New Compost Bin

I am gradually evolving a composting routine that suits my needs. I just purchased a plastic bin at Menards tonight, and I will set it up tomorrow.

It has four sides, each of which has a sliding door at the bottom, and a lift up top.

My plan is to fill the bin with composted soil up to the level of the door tops. Then as I dump stuff in the top and do my best to cover it with soil and leaves, next spring I should have a good thing going. Even in the dead of winter, I will be able to dump stuff in the top.

There is no bottom, so I am figuring that will allow worms to work their way up to do their thing.

Any suggestions are welcomed.

Birdsall... I am doing some garden work for my chiropractor, and I have noticed she has a compost bin in the backyard. It is one of those that are tall and rectangular, with narrow slots in the sides for ventilation, a cleanout door at the bottom, and a hinged lid.

It appears to have fully composted material at least halfway up, and I need to ask her if she ever tends it... and how long she has been adding material without taking compost out of the bottom.

If you add soil to yours up to the door tops before adding yard waste, etc., I assume you will not remove any compost through the doors but empty the whole thing next year? I add household stuff (kitchen and inside plant trimmings) all year to mine, which is a cold compost pile. In the spring, I move the bin off the pile, fork the newer, uncomposted stuff off the top into the new location, and put the compost at the bottom to the garden.

This message was edited Sep 20, 2003 8:09 AM

Thanks Darius - You make some good points. I also hope to make some compost with shreded leaves this fall. If I have more than what I can put in the bin, I will just leave them on the ground to decompose. I should have some nice composted soil next year to use in my lasagna garden plans next year, I an enjoying Micigan fall weater. How's the weather in Asheville?

Have there been any developments in your real estate activity? I keep thinkin about ya.

BIRD

Bird, Nothing new, not even any "lookers". The Listing expires Nov. 4 and we'll leave it off the market until Spring, and it should go then. Our timing was just bad.

Weather is beginning to feel like Fall.... dry, warm days and cool nights!

Hear is a foto of my new composting bin. By next spring, I hope to pan for some black gold.

Hey, Bird... That looks remarkeably similiar to the one my chiropractor has!

Could some one explain to me why manure from meat-eating animals is bad for composing? And what about scraps of meat. It seems to me that these materials will decompose. Could disease be a factor? This is new stuff for me.

Bird

It draws maggots and other nasties including disease. It also
encourages dogs to dig up the compost.

The problem is parasites. If you don't really cook that pile hot then any parasites will survive and one day might just make it into the food chain.

The high temperatures achieved through composting also kill worms and pathogens (organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that are capable of producing an infection or disease). This is especially important if you are spreading your composted manure on vegetable gardens. Again you got to cook your pile through out.

I read years back something about a person loosing an eye due to this problem. Now where that was a true story or not I cannot say. However it was enough to scare me away.

Olds - Can I assume then that vegetable matter does not present any of the above problems?

BIRD

As far as I know the answer to your question is yes vegtable matter is safe as long as you cook your pile!

Next you can use manure in your compost as long as you understand about pathogens etc. This is with any manure--meat eating withstanding or not. Again the pile needs to be cooked hot! 160 degrees F.

Check out this link....

http://www.marlerclark.com/news/lanecountyfair14.htm


It is for reasons like these listed in the above link that when handling (even store-purchased manure) you should always were gloves. Wash your hands when finished. And no touching your eyes or nose til hands are clean.

When I was building piles (I use a tumbler now) I layered into my piles cruched dried cow manure. I would go out in the field and load up on the chips! I never had a problem. However, my piles were always hot piles that got turned weekly.

Now if you want to get around using manure you can use fish but that is a mess and you have to stay on top of it.

I have used oily fish. I grind them up into a paste. Add the paste to water and work it into the pile real good. Never had a big problem with ants, flies, as the pile was hot. However, I think I drove a few cats crasy! Not to mention my neighbors!!!



This message was edited Oct 2, 2003 2:09 AM

If using chicken manure,it's a good idea to wear a dust mask because the spores from histoplasmosis can be airborne.We have lots of commercial chickenbarns in the area and lots of folks use the manure.There have been a couple cases of histo,and it's usually because of careless handling of the manure.

I do not think I will risk "intense fellowship" with my lovely wife by cooking manure (even with the fan on). I assume you manure-compost cookers have other cooking facilities than the kitchen.

BIRD (;>)~

I tried planting with fish once (some sunfish someone caught
and would not eat because they are intensly bony),
like the Indians were supposed to do in Jamestown
and Plymouth.

It worked out pretty well fertilizerwise but I wondered how
healthy it was.

I have good luck with horse manure.......my sister has horses.

I like rabbit manure but I don't like having rabbits around
- too vulnerable in a pen and I don't like keeping things in cages. After several tries with dogs breaking in and killing them I gave up