Want to try composting. Head spinning. Help!

OK, I'm not panicking that badly, but I'm definitely overwhelmed. I've browsed these forums and hunted around online. Seems like there are a million opinions on the best systems, effort involved, etc.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)

Here are the details (sorry for the length)...

--I'm in northeast NJ (zone 6).

--The soil tends towards acidic (not overtly).

--The previous owners had "prepared" garden beds. I put that in quotes, because basically they just removed sod and added a thin layer of soil and mulch. Most of this was done around trees. In the largest area, the trees are now gone, along with the biggest roots. However, small roots and various sized rocks make digging a royal PITA almost everywhere. In some of the beds, there's some very nice loam. Unfortunately in the largest one there's a tangle of small roots under which there's a good deal of clay.

--We have animals galore. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons... you name it. They just love our yard (rolling eyes), and I hate to lure more in.

--We also have to preschool-aged children, and although they're quite well-behaved overall, I'd rather not find them diving with glee into any piles of rotting stuff, lol.

--My husband is very supportive, but I know deep down he cringes on the idea of me spending more money on the garden since we also have a lot of repair work to do on the house. But man alive I NEED to do this to save my sanity.

--The sunny areas of our yard would be perfect for composting, but I know my husband would prefer not to have a big old anything sitting out in the middle of it. I think a bin would have to go on the west side of our house, where it would be fairly well out of sight. That area does get some full sun, but not a ton thanks to our neighbor's tall trees.

I have some serious work do do, but I hate to spend a ton of money purchasing and lugging home lots of amendments. Even if the payoff comes later than I'd prefer, I think composting is the way to go. But I'm just lost as to where to begin!

If you've read this far, thanks. ;)

Be of good cheer! Compost doesn't have to be complicated. :) http://www.compostthis.co.uk/

What kinds of raw materials do you have?

Yes, there's a great deal of stuff on composting on the web, and it can be very confusing. I'd advise you to go to one good source and avoid confusing yourself! You'll probably get loads of suggestions; but I'd recommend http://www.homecomposting.org.uk/ for clear simple advice. It's UK based; but perfectly suitable for your zone.

Yeah, try not to stress. Stuff that falls in the forest rots without anyone, right? It's all good.


Down here, there's a big push towards composting with the idea of keeping anything possible out of the landfill, and if you get better soil, that's a bonus. On the other hand, it sounds like your priority is improving the soil. Either mindset is perfectly fine, just thought I'd make that observation in case it helps you focus the resource materials you are consulting.

If you have a craigslist, that can be a good source of free bin-building materials. Not just used pallets, but people sometimes have small quantities of stone, brick, rebar, etc leftover from a big project, not enough for them to do anything with, but plenty for what you need. Also, some people actually rake up their leaves and then give them away. Gasp!!

I do spot composting. I do have a large composting area in my garden but I spot compost. When I have extra vegetable cutting, I just dig a hole some where in the garden and bury it. The worms move in an make it compost. You do not even need to send the worms an invitation, they come uninvited. I have done it for years and it works. I put spoiled bananas by the rose bushes. They love spoiled bannas. Hope this helps.

I agree with the previous posts - composting doesn't need to be stressful or confusing.

You don't need direct sun so the west side of your yard should be fine. As far as attracting animals, just be sure not to add meat or dairy to your compost pile and your other kitchen scraps can just be buried in the middle of your compost pile and that will cut down on any critters finding them.

As for bins - you can go as cheap as chicken wire or anything else that you can get to hold compost in. Or you can buy a pre-made bin. If you go that route, I'd recommend a Biostack if you can find one online. http://www.amazon.com/Green-Culture-Bio-Stack-Compost-Bin/dp/B000BWJPQC

I forgot to add that I freeze my table, salad and yard trimmings that are small. When I have time I cut the scraps into smaller pieces. I do both before I put them in my compost spot hole or my large bin.

They disintegrate faster after being frozen. The worms are looking for the bacteria put off by the scraps from spoiling not the scraps. Being in Nevada, where it is hot, I have a small garbage can with a lid that has wheels. I fill with dirt, alfalfa pellets, molasses, water and cuttings. Takes about a week to fill 2/3 full. No worms are in the can. Because of our heat, in the summer the cans ingredients are mushy smelly within a week. Looks like soup. I dig a large hole anywhere there is nothing growing and pour it in the hole and cover it up. Actually, I do not do that, my mow and blow guys do that. Actually, the hole does not have to be large. You just need to cover the ingredients to keep out the rats. Also, in the Southwest, we add sulfur to breakup the soil. Because we in the Southwest deal with caliche, which is like a layer of concrete under our soil. It could be 5 feet under but in some places it is 1 foot below the soil. So there are many gardens in the SW in above ground raised beds or containers.

If you do not have a large amount of scraps, you can get them from the grocery stores from their produce departments.. Also coffee grounds from your local coffee pub.

another one to check would be a juice bar in a health-food store or one of those fresh-fruit Smoothie places - lots of pulp for free.

mbenson7, what raw materials do you have?

Thanks for all your replies. I'm anxious to get started. I just love the idea. Keep stuff out of landfill. Save money (instead of buying soil amendments). Help garden. Win-win all around!

PuddlePirate, hmm, that's a good question. Kitchen scraps, including fruit and vegetable (often apple cores, orange peels, carrot tops, and potato peels).

Can you use grain leftovers like bread crusts?

Ash from our wood-burning fireplace.

Garden waste (shrub clippings, leaves, foliage that gets cut-back, etc.).

I heard coffee grinds are good and heaven knows we have those.

Is it true you can use cardboard? We tend to have quite a bit of that. What about junk mail and newspaper?

So I guess the short answer is typical, everyday household and garden waste.

I use cardboard and shredded junk mail in my compost all the time. With the cardboard a lot of people suggest soaking it in water until you can pull it apart easily. The more you tear it into smaller pieces the faster it will decompose.

As for junk mail the only caution I've heard is to be careful about which pieces of mail you use. You wouldn't want to use glossy magazines, for example, or envelopes with plastic windows in them.

And like the cardboard, I would recommend tearing or shredding the junk mail too.

If you try to follow everyone's advise --you cannot do it "right"
If you throw it out in a pile and leave it alone-nature will make it "right"

Vortrecker is right. If you throw organic matter into a pile, it will eventually rot. People who study and practice doing everything just right probably speed up the process and get compost faster, but there's no race. Pile it on, eventually it will rot.

Heat in compost results from the process of working microbes. I really prefer to have my compost in shade. It makes working (playing) there a whole lot more tolerable in summer.

Karen

I think some newbies get disillusioned because you don't just open the lid one day to find something uniformly rotted like it came out of a bag. It takes more time to rot than you probably think, and if you aren't turning it can be drier or wetter in places. The top and sides can be almost unchanged while the center rots.
You really have to have a long view of it.

Sallyg is so right; the deceptively perfect compost that you see magically appearing from the bottom "drawer" of the bin or tumbler in advertisments looks 'way more civilized that what you generally see in your own compost before you've sifted out the larger lumps, rocks, sticks, and the odd garden trowel, marking pen or silicone cupcake cup . . . all of which have been found in MINE, LOL.
And the grinning people in the ads also look 'WAY different from "actual" composters, too. I saw one well-dressed lady model in shorts and high-heels!

I usually don't wait for such perfect looking compost. When it's mostly broken down, and smelling wonderful, I spread it. I rarely sift it, though occasionallly do sift some for flower pots. Most I spread on top of the soil when it's mostly done, throw big obviously unfinished stuff back in the bin.

I don't till. I just mulch with the mostly-finished stuff and let it finish in place.

Karen

Thanks, mbenson7, for starting this thread.

I, also, have many questions about composting & have been reading this, as well as other DG compost related threads with much interest.

