| Author | Content |
dave
Jacksonville, TX
(Zone 8a)
 February 25, 2008
5:50 AM Post #4585186
| There are a total of 382 votes:
| I add to my outdoor compost pile all year long
(268 votes, 70%) |  |
| My compost pile is active only in the summer
(45 votes, 11%) | |
| I have an indoor worm bin
(11 votes, 2%) | |
| Other?
(58 votes, 15%) | |
|
Previous Polls |
drsaul
Hereford, TX
(Zone 7a)
February 25, 2008
7:42 AM Post #4585294
| I have an indoor worm bin, 3 in fact and my worms are eating machines!! |
maggidew
Big Sandy, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
8:00 AM Post #4585314
| We live out in the country but near a gated community where the residents rake leaves, bag them and (sadly) send the to a community burn pile, except for those my husband picks up and brings home. His compost pile is generally about 30 feet across and 10 feet high by the time the leaf raking season has finished.
He doesn't turn the pile, he just digs into the center and uses the 'cooked' part when we are planting new items in the flower/ornamental garden and later, when the rains stop he uses the partially composted leaves to mulch for moisture conservation.
We are now using off the 2007 pile even as he is building the 2008 pile. We started gardening here about 10 years ago on red clay and iron ore rock. I have used gypsum every year to help break up the clay and with the addition of the compost we finally have soil that is workable and that the plants can really dig into.
|
Sheila_FW
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
8:21 AM Post #4585356
| Wow Maggi, that means you must have a lot of land to work with. I have rescued some leaves that have been mulched and bagged to start mine in the fall. We are big veggie and fruit eaters and I save trimmings in the freezer and dump each weekend when I turn the compost pile all year. I add coffee grounds too but not many. I also have a tumbler type that I turn as often as I remember, it is a lot more user friendly. I need to go back and read the list of usable items again because I am sure there is a lot I am tossing that I should be saving for the pile.
I need to find out about a inside worm bin too ...interesting. |
Resin
Northumberland
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 9a)
February 25, 2008
9:20 AM Post #4585505
|
| Quoted: | | my worms are eating machines |
What machines are they eating??
|
Terry
Murfreesboro, TN
(Zone 7a)
February 25, 2008
9:31 AM Post #4585540
| *snort* Ahhh, the foibles of the English language.
I got a compost tumbler for my birthday, and it's now assembled, full of leaves, and I'm adding our household veggie scraps and other compostable waste to it.
We have several large trees on our property, so we accumulate a good bit of leaves each fall. I've done the big piles in the past, but a hernia surgery has left me leery of trying to hand-turn them, so this will let me keep on composting without re-injuring myself. |
kimarj
(Kim) Philadelphi, PA
(Zone 6a)
February 25, 2008
9:36 AM Post #4585547
| I get piles of leaf compost at my recycling center...great stuff :) |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
9:53 AM Post #4585601
| No turning on wet leaves here, the tractor/bushhog shred them wonderfully. I also do some powertilling turning some into the soil. |
AYankeeCat
Fairfield County, CT
(Zone 6b)
February 25, 2008
9:58 AM Post #4585616
| Everything goes in the compost pile or the homemade tumbler including the stuffings from my kitchen chairs when I reupholstered them (excelsior and linters). I just dig at the bottom of the pile when I want compost to use in the garden. |
laurawege
Wayland, MA
(Zone 6a)
February 25, 2008
10:22 AM Post #4585680
| I voted that I add all year round . I used to have a worm bin and it was great , I should get one started again
laura |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
10:39 AM Post #4585750
| How warm does a worm bin need to be kept? |
Terry
Murfreesboro, TN
(Zone 7a)
February 25, 2008
10:45 AM Post #4585795
| That would be a great question for the vermicomposting forum here: [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] |
mgh
Willamette Valley, OR
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
11:27 AM Post #4586011
| Other. No room for a compost pile here. |
ga_peach
Jefferson, GA
(Zone 7b)
February 25, 2008
11:50 AM Post #4586113
| I would just die if I had worms in my house. I can't even stand the crickets outside let alone worms in my house. And what do you feed them? |
jeri11
Central, LA
(Zone 8b)
February 25, 2008
12:17 PM Post #4586218
| I really have no idea if mine is active during the winter or not, because I hibernate until the weather warms up!!! |
lavender4ever
(Louise) Otoe, NE
(Zone 5a)
February 25, 2008
12:24 PM Post #4586246
| I said other. I pit compost right in the plant beds. I really hate turning compost! |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 25, 2008
12:44 PM Post #4586322
| Compost all year 'round here. No turning in the winter though. The pile freezes. I just throw stuff on top anyway. |
randbponder
Hornick, IA
(Zone 4b)
February 25, 2008
1:16 PM Post #4586471
| I went with add all year. It freezes solid in the winter, but by the time it warms up enough to start planting in the garden, the compost bin seems to have done its job. I toss in everything that will turn to a nice rich compost. No meat scraps though. We have a very tame neighborhood cat that gives thanks for those.
