How do I use this big black box???

Hello fellow gardeners, I've been gardening for years and always wanted to try making compost. My friend gave me a big plastic compost box with a hinged lid that has no bottom. She is not a gardener and used it as an outdoor ashtray.

I am assuming that the box is tiled up and the fabulous dark rich cake like compost is at the bottom. I really need detailed instructions on how to make the compost.. I'm in hot humid coastal Louisiana where most plants grow but compost would make my garden happier.
thanks in advance....Susan

Susan, no matter wher you put your compost materials the process is the same. Add greens and browns in approximately equal amounts, keep it moist and turn it occasionally to allow air so the microbes can breathe. The only purpose of a box like yours is to keep it tidy looking and allow you to control the amount of moisture.

So just start adding grass clippings, kitchen waste, shredded newspaper, a bit of manure if you have it and you have compost started :~)

I'll start today! Merci!

Just thought of another question. Can you add dog poo to the compost? I pick up the poo from my little Frenchie so can I just add it to the other stuff? The compost will not go on a garden, just my flowers.

I keep reading that you shouldn't use dog poo but I don't understand the logic of that. They say don't use meat but my dog eats dried food which they say is good for the compost so... my answer is ... I don't know...

I throw all my doggy packages under a big Camilia bush. It seems to have made the bush happy ;~)

Don't use dog poo! You don't want to use carniverous poo.

Ok...i just keep pitching it under the Gardina bush. the bush seems to like it.
What size can branches go into the compost?

I like to use small pieces since they seem to break down faster. You can use your pruning shears.

Why is the dogfood ok to use to heat up the compost before the dog eats it but not ok after she eats it? I just do not see how it would cause any great difference unless it is fear of deseases. If the dog is healthy it seems logical that the poo would be no better or worse than that of bats, chickens or cows.

Is there anyone here that can explain it?

Zany, Zany!

Different pathogens present in both dog and cat feces then in other animal manures, you don't want to use that on your veggie crops, it shouldn't matter with the flowers. You can use dog/cat with the Bokashi method, since it breaks down pathogens in a different way.

doccat5, So it is because of diseases or the possibility of diseases. Thanks! So for those of us who are composting for ornamental use only it is ok to compost pet poo. Hmmm, do you think the Camelia's will protest if I take away their daily feedings?

Ah, your camelia's talk to you do they, zany? Backing away carefully....... Shouldn't be a problem, if you side dress them with the finished compost.

Don't your Camelias talk to you? Mine (Well technically the neighbors) speak to me all the time with a cheerie nod of a bright blossoming head.

You see, the Camelia bush resides on the other side of the fence. The owner has let the area grow over with brambles and weed trees. I "rescued" the camelia by hopping the fence and cutting the brambles back to create a bit of safety net between me and the brambles. That is when I discovered a half dead and hidden camelia there. So since I can view the bish from my wee yard now but it is still hidden from their view by a wall of brambles, I consider it mine...and feed it by tossing the pups presents over the fence where they land in the camelias drip line. After 4 years of this the bush has trippled in size and blooms almost continuously year round. As the thicket grows more dense on the other side of the bush I clear out a bit more near the fence line. Eventually I may just move the fence back and double my garden space until they decide to hack through and discover they have been encroached upon...Until then, they surely won't miss what they can't get too...

Well, now, I won't be eatin' any camelia blossoms anytime soon....

I guess if they could just make doggie poo smell better. Everybody seems to drool of good ole' cow manure and horse manure -- but dog? Just makes you wanna move away. I think I'll use the fertilizer BEFORE it passes through the dog..

Speaking of which. How much cheap dogfood should be mixed into the compost pile to heat things up? I just started a new one today. Caught my neighbor trying to throw his oak leaves down along the bayou dropoff...they're the start of my new pile!

Depends on the size of the pile gymgirl, but a 10lb bag ought to do the trick. The dog food idea is from me, I've used it off and on for years, when I couldn't get enough greens. I'm highly allergic to alfalfa, so DH has to deal with that.

Zany, unfortunately I have no Camelias at this point, I am however working on trying to swap for some. Sounds like you have been taking wonderful care of "your" camelia and what those neighbors don't know won't hurt them. LOL