I also have clay. My husband built a raised bed a couple of years ago in a slightly sloping area in order to make a level bed & amended it with leaves, organic topsoil, & other organic matter. The soil there is nice & loose, easy to plant in & drains well. Needless to say, the "clay soil" threads also have my interest (I love DG!).

One of the things I've wondered about is: If you are constantly adding items & turning your pile (or tumbling in a plastic bin), it would seem that at some point you'd have both finished & unfinished compost. How do you remove the finished compost without getting fresh scraps mixed in??

Also, have any of you used the various plastic bin-type composters? It might be the best way for me. The very back of my yard, where I would want to do this, tends to get a lot of standing water just after the snow melts & after heavy rains (till the water table drops in Summer). It's kind of the natural slope of the terrain & flows from one property to the next, etc. Not the greatest place to have a compost "pile".

There are obviously many brands & types, but I just saw one recently in the Lee Valley Catalog (great source for garden, woodworking & more!) This particular one has lots of vent holes & also has a place on the bottom that collects compost "tea". Have any of you seen it? I'll have to get a direct link for it, but their website is:

http://www.leevalley.com
The composter is #/CT105

I just don't particularly like the expense of the purchased bins, so it's kind of a trade off.

Hopefully any answers I get will also be helpful to you, mbenson7. I bet there are a lot of us that are confused about composting.

Some folks like their tumblers, but many have trouble with them. See the first "sticky" post on the soil forum for past reviews of different bins and tumblers.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/957317/

Karen

Thanks for your input, Karen.
I'll take some time to read the reviews. I also found your earlier comments to be very helpful, particularly the one about not worrying if the compost was totally broken down.

Do you remove compost from the pile when there are also fresh scraps in there or do you have more than one pile so you can alternate?

I have two Biostack bins. I work one, adding new material, until it's breaking down pretty well. I'll keep that in one bin to mature a little and work on a fresh, new batch in the other bin.

The Biostack is comprised on 3 bottomless tiers which stack. Sometimes I divide them differently to meet my needs. In this picture I most likely had two tiers full of finishing stuff, and 4 tiers of new, composting materials. The system works well for me. Today I spread a batch of almost finished stuff which has been there since last fall. It was 2 tiers full. Now, I'm start working at the new compost for this year in earnest.

Karen

Karens system above gets five stars from me --that is a very neat yet effective way to do it.

Thanks Karen & sallyg.

The Biostack bins really do look to be very versatile & neat. I'd like to read more about them. I appreciate your help.

I like my Biostack so far.

http://brainshavings.com/gardening/2010/05/time-to-get-back-in-the-saddle.htm

I also just take from my pile and sift out anything that has not disappeared. I have a holding garden and that is also my compost area. The holding garden is raised 3 feet and is 40 feet long. I compost is two areas. Adding to one side of the pile while taking out the opposite side. I have so many worms because I have been doing this for years, and the pile is automatically watered with the irrigation system. My frozen, rotted scraps disappear very quickly.

Funny side note, the robins usually come through our area for a few days and then move on. Well two different sets this year have discovered my KOI pond and my worms. I do not have nests but homes on each side have nests and baby robins are about 1 week old tomorrow. Hopefully they will keep their find a secret.

I have two Biostacks, too.

Yesterday, hubby and I turned one into the other. At the bottom of the first one was compost that had not completely broken down. I removed it and mixed it with the soil in a 4x8 raised bed and planted some beans. We layered the balance of the unfinished compost with grass clippings and leaves that had been spread on the lawn and mowed with the grass. On each layer, we sprinkled blood meal.

We left off the cover so the rain could dampen the contents. By fall planting time I should have some finished, or partly finished compost.

Incidentally, our kitchen scraps are added to the "current" pile on a daily basis. Surprisingly, except for an occasional banana skin and some egg shells, the scraps had disappeared!

Composting is not rocket science - just throw in what you have and eventually it will rot!

The photo is of last year's garden, you can see the Biostacks in the background.