Shredded paper even the slick pages, grass clippings, small twigs after run through the shredder chipper. I have no need for a garbage service, as I recycle every thing else.
I would like to try vermicomposting too but don't have room in the house. I would have to make a place I could keep warm in the winter for them outside or in the garage. |
alicemv
Aquebogue, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 25, 2008
4:16 PM Post #4587100
| I also sdd to the compost all year. I can't seem to just "throw out" future soil additive.
When the weather warms and I can turn my 2 piles of compost I will add some lime.
During the fall when I'm raking leaves I add a lot of leaves to the compost and turn them under.
It's like gold for the flower beds. Very much a part of the organic gardening I practice. |
margaran
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
February 25, 2008
6:08 PM Post #4587559
| I voted other because I have an indoor worm bin and compost all year round outside.
Maggie
|
drsaul
Hereford, TX
(Zone 7a)
February 25, 2008
6:55 PM Post #4587714
|
| Quoted: | | How warm does a worm bin need to be kept? |
40°-80°f |
margaran
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
February 25, 2008
8:19 PM Post #4588090
| As above but what is comfortable to us is wonderful for them 65-75.
Maggie |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 25, 2008
9:45 PM Post #4588503
| Thanks Dr Saul and Maggie! I hadn't made it to the vermicomposting forum yet. Seems there are too many forums for me to make the rounds. I will tour it though. Thanks much, pod |
dmj1218
west Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
February 25, 2008
9:47 PM Post #4588517
| sheet compost here---mulch, mulch, and more mulch. Can't have too much mulch down here--I just bury the small stuff in the mulch. |
margaran
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
February 25, 2008
9:54 PM Post #4588540
| I think mulch IS compost!
Maggie |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
February 25, 2008
10:23 PM Post #4588656
| Other. I add to it whenever I can or remember. :~) |
FoxtailFavPalm
Palm Bay, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 25, 2008
11:27 PM Post #4588964
| Other here... and sadly no compost pile at all. I would really like to start one without all of the extra equipment! How can i start one? |
AnalogDog
Mountlake Terrace, WA
(Zone 8a)
February 26, 2008
12:05 AM Post #4589119
| I have a compost pile going under the deck of my suburban 0.19 acre lot. Mostly it is weeds, grass clippings, autumn leaves, and dog poo. I don't have any vegetable gardens, and it is digested well, so the dog poo from all over the yard goes in.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and as the air temps drop, so does the compost activity. The fall leaves basically spend the winter becoming leaf mold, then are added in the spring as the pile starts to heat up. The first lawn mowing in March or April seems to really wake things up, as does some Dr. Earth Compost starter.
Last year I got some horse manure, but it has been a mixed blessing, as it was very dry when I got it, and it has not really provided any quick nutrition to the pile.
I also have a worm bin that is run by benign neglect. It sits out by the compost pile, and gets vegetable trimmings in the summer, but they live most of the winter on shots of compost and some leaves. I water it every couple of months in the winter, and about daily in the summer. It seems to have a good bit of vermipost in it right now, and I will probably work to move them from it this spring as it warms up.
Rob
|
sannajane
Eureka, CA
February 26, 2008
1:17 AM Post #4589356
| I voted other because I too have both an outdoor compost bin AND an indoor worm bin... :o)
Sanna |
greenbrain
Madison, IL
(Zone 6a)
February 26, 2008
8:18 AM Post #4589802
| I would love to have a compost bin, but my town has a city ordinance against composting. Probably because somebody had a nasty stinky compost pile that was attracting rodents. Ruined it for everyone else.
If you are able to compost, cherish it and keep it neat. I'm now into lasagna gardening. I've considered vermiculture, but I have a large nightcrawler population in my garden that live in the lasagna beds. |
ViolaAnn
Ottawa, ON
(Zone 5a)
February 26, 2008
8:39 AM Post #4589874
| greenbrain - you need to start a group to educate your city fathers. How backward thinking of them not to allow composting.
I voted "other". My compost is buried under a metre of snow and not accessible in the winter. But we put a couple of old garbage bins in our screened porch for the winter and dump the kitchen waste out there. In the spring it gets dumped onto the compost piles along with some of the autumn leaves which didn't fit in the autumn and were stored in bags.
Most non-animal waste goes onto the compost except for woody trimmings or those full of weed seeds. During the gardening season, we have city garden waste pick-up every second week. The city composts it and I suspect their piles get hotter than mine because of volume.
There are also a couple of pilot projects to collect kitchen waste which WILL include meat scraps and bones, etc. They want to divert all that from our regular garbage if possible.
Ann |
noobiegardener
Glen Burnie, MD
(Zone 7a)
February 26, 2008
9:50 AM Post #4590080
| I've never composted before but I am going to begin this year. I am just going to make a pile right next to my garden. I don't have any trees in my yard, but I get enough leaves in my yard from all of my neighbors' trees that I have plenty to work with. There is a pile stacked up against the fence that I didn't mulch and put in my garden specifically because I am going to start a compost pile with it! I can't wait!
|
Hillbilly_Gran
Lead Hill, AR
(Zone 6B)
February 26, 2008
10:02 AM Post #4590122
| I voted other--I have an outdoor worm bin that I add to year round. I add veggie scraps and cover it with leaves/plant matter in warmer weather. I collect all depleted potting soil from my greenhouse and save it to cover the additions in the winter. The whole thing is constructed of cinder block, filled with stryfoam peanuts, this topped with a 3" sheet of stryo & plywood. I remove the lid when it rains. |
sallyg
Anne Arundel Co., MD
(Zone 7a)
February 26, 2008
10:23 AM Post #4590202
| all year~~
and doing more volume this year thanks to neighbor's bagged clippings in fall. We have a dog now so I 'have ' to go outside in the yard everyday and toss the pile around. Then other neighbor is grinding up old wood, and offered me a big pile of that. When it rains it pours yard waste here. |
Pamgarden
Central, VA
(Zone 7b)
February 26, 2008
4:08 PM Post #4591730
| AnalogDog, I thought about composting under the deck but was concerned about high moisture levels. Last year, even though there was considerable drought and everything was dry, we noticed lots of mosquitoes. The only place there was moist ground was under the newly-built deck. Of course run off from rain and snow will percolate down into the soil, but if we were to cover it with decomposing organic matter, wouldn't that make it more attractive to those pesky skeeters, and possibly to termites? |
FlowrLady
Olive Branch, MS
(Zone 7b)
February 26, 2008
4:13 PM Post #4591759
| All year for me... I've got three of them going right now, not very big, but three. ;) |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
February 26, 2008
4:24 PM Post #4591810
| Wanted to start one this year. |
CapeCodGardener
Mid-Cape, MA
(Zone 7a)
February 26, 2008
8:33 PM Post #4593032
| I voted "other" because I have three plastic compost bins in the back yard, plus two Bokashi pails in my mud-room. I just keep tossing vegetative kitchen waste all year out into my bins, along with the usual grass clippings, leaves, and yard waste. in season. I had thought that nothing much was happening in the freezes of Jan-Feb here, but when I dug down to layer in some of my Bokashi pickled compost, I found tons of earthworms in the center of the bins! Boy, did that make me happy.
