what the fuss is.

Coyotes probably not an issue.
Rats, are an issue. Feed a family of rats and find out how many you
will have in 2 years.

--
Dan Espen

On Wed, 8 May 2013 03:18:16 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

My first composting method was a disaster but this second generation
improved method seems to be working well enough to tell you what
it is and to ask about suggestions for improvement.

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12877414.jpg

1. A closeable container sits in the kitchen corner
2. Foodstuffs go into the container instead of in the trash
3. After about a week, we dump the food onto a fenced-in area
4. We chop the food into the soil for about a minute or so
5. This breaks large chunks into small pieces for faster breakdown
6. And it thoroughly 'infects' the foodstuff with soil bacteria
7. After a minute of chopping, the food is barely noticeable
8. Then we shovel a thin layer of soil on top to keep away birds
9. The fence & soil, we found, keeps cyotes & vultures away
10. We spray with water, often daily, to aid bacterial growth
11. We wash the plastic (and sometimes disinfect with chlorine)
12. And the cycle starts anew, with foodstuffs in the kitchen

We've found that we can't even find the food after just a few
weeks, although before we fenced it in, the cyotes, vultures,
or whatever would dig up the chicken bones, fish skins, etc.

Any ideas or suggestions or comments are welcome.

I once had a pint or so of spoiled milk, and dumped it on my
compost pile.

Two days later, a neighbor called to tell me that something
aparently had died in my yard, and was stinking up the
place. When I got within a few yards of the pile, I got the
intense urge to vomit. I got a fork and broke open the
pile, and there was a lump, about the size of a beach-ball,
that was highly animated with the squirming of thousands of
maggots. The smell was, well, the smell of death. Even
after spreading it all out to dry, it took more than a week
for the smell to dissipate.

I don't put milk in my compost pile anymore.

--
croy

On Wed, 08 May 2013 18:50:17 -0500, Fat-Dumb and Happy
wrote:

one word... pathogens, some say the reason for the human population
explosion is due more to sanitation than anything else.. but that's
like saying what was the most important factor in winning a war.
keep googling, energy cycle, nitrogen cycle, food chain, food cycle..
when you get all done, dig a hole and bury it and run the kitchen water
out in the yard. There is a reason the grass is greener over the
lateral lines of a septic tank system.

Water.

a starter,...
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/X9199E/X9199E04.htm

On Thu, 9 May 2013 17:11:43 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:


You should have found mention of anaerobic bacteria and bad smells.

In a later post, I did mention the three reputed issues with meat
that I had found by googling:
1. Pests == it attracts them (but I live in the scrub anyway)
2. Smells == it stinks (but mine doesn't but it's a dry environment here)
3. Chemistry == unstated problems (but I'd have no obvious way to tell)

I'm of the school to keep animal fats out of the compost or garden.
Fats, lard and oils are not what a rose bush wants or needs.

Fish is not the same as pork or beef. I've buried whole carp in a
garden -- ~14' tomato plants, fruit weighing a pound. Cherry tomatoes
silver dollar size.

If you live near a river that has flooded, get some muck & silt from
the boat ramps. Toss that in the garden ...best garden I ever had.

Things not to compost:

-- begin quote

.. Yard trimmings or grass clippings treated with pesticides.
They may kill the beneficial organisms in the compost pile
or later in your garden.

.. Weeds, if the pile will not be hot enough to kill the seeds.

.. Diseased or insect?]infested plant parts. The diseases or
insects may be transferred to the soil with the compost.

.. Parts of any plant known to contain poisons or toxins,
such as black walnut.

.. Too much of any plant that contains tannins or resins that
inhibit decomposition, such as junipers, pine, spruce,
arborvitae, oak or cottonwood.

.. Charcoal ash, as this may contain substances harmful to
plants.

.. Fireplace ashes, since they have a very high pH, as do our
native soils. High pH levels can result in nutrient
deficiencies and other plant problems.

.. Fats, grease, lard or oils. These do not break down quickly
and may attract pests, vermin, dogs or large carnivores.

.. Meat or fish bones or scraps.

.. Dairy products.

.. Pet wastes, such as dog or cat feces or soiled cat litter.
They may contain parasites, bacteria or viruses harmful
to humans.

.. Swine or other omnivore wastes. They also may contain
parasites, bacteria or viruses harmful to humans.

-- end quote
http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/2009/fs0916.pdf#search="compost"

On Thu, 9 May 2013 17:56:30 +0200, nestork
wrote:

Danny:

Here's an easy way to turn and aerate your compost:

[image:
http://conflictedracer.files.wordpre...st-barrel.jpg]

Clever idea.

On Thu, 09 May 2013 13:20:49 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Coyotes probably not an issue.
Rats, are an issue.
Feed a family of rats and find out how many you will have

I do appreciate the admonition, as experience trumps guessing.

I do have rats, although I just did a check of my traps for
you just now, and the only thing I found was a live lizard in
the furnace closet that I had to shoo out to keep it away from
the peanut butter in the otherwise empty traps.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12890521.gif

BTW, if my lessons learned are of any use, these traps that
I inherited from the previous owner are nearly useless:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12890550.jpg

That yellow plastic trigger has far too many false snaps,
especially while setting them (I've caught my finger more
than once in the damn things).

These all-steel trap mechanisms are much better (IMHO):
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12890533.jpg

They have a much more securely held trigger that is much
easier to set. If I ever buy new rat traps (the previous owner
had dozens of them around the house), it's gonna be no plastic
for me! Lesson learned.

On Thu, 09 May 2013 10:23:10 -0700, croy wrote:

The smell was, well, the smell of death.
I don't put milk in my compost pile anymore.

I understand. Luckily, I can't even 'see' my neighbor,
let alone smell something from his compost heap.

It's pretty airy here, and the winds are ferocious
(100MPH gusts are normal) coming off the Pacific Ocean,
so, smells aren't going to be a problem for me.

But, it's good advice for those who live within
shouting distance of their neighbors...

On Thu, 9 May 2013 18:20:53 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

On Thu, 09 May 2013 10:23:10 -0700, croy wrote:

The smell was, well, the smell of death.
I don't put milk in my compost pile anymore.

I understand. Luckily, I can't even 'see' my neighbor,
let alone smell something from his compost heap.

It's pretty airy here, and the winds are ferocious
(100MPH gusts are normal) coming off the Pacific Ocean,
so, smells aren't going to be a problem for me.


True. That trash blows across the desert and lands in Las Vegas.

But, it's good advice for those who live within
shouting distance of their neighbors...

.... fence off Nevada from California - call it a border fence. Tell
'em Oren sent ya!

UPDATE:

I followed your advice, and added the new steps of "turning"
and "aerating" the compost pile.

The turning is done by digging with a shovel to turn the soil;
and the aeration is by chopping with this "chopping tool"
(what is it properly called?).

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12900785.jpg

On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

On 5/12/2013 11:52 AM, Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

....

Keep it up and you can be sure rats and other _will_ find it. A day or
two isn't long for new food sources to be discovered but rest assured it
will be found if it's kept up.

--

Danny D writes:

R On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a
real compost pile:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly
broken down.

--
Dan Espen

On Sun, 12 May 2013 12:46:22 -0500, dpb wrote:

you can be sure rats and other _will_ find it.

The holes in the fencing are big enough for rats
to get through, so, if/when they find the compost,
I'll see some evidence of that, I hope.

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12918527.jpg

On Sun, 12 May 2013 13:51:11 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

you might appreciate a real compost pile:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

Wow. I wish I had that much compost!

Danny D writes:

On Sun, 12 May 2013 13:51:11 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

you might appreciate a real compost pile:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

Wow. I wish I had that much compost!

Only if you really like exercise.

1 years leaves pile up much higher than that.

--
Dan Espen

On Sun, 12 May 2013 20:36:40 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Only if you really like exercise.

I have a lot of Spanish & Scotch Broom, which I pull out
(Scotch Broom) by the hundreds, and I cut & glyphosate
(Spanish Broom) by the scores; but I don't want to compost
that so I put them in the green recycling bins.

It takes a few months because each bin only holds about
an hour's worth of cuttings; yet I generally cut for
four or five hours at a time.

But, other than that, I don't have compost since I'm in
a windy location exposed to the Pacific Ocean winds, which
do all my leaf raking for me during the winter storms!



Of course, it all ends up in the pool ...

Dan Espen said

Danny D writes:

R On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a
real compost pile:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly
broken down.


Wow, the wife would never tolerate that pile. I had to pitch a fit to
get two 4" square bins accepted. :-)

DirtBag writes:

Dan Espen said

Danny D writes:

R On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a
real compost pile:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly
broken down.

Wow, the wife would never tolerate that pile. I had to pitch a fit to
get two 4" square bins accepted. :-)

The pile isn't visible from the rest of the yard.

You can't make compost in 4 inch bins. Well you can, but you can
turn the compost over with a teaspoon.

--
Dan Espen

Dan Espen wrote:
DirtBag writes:

Dan Espen said

Danny D writes:

On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a
real compost pile:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly
broken down.

Wow, the wife would never tolerate that pile. I had to pitch a fit
to get two 4" square bins accepted. :-)

The pile isn't visible from the rest of the yard.

You can't make compost in 4 inch bins. Well you can, but you can
turn the compost over with a teaspoon.

It wouldn't get very hot would it.

D

David Hare-Scott said

Dan Espen wrote:
DirtBag writes:

Dan Espen said

Danny D writes:

On Wed, 08 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400, Norminn wrote:

"Attracting rodents" is reason #1, #2 and #3!

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost,
I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915025.jpg

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals
digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12915027.jpg

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a
real compost pile:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12915722.jpg

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly
broken down.

Wow, the wife would never tolerate that pile. I had to pitch a fit
to get two 4" square bins accepted. :-)

The pile isn't visible from the rest of the yard.

You can't make compost in 4 inch bins. Well you can, but you can
turn the compost over with a teaspoon.

It wouldn't get very hot would it.

D

Hmmmm, maybe that's my problem. Too small! :-) (oops)

On Tue, 14 May 2013 23:10:18 +0000, DirtBag wrote:

Hmmmm, maybe that's my problem. Too small! (oops)

I took all your advice to heart, and added two more
steps to my composting sequence:

1. I now rake the compost over a larger area than before
(in order to aerate it and allow bacteria their freedom).
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13002068.jpg

2. I disinfect the compost bin in the kitchen with chlorine
(to keep the mold away, which has been happening lately).
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13002075.jpg

PS: The wife has been complaining about the smell of the pool
chlorine in the kitchen; so I have to clean it at night.