Wow! Thanks everyone! The "knowledge" I've gained since discovering this thread is amazing.

The Biostack really has my interest. It sounds & looks so easy. I've been bouncing around to many of the links you've all listed, including the other DG links on composting and bin reviews and compost bins and videos and. . . . . .

My goodness - there are so many links that lead to other links that I could spend weeks just on this subject and now I'm getting really excited about it!

PuddlePirate, your info and You-Tube video were excellent. I will be revisiting that video often.

Karen, thanks for the DG link & the photo of your Biostacks. The picture really shows how nice & neat they look in an actual backyard setting.

Sallyg, thanks for your input on the Biostack as well as your earlier posts.

WormsLoveSharon, I also love your ideas about "spot composting" and freezing scraps to add. I tend to throw deadheaded flowers, end-of-season annuals, container plants, including the soil & occasional fruits and veggies in one area by my garden shed. Sometimes the fruit & veggies get eaten by the birds and critters that frequent our yard and sometimes they don't, but that small area has some really nice looking soil.

So far the links I've checked for the Biostack or Scott's Biostack don't have any in stock. I'm going to do a little web-searching and make a few phone calls to see if anyone has them in stock.

Thanks, HoneybeeNC.
Your post came in while I was typing. Love the pic & the suggestions of grass clippings with leaves. We have a mulching mower & my husband always mulches the leaves & lawn clippings.

I have a question Re: sawdust/shavings. Some of the links mentions sawdust & shavings, but I didn't see anything about whether any types of wood are a problem. My husband is a woodworker & he's been dumping the sawdust & shavings from his "dust collector" into huge plastic bags. We now have about four of these bags.

At first we thought about mixing it into the garden, but I have read that while rotting it could tie up nitrogen. I'm curious how large of a percentage of this could be used in the compost pile & whether any of the varieties could cause a problem.

Most of the wood in the bags is a blend of: Pine, Oak, Mahagony, Maple, Birch & Poplar. Some bags have more or less of the various woods.

Also, is it possible to add small amounts to existing gardens or is it a bad idea?
Thanks.

nutsaboutnature - I'm no expert regarding wood shavings/sawdust, but I too have read that they can rob the soil of nutrients while they decompose.

When I moved into this house, the trees/shrubs were surrounded with a deep layer of wood shavings and cedar mulch. One of the first things I did was remove most of it. I also pulled it away from the base of the trees/shrubs so the roots could breathe.

What was left, I put in a pile and let it break down for three years.. This is the fourth year, and I have now planted that area with ferns and impatients.

My advice would be to put your wood shavings/sawdust in an area and let it break down all by itself. It will turn into beautiful black soil over time - then you can add it to your garden.

Others here at DG may have other suggestions.

Here's a photo of my shade garden

I would use the sawdust as a fine textured 'brown' in my compost. Or I might sprinkle it thinly in various parts of the garden. Mixing it with coffee grounds or fresh grass clippings, about half and half, would give you a quick shot of nice 'compost'.

If you can shoot for about equal volumes of dry brownish stuff and moist greenish stuff added to a bin, you'd do pretty well, Its just that most of us can acquire and store browns much easier than we can greens. Therefore we end up erring on the dry slow decomposing brown side, to avoid the rank 'rotten' slimy green side

The only reason I don't have a Biotack is $. I have a similar 'routine' to what kqcrna does, but I do it with wooden boards the join like Lincoln logs. And instead of trying to wait for completion and harvest all my compost, I try to rotate the location of a bin so I can top it with dirt and plant on it while it continues to break down.

Here's a link that describes the difference between aerobic -v- anerobic composting.

I have read other articles that suggest plants cannot live in compost that has been made by anerobic methods.

Someone needs to tell my plants they cannot live in compost made anaerobically. It works fine, but the process is longer. Sheet composting is what happens out in the forests/woods.meadows, etc. No one is measuring the amounts of one component to another, nor is anyone there to turn it.
I created a huge area in my orchard by layering what I had, when I had it. In other words, it wasn't mixed proportionately, nor was the pile created to any particular set of rules. I had to move the varying components somewhere, I had the space in the orchard (15' x 30'), and I wasn't in a hurry. This "pile" reduced in size by half over a 6 month period, and is beginning it's 3rd year. There have been no ill effects on the plants that bordered it, so I am not concerned. I am moving plants into it this year - it has a multitude of worms & smells wonderful.
Since everything decomposes without our help, I think the only concern might be planting into unfinished compost. I've never done this, but there are many folks that use the lasagna method (layering) & plant in it immediately.
Perhaps other factors are at work, such as toxicity levels of compost components?

I do not compost my banana skins, I bury them by my rose bushes. Read some where roses love them.

Squash, pumpkins and gourds have loved growing on a pile of fall leaveswith a few green amendmendts, that has been halfheartedly worked over the winter as 'compost' then topped with enough dirt to keep the seedlings moist as they root down.

Not sure what Honeybee is thinking about re the caution on anaerobic methods.

Banana skins may have some extra potassium. a whole banana would have more.

I sometimes put out whole bananas. The critters and/or birds eat them.

I did a bunch of reading on Lasagna Gardening yesterday. Very exciting concept if you plan far enough ahead for an area you want to plant. Still doesn't create compost for other areas, but might be fun to try in addition to a bin.

If you place 2"x3" wire fencing around a large area, you can build up the layers as high as the fencing. It reduces in size over time & then you can pilfer compost for other areas, or let it be & plant into it. It really is a dual purpose pile if you have the area.
Another way, IF you have access to LOTS of boxes is to place boxes full of mixed/layered amendments around the perimeter of the area you want to layer. Then layer away inside that box-perimeter. The boxes i used were only about 18" tall, but held up well over the winter & into Spring; also kept it from sloughing off. It looks a bit strange, but no one sees into that part of my orchard.
Folks do get an education when they come over - the questions are funny, and I take a lot of ribbing, but they get an in-depth explanation about feeding the soil. Thoughts to chew on when they leave.
Seems like I get the components at different times, not when convenient to mix together. That's why I started layering. I figured that since it happens in nature, it would work with minor tinkering at my place. I have created several & then spread out what was left after a couple years. Seems to work well & perhaps if we had more warm weather here, the process would occur more rapidly.
Do what you can with what you've got!

I do that with lasagna beds I want to start, too. Not in a box or cage, just layered on the ground. I start by placing cardboard where I want the new bed to be. I place bricks on them to hold in place until I build up. Then I add stuff as I get it- straw, grass clippings, UCGs, fall leaves, whatever. It makes a nice healthy new bed in time.

Karen

Thanks Katye & Karen.
This is so absolutely fascinating - I'm hooked!!!

In the last few days, I have spent many hours reading Soil & Composting threads, links, articles, etc. in DG. That's really saying something because there are so many areas of DG that I love. This subject is addicting.

I never realized there were so many different ways of "composting". Like most gardeners I thought the choices were a traditional compost pile or an expensive "tumbling" device.

What I did discover, on my own, was how adding organic materials to a new raised bed my husband build really changed the structure of the soil. Even dumping a few old plants, deadheaded flowers, food scraps, etc. in a tiny area behind our shed, eventually left a soil that was almost "black" & very rich.

Venturing into the Soil & Compost Forums really opened my eyes - wide.

I will continue to follow them closely & can hardly wait to try some of these newly discovered (for me) techniques.

Thanks to everyone for your information and advice. I ended up getting an inexpensive, basic bin from the township. Now I just have to fill it! I started adding to it, and I realized how long it's going to take to fill it up to a decent level, never mind how long it takes to actually get good compost. No big deal. With a whole summer ahead, I figure I'll make some progress and hope to get something useful next year. And it feels pretty good knowing I'm keeping totally useful organic material out of the landfill. Bonus!

Congrats on the new bin, mbenson7!! Also, thanks so much for starting this wonderful thread.