Anyway, the beauty of the Bokashi method is that it composts meat, fish, and dairy as well as the usual vegetative matter. So currently I have two composting processes going.
|
Hineni
Appalachian Mtns, SW, VA
(Zone 6b)
February 27, 2008
12:56 PM Post #4596241
| I have both, compost and worm bin. Gotta get that bokashi thing going, it really sounds awesome! |
dmj1218
west Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
February 27, 2008
1:54 PM Post #4596504
| Hey CapeCod--elaborate on those Bokashi buckets please. =)
Debbie |
guavadelite
Wahiawa, HI
February 27, 2008
8:12 PM Post #4598043
| Hi Gardening Buddies,
I am new and live in Hawaii. Last summer, I started a compost bin that I made outside out of a big plastic storage container w/ a lid. I drilled holes on all sides, top & bottom for aeration... I collected about 2 dozen worms from around my yard and threw them in. (I got all the info from martha stewart's website.) I throw in kitchen scraps (fruit & veggie peels, cores, tea bags, coffee grounds & eggshells), dry leaves, fresh cuttings & some damp newspaper (on the bottom). It doesn't smell bad at all. I add to it regularly and take from the bottom when I need some compost.
Almost a year later I've got excellent compost; my roses are thriving with the compost boost & the worms have multiplied greatly!
My kids and I do it together as a family project. It's fun, easy, helps the garden and benefits the earth... why not do it?
|
drumlin
Prospect, CT
(Zone 6a)
February 27, 2008
8:39 PM Post #4598184
| It looks like several of the posters have those rolling compost bins where you put kitchen scraps in. Are they really worth the $200? How long does it take to actually have what goes in become something that resembles compost? Do you need to keep putting water in, or do the kitchen scraps provide enough moisture? I don't think I'd put worms in the bin, though, I'd be afraid I'd cook them. |
sallyg
Anne Arundel Co., MD
(Zone 7a)
February 27, 2008
8:43 PM Post #4598205
| You can read plenty of opinions on compost tumblers in the Soil and Composting Forum. I think most people who have another option choose not to use the tumbler. |
alicemv
Aquebogue, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 27, 2008
8:56 PM Post #4598262
| Welcome, guavadelite! Good job with your composting bin. An easy solution for lots of gold for the plants!
I have an old wooden bin that was given to me years ago, although I don't have it in enough sun. But it works fine. I also have an out of the way spot where I have a second pile of compost, that I've been supplying with scraps this year. I usually rotate my compost pile and bin. |
mellielong
Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 27, 2008
9:30 PM Post #4598388
| I started composting last year. I had my dad build me a three-bin system using lumber, screws, staples and mesh screen. He even fashioned a "sifter" that fits on top of the bin! Since I'm in FL, I can (and do) compost year round. It's so hot and humid here, we can produce compost in record time. We need it too, as my "soil" is pretty much nothing but sand.
I'm starting my first vegetable garden this spring and I'm primarily using my compost to fill the raised beds where I will plant my vegetables. My compost is made up of weeds, trimming, sawdust (Dad's a woodworker), kitchen scraps, and I just got a source for horse manure. Any invasive species get thrown out (I've got a skunkvine problem). I've got lots of worms, and when I sift my compost, I always make sure to pick them up and throw them back in the pile. Dad was watching me fill the beds with my compost and said mine rivaled any he had ever seen. I'm so excited!
I can't imagine a city banning compost bins or piles. A huge amount of yard waste goes into city landfills, and you would think they would want to reduce that in any way possible. Maybe one day they'll see the light.
Here's some of my finished "product".
Melanie
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
svplantingfool
South Venice, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 28, 2008
9:58 AM Post #4600092
| All year here too :-)
Melanie, what's skunkvine?
Cathy |
Allie88
Palmyra, PA
(Zone 6a)
February 28, 2008
10:47 AM Post #4600292
| I do not have time to even think about that right now in my life. |
MarilynneS
Thunder Bay Ontario
(Canada)
(Zone 3a)
February 28, 2008
11:30 AM Post #4600530
| Even though we FREEZE UP here in Northern Canada .. all veggie scaps and fruit peels and leftovers are taken out to the composter.
Every so often a few litres of HOT HOT water is required to get the lid off .. but .. as odd as this sounds .. I do think the already active compost from late summer and fall are creating enough 'heat' to keep the new scraps from mounding up and therefore not allowing the lid to be put back on .. amazing how nature works :-)
We get black bears (May to Sept) going after the composter .. but not that often .. they usually swipe at the lid .. but the lid has a type of 'locking' mechanism built in .. kinda like a 'turn and twist'. So far only one bear has been able to completely knock it over .. and I can honestly say that he wasn't all that impressed by the contents LoL .. I guess a mouthfull of rotted lettuce with an egg shell chaser wasn't what he was looking for !!!!
~M~ |
CapeCodGardener
Mid-Cape, MA
(Zone 7a)
February 28, 2008
12:02 PM Post #4600723
|
| Quoted: | Hey CapeCod--elaborate on those Bokashi buckets please. =)
Debbie |
Sure, Debbie--there's a great introductory article by our own barksie, which appeared Sept. 30, 2007 in DG. This is what got me started in the process.
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
There's also a very informative thread on the Soil and Compost Forum:
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
|
EMEric
Tucson, AZ
February 28, 2008
12:09 PM Post #4600772
| I've tried worms and killed them when I tried to keep them in a bin. Instead I let them go in the garden.
I don't compost anymore since I have learned the bokashi method and I also use EM1 directly on the materials while they are in the ground. This eliminates the whole turning process, adds in organic matter, and also adds live microbes...lots and lots of them.
There are topics in Dave's just on EM and on bokashi. |
Dean_W
Cedar Park, TX
(Zone 8b)
February 28, 2008
12:20 PM Post #4600823
| I voted other- I have compost bins I add to all year and recently started an indoor worm bin. |
MaryE
Baker City, OR
(Zone 5b)
February 28, 2008
8:42 PM Post #4602645
| My kitchen scraps are added to a compost tumbler all winter. The contents freeze solid at times but it keeps the critters out and will start to work breaking everything down as soon as the weather warms enough. I turned it over yesterday and heard a solid "THUNK" so it will be a while, but today's temperature was a balmy 55! Yipee! I'm so tired of winter. |
mellielong
Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 28, 2008
9:48 PM Post #4602953
| Cathy,
Skunk vine is an evil invasive vine that cannot be stopped. I'm very careful not to put anything invasive in my compost as I just don't want to take the chance of it not being destroyed.
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Melanie |
svplantingfool
South Venice, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 28, 2008
9:53 PM Post #4602988
| Yikes!
Thanks for the info Melanie. I'd never heard of it, and I'm really glad I've never met it!
Cathy |
GreenThumbsTN
Chattanooga, TN
February 29, 2008
4:46 PM Post #4605748
| maggiedew, when i read your post i had to smile! my husband also gathers up all the leaf bags the neighbors put out. he even makes the rounds and passes out those huge black bags to anyone willing to let him come and pick them up full later. he also collects coffee grounds weekly from one of the local coffee places.
our garden started as mostly tennessee chirt with a little georgia clay mixed in. hubby has been composting for years and we're slowly making progress. we have a 3 bin system (my favorite as it creates large volumes and is easy to use); a tumbler (i tend to forget to crank the handle and so does hubby); one of those tubs where you add on top and take out at the bottom (ok); a free form pile (a bit messy) and a worm bin in the basement (my plants love the worm compost).
we put everything but animal and paper products in the compost, i use the paper (newspapers, cardboard, junkmail) separately under the mulch. it suppresses the weeds and turns into dirt after a season or two. |
Dyson
Moneta, VA
(Zone 7a)
February 29, 2008
4:56 PM Post #4605781
| If it does not "break - down" when it is cold, well it will when the weather warms, Right?
