getting started in composting

[missyann]

Is it expensive to start composting? I've been thinking of doing composting but have no idea where to start. Is it a lot of work and how long does it take before you can use it? I would have to have something that is enclosed as we have moles, raccoons, etc in our neighborhood.

 

[ChanellG]

Hi again, @missyann! It's not expensive at all. There are a few discussions already that explore composting in depth and provide you with information on the various systems, how to get started, as well as what you can and can not compost. If you are composting in the city, the best thing is to use a bin that is closed, but that will allow worms to enter from the bottom.

Check out some of the other threads and then let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Babble64]

I live in the country, so I can have an exposed compost pile. I'm not very scientific at anything I do. I just toss the vegetable & fruit matter onto a pile and turn it now and then. Seems to make for some very rich, black soil for later use. A few weeks ago we started a new pile and I turned the old one...will let that one sit for the winter, turning it as I go, so it's ready for spring time.

On an interesting note, since you mentioned critters being about.....many years ago we had a flock of wild turkeys living in the area. I looked out one day to see them scratching in the compost pile! They were regular visitors for awhile that summer. One even laid an egg under the spruce tree nearby!

 

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

Short answer, no, it's not expensive to start composting. All you need is leftover plant material (uneaten food, bananna peels, cut flowers, etc) and someplace to put it. An enclosure for compost, however, can be done about as cheap or as expensively as you are able. Currently, we have 2 compost piles. We ran out of space in the original bin I built, and I just haven't got everything moved to the new pile or a new bin built. While we have some coons and such around here, so far we haven't noticed anything getting into the open pile.
The original bin I built was just made out of some particoard scraps leftover from the building of our house, while some holes drilled in the side for air circulation.
Only problem I've had so far is that my pile isn't getting hot enough to kill off the tomato and pumpkin seeds and such... Any ideas for that?

 

[Andy1982]

Is it expensive to start composting? I've been thinking of doing composting but have no idea where to start. Is it a lot of work and how long does it take before you can use it? I would have to have something that is enclosed as we have moles, raccoons, etc in our neighborhood.

It's dead easy and you could start small in a small plastic drum with holes cut in it. You can add to this and shake it around every time you add new material and it will also keep away rats and mice or any other little night crawlers how like a tasty piece of potato peel. Keeping it sealed up also induces the heat and a quicker break down of the material inside.

 

[Diprotodon]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good bins for the city (stylewise, etc.?)

We were using one for a while that we found at a yard sale (free!) but we left it behind when we moved. Or better yet: does anyone have any recommendations for materials to make a good-sized one at home that can keep animals out pretty good? We get a LOT of deer in our yard here in Pittsburgh, and keeping them away from the garden is hard enough.

 

[Alyce Wakefield]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good bins for the city (stylewise, etc.?)

We were using one for a while that we found at a yard sale (free!) but we left it behind when we moved. Or better yet: does anyone have any recommendations for materials to make a good-sized one at home that can keep animals out pