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We buried the cans so that the holes would be a few inches under ground. That way, animals (other than earthworms and tiny bugs) couldn't get in the sides.
Today on FarmFu, I built a compost bin outside of the kitchen recycling center. The first thing I'll be throwing into the compost bin is the soil from last year's square foot garden. I will be moving that garden box to an ant free zone for spring planting.
Basil can finesse the compost bin while he's out there cleaning up all of those butts! BLECH!
We installed the second compost bin this morning next to the garden to alternate use each year. We're doing that because each Spring we can't pull out the previous season's compost from underneath a winter's worth of additional uncomposted compost.
Even when we use the bottom side doors, the uncomposted material on top (that didn't compost over the Winter because it was too cold) falls down and blocks access.
If the Fall, we'll switch to filling up the other bin. That should allow us to completely empty the previous season's compost bin when Spring comes.
I had my nephew drill ~10 holes on the bottom and around the sides (to about 1/3 of the way up the can). And don't worry, he wore gloves and googles to be safe.
Made an outdoor compost bin out of pallets, I can always expand this horzontally to 2-3 if I ever have that much material to add.
When I got home from work, I found my Mom digging out a rotted apple tree stump at the side of our backyard storage next to one of our compost bins. She wanted to place the second compost bin on the other side of the garden next to this one.
The stump was fairly easy to take out since it was as soft as cork, but I took over the task of digging it out and filled the hole with some clay soil. I then went about doing some planting in the garden as my Mom moved the other compost bin to its new location and rearranged some of the stuff around there.
As I was planted some Lemon Cucumber seedlings into the vegetable bed, I heard my Mom calling for me. She said she saw a huge rat near the storage and gestured something the size of a foot. She added that it must have been old because it had white hair. So as I got up and went over to take a look, my Mom cracked me up when she asked if I had my camera, which of course I did.
My Mom said it was behind some wood leaning on the storage, so I moved it a little bit to take a look and discovered it was a small Opossum. Hmm, I didn't know what to do... My Mom then asked if I took a photo, which I didn't, yet... so she helped lean the piece of wood back, as I snapped a few photos.
After all that, I decided to clear a path where we can shoo the Opossum through a hole in the fence to our neighbor's yard. I figured that the Opossum will have more room there, but if it likes our yard better, it can return once the commotion of moving the compost bin has settled. So once I cleared a path, I moved to wood to completely expose the Opossum and it slowly ran through the path I made. Mission accomplished.
The End
It's ideal to use rain water for compost tea, but if you have to use municipal water sources, you can let it sit for 24 hours with an aerator until you no longer smell chlorine.
The compost in our first compost bin is pretty much done. We will dry it a bit and strain out the big pieces. This will fill up about 2 or 3 thrash can fulls :)
Step 4: Add some "green" or "immature" material to the new bin. Here you see some of the kitchen scraps I mentioned earlier. My family helps collect the scraps between turnings, and I either add them in between by burying them in the top of the pile or I let them sit in bags and rot a little before adding them like this. The rotting gets them ready for the worms which don't really process any of the scraps until they are rotted.
This kind of material adds nitrogen to the compost pile. Ideally you want to have a 50/50 mix of nitrogen and carbon in the compost pile. Some ingredients have a higher N/C ratio than others, so you should consider what you are putting into the compost bin. For example, using lots of sawdust in a pile will increase the carbon ratio as sawdust has more concentrated carbon than say, leaves. Also, when you harvest something for the pile matters. Corn stalks that have not dried out and turned brown will have more nitrogen than carbon, so they would be considered a "green" material instead of a "brown" material. It really isn't that complicated, and I think it will mostly work out in the end if you just add consistent amounts of each type of material.
For my garden, I have two Smith & Hawkin compost bins. These stack into three levels and have a nice folding lid that goes on top. I picked them up for cheaper than usual from our county gardening group that promotes home composting. If you are interested in starting a compost, you should check your local area to see if they offer them at a discount.
1967 Pontiac Firebird, sunken in the lot of 210 Delancey Street next to T&J Auto Repair Garage on Delancey Street, between Pitt Street and Ridge Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side across from the Williamsburg Bridge. Currently serving as a compost bin, but lot is slated for development as 12-story condominium building, entitled the "DELANCEY BRIDGE TOWER". 2009. Copyright Tom Turner.