My dissapointment is the amount of refuse my household produces which is not compostable and has to go to the land fill (ie plastics) verses the amount I can be composting and this will be a priorty project of mine. |
EMEric
Tucson, AZ
February 29, 2008
5:27 PM Post #4605897
| Dyson,
You have to plan ahead by making purchases that allow for recycling as much as possible. I can see the difference between our house and the others on the street during garbage day. We often skip pick up for 1-3 weeks and we are a family of 4. It is amazing at what can be done when you plan. |
Dyson
Moneta, VA
(Zone 7a)
February 29, 2008
6:20 PM Post #4606099
| I need to get more serious about this and build an actual bin (or two or more) instead of useing a pile (current platform). - Thanks folks! |
mellielong
Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 29, 2008
8:05 PM Post #4606393
| Dyson, that's a great way to think. Today I was at the office making my cup of tea when I thought about how every day I throw two sugar packets and a stir stick in the trash. This weekend I'm buying loose sugar to put in an airtight container and I'm going to bring a spoon to work. Every little bit helps, right?
Melanie |
Dyson
Moneta, VA
(Zone 7a)
February 29, 2008
8:17 PM Post #4606431
| Where I have the current pile, if I put light materials on it, they get blown into my neighbors yard. This is not an exceptable situation. I will work on building a true "bin" in the morning. Melanie, thinking like yours is inspiranitonal. (ok I can not spell you'll get the gist, right?) |
EMEric
Tucson, AZ
February 29, 2008
8:27 PM Post #4606470
| Dyson,
I built some crude bins in the past with some shipping pallets. Since they are slotted, it is really easy to slide boards in between them to keep them together. The slots also allow air to pass in.
A huge change in waste production is the way we cook. Buying an entire chicken and cutting it up, freezing in reusable containers eliminates those styrofoam plates and the plastic wrap.
My wife commented the other day on how she couldn't believe so many people use sandwich bags every day. We reuse cottage cheese containers and yogurt containers until they break. They work just as good at other resealable containers and are usually number 1 or 2 plastic, which is recyclable everywhere in the country.
When buying items in the store, look at the bottom if they are number 5 or higher, don't buy them because more than likely you can't recycle the container.
Another thing is to get a metal screen coffee filter. Don't use the paper ones. I have been using the same one...and the same coffee pot (a wedding gift)...for 13 years! Wow! It has been that long already!
I am sure you all have other tips...
|
Dyson
Moneta, VA
(Zone 7a)
February 29, 2008
9:10 PM Post #4606607
| We have been using a metal screen coffee filter for a long time and have been impressed with not only the waste reduction but also the lower cost than buying paper filters every couple of months (we drink a lot of coffee).
Great tips ... keep em coming over at :
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] |
mellielong
Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 29, 2008
9:22 PM Post #4606659
| The employees of one of the sections at work decided they would each bring in their own plate and utensils. That way, when we have luncheons or breakfasts (which we do a lot!) they wouldn't have to use paper plates and plastic utensils.
Melanie |
gregster
San Francisco, CA
March 1, 2008
3:22 AM Post #4607784
| San Francisco picks up compostable matter in a separate bin and compost it and sells it to farmers to use on organically grown produce. I like this system because it gives you a separate bin for yard waste and keeps the small amount in your garbage (non compostable, not recyclable) from getting smelly. |
Dean_W
Cedar Park, TX
(Zone 8b)
March 1, 2008
3:20 PM Post #4609351
| gregster,
I've seen a program on what San Fransico was doing and it was neat. They are recyling alot of material and it produced great compost.
|
imapigeon
Gilroy, CA
(Zone 9a)
March 1, 2008
6:27 PM Post #4610076
| 2 paper shredders
1 outdoor worm bin
5 outdoor compost bins
2 happy robin families that return every spring
|
mommie
Weslaco, TX
(Zone 9b)
March 6, 2008
5:11 PM Post #4630614
| I don't really do any composting'I have a neighbor who thinks it draws rats. Thus no compost. I do throw a few pieces of garbage in the garden once in a while & quickly cover it with soil. |
MaryE
Baker City, OR
(Zone 5b)
March 8, 2008
5:01 PM Post #4638964
| mommie, does your neighbor need to know everything you do? I would find a place and a way to hide it. |
