It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 3:09 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Be one with the compost!
PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:50 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:58 pm
Posts: 10
Location: The frozen tundra of Aiken, SC - 7B
The debate's settled. I have a brand new shiney 4 bin compost complex, constructed from *free* pallets courtesy of my neighbor. I checked several places for pallets in good condition all the same size and the price was $5.00 each. The ones I used are smaller than normal but will work okay. I'm a happy camper! :D And we've had unusually warm weather the last few weeks. In the immortal words of Emril , "Happy, happy, happy!" :D And to top everything off my pineapple plant is approaching 2 feet tall. It is my sincerest desire that ya'll have a prosperous New Year.

Dirt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2004 9:07 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 964
Location: Odenville,Alabama
Congratulations!

_________________
The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2004 9:28 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2003 8:39 pm
Posts: 532
Location: Lavon,Texas
Dirt Pit,
Welcome to the compost making business!
Sounds like you now have the equipment to go into the compost making business. Your compost bins don't need to be fancy. Just need to contain the ingredients to make your compost. I believe the Good Captains bins are made out of the same material as yours.

_________________
Greg...
Converting one person at a time to Organics, the only way to go!! [ ME ]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 6:22 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:58 pm
Posts: 10
Location: The frozen tundra of Aiken, SC - 7B
Just wish I had a ready supply of greens during the winter months.

Dirt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 12:02 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
Posts: 182
Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
What about picking up coffee grounds from local cafes? I used to get about four gallons of spent grounds a week. Just a thought.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:47 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 964
Location: Odenville,Alabama
You can never run out of human urine (45-0-0) as a nitrogen source and microbial activator all year round! (LOL)

If you run out of carbons, you always got office papers, or old 100% cotton rags, all year round.

_________________
The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:55 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
Posts: 182
Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
So, just a thought - is it possible to add too much urine? I almost have my hubby talked into watering the pile for me but it is only about a cubic foot big and he doesn't want it to start stinking. Do ya'll know of any ladies that collect for the sake of the pile? I feel odd discussing this - yuck. :roll:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:21 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 964
Location: Odenville,Alabama
First of all, there is nothing gross or odd about ladies composting urine. It is one of the oldest forms of fertilization known to man. I know several ladies on other websites like GardenWeb.com, that compost their urine and other personal items in their compost piles, if you know what I mean... (LOL)

Second, all natural or synthetic urea contains carbon. Carbon naturally chelates, buffers, and balances nutrients, and prevents other nutrients from being released or used too fast by plants, thus causing plant buring or etc. If urea is mixed with molasses it is perfect for buffering and balancing other nutrients in tea recipes. In the compost pile, because you are suppose to use 2-3 times more browns and plant materials, than greens or animal wastes anyway, there is really no danger of overuse of urine as a nitrogen source or microbial activator in the pile. The ammonia nitrogen gets absorbed fast in the cellulose, lignin, and other heavy carbon sources in the pile.

_________________
The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton


Last edited by CaptainCompostAL on Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 12:26 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
Posts: 182
Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
Thanks for the info Captain Compost. I appreciate your insight. I sure have learned quiet a bit of information on this sight. :P :shock: My poor husband just shakes his head everytime I come up with some new little tidbit.

Thanks again!
Christina


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:28 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 3:01 pm
Posts: 53
Location: ,
Do pallets hold the compost in ok or do you have to attach some wire product to the inside? Also, what kind of places did you check that sells pallets for $5? I bought some concrete edgers at Home Depot that came on a pallet, they charged me a $20 deposit.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:45 pm 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 964
Location: Odenville,Alabama
Check around warehouses and farm feed stores, you may find plenty for nothing!

I use my active pallet bins as a starter for mixing, before moving it over to my stockpiles for further cooking and curing. So it's open in the front so I can get in and out with my wheelbarrow. For passive compost bins, you can close your pallet bins up into a closed cube shape.

_________________
The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 5:17 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 3:12 pm
Posts: 111
Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
Should you consider coffee grounds as a "green"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 05, 2004 9:21 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 964
Location: Odenville,Alabama
Absolutely! All coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen.

A "Green" is technically any organic matter with a C:N less than 30:1.
A "Brown" is technically any organic matter with a C:N greater than 30:1.

On a non-technical, practical point of view, a "Brown" is any organic matter that if you wet it, and wait 3 days, and it DOESN'T get sloppy, or stinky, or attract flies or maggots. Otherwise it's a "Green".

For example paper, straw, and leaves don't stink nor attract pests, if you wet or them for 3 days.

_________________
The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by eWeblife