Rank: Newbie
Joined: 1/21/2008
Posts: 4
Location: Indiana
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I want to create my own compost. I would appreciate any help on what are the best ingredients to use and how to build a simple compost bin.
Thanks,
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 2/26/2008
Posts: 2
Location: Tunkhannock, PA
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Hi - Compost is great and really pretty easy. I got a compost tumbler (google it) there are quite a few to choose from at all prices.. but you can do the same thing with a trashcan... with a tight fitting lid. In the beginning it's really important to get the balance right - green stuff like kitchen scraps or grass clippings, but also put brown stuff in there - I used some mulch..or dead leaves..you just turn the compost occasionally - Mine is on a stand, so you turn it - you can also roll the can..just make sure the lid doesn't come off. You can tell if your compost is too green, it smells like ammonia... after that, just keep adding kitchen scraps or leaves or whatever - no meat however, and be careful with seeds..they can sprout. I have put drier lint in there..also I have put paper vacuum cleaner bags in there - it all breaks down...paper towels..egg shells.. it's great! I recycle everything and with the composter too, I hardly ever have garbage to take to the curb...just what's left..chicken bones and stuff like that... I make a "compost tea" for my houseplants.. put compost in an old pillowcase and put in a bucket of water...it's rich and dark and full of great stuff - don't get it on your clothes though, it will stain. I gave it to my gardening friends as a gift. Have fun.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 2/5/2009
Posts: 1
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Hey PlantEater and anyone else interested,
I read recently in a book how to make your own compost bin for FREE! Go to a hardware store (like Home Depot or Ace Hardware) to their lumber yard and ask for 5 wooden flats (the ones they stack items on and then move with a fork lift). Take those 5 wooden flats home and screw them together with one on bottom and one on each of the four sides. I would use at least 3-4 screws per edge. The slats provide ventilation through the sides and keep it a few inches off the ground for good, all around, air circulation. Best of all it is FREE!
I strongly recommend using egg shells and vegetable scraps in the compost. Egg shells with give you better calcium absorption for the plants. Also, the good nutrients that we often miss in cutting off the ends of vegetables will go back into the ground to provide better nutrition for you next season.
Most of the time, the vegetables in the store are depleted of nutrients and you may see a difference in your overall health if you take care of the ground and nurture the plants with natural products. Marigolds, garlic, and onions around your garden perimeter are suppose to keep insects and animals out of your garden. Also, keep some bird feeders close by to attract birds that will eat the insects. You'll want to set feeders out long before spring because birds will scout out their nesting places BEFORE they actually nest. Humming birds are wonderful! They eat the insects and are fun to watch! But you'll want a variety.
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