Step 1: Make room to the side of the compost bin you are going to turn. I keep enough space open for three bins worth of size, I just store some cans and equipment in the spot the bins are not using.
I have stacking Smith & Hawkin bins with 3 levels or "tiers". I purchased them at a substantial discount from our county composting group which is encouraging people to compost their garden, yard, and kitchen waste instead of sending it to a landfill. You should only compost plant waste in these types of compost bins, no meat or dairy product waste. I guess those other types can still be composted, they just don't recommend it with these types of bins.
I originally bought this bin and named it "Yard Waste" because my city used to have free curbside recycling of such things. With the recent budget cuts, they stopped that but still offer free regular trash pickup. Rather than put my yard waste in with the trash that ends up in the landfill, where it turns into methane gas, I'm attempting to turn this bin into a mini home composter by drilling holes into it for aeration.
My nephew also dug the two holes for the two, 30-gallon, galvanized steel trash cans to fit into. I love getting my nephews to help me on projects!
Here's my new Smith & Hawkins BioStack Compost Bin that I purchased from Craigs List.
Photo taken from the seller's ad.
I made a thing. While not exactly fine woodworking, it is wood, and it should work fine. Lynda seems happy. Those front slats just lift out, so don't worry, she's not trapped in there.
we've been watching a few of the suspect roosters and it's much more evident that probably three of our latest flock of six are probably roosters, which is a bit of drag because roosters in town are a no-no.
the prominent combs are a giveaway in addition to the fact that they are practicing cock-a-doodle-dooing.
update: a few weeks later snowdeal.org/?p=6923
1967 Pontiac Firebird, sunken in the lot of 210 Delancey Street next to T&J Auto Repair Garage on Delancey Street, between Pitt Street and Ridge Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side across from the Williamsburg Bridge. Currently serving as a compost bin, but lot is slated for development as 12-story condominium building, entitled the "DELANCEY BRIDGE TOWER". 2009. Copyright Tom Turner.
I set up the second compost bin that I bought in January in one corner of the backyard.
Found blogged here:
Another view of the bins. The trash cans on the left are where I keep completed compost to use year round and also my stash of fallen leaves I use in the bins. The neighbors might think I am a little nuts "stealing" their leaves during fall time, but if they do, they don't ever mention it. :-)
As is usual at the moment, I spent quite a bit of time on the computer, but we also went from a walk and I started digging out some soil to make a small wildlife pond. I've wanted one for a few years, but couldn't think where would be a good place. Now I've decided, and took out a tree which I'd planted there, but which wasn't suitable for this size of garden, and started digging. It's amazing how much soil comes from what looks like a very shallow hole! The green bin is full, as is a wheelbarrow. I'm trying to be careful, and not do too much at one time, because of my back. I'm hoping that a pond will attract frogs or toads, as I miss having them in my garden!
Vince shreds junk mail for the compost bin. Shredded paper wastes balance the carbon to nitrogen ration in the organ waste compost bin and eventually become the soil in which we grow food. It's a great medium for the soldier fly larvae and earth worms as well. This process keeps our paper wastes from entering the Middle Point Landfill here in Rutherford County.
I LOVE the library! I never buy a book any more without having a good look at it first to see if it's worth the money (even with the 40% off Borders coupon). This stack pleased me in a BIG way. Both cookie books are fabulous and offer up some cookie recipes both unique and beautiful. Let it Rot will be a great aid in setting up our first compost bin this summer, and Crops in Pots thrilled me beyond words, learning about all of the great vegetables and fruits (okay...berries) I can grow in pots on the patio that will not only nourish us, but beautify the setting. The videotape has an original episode of the old Ellery Queen show, so that should be fun as well. So the cold, rainy (and perhaps snowy!) weather this weekend won't get me down. I have books!
The three raised beds and new compost bin. Posts on the bottom of the boxes extend 6" deep. Some needed to be set into the slope.
After years of wanting one, I finally got a compost bin! Next to it: a bucket of dirt and worms and a stolen bag of yard waste my neighbor threw out!
Completed! I finished my first bin, then I did the same with my second bin, moving it over to where the first bin was previously. I move them back and forth, turning them, every 2 weeks for so. Eventually I sift the contents to remove the compost I use in the garden, but that will be a different set of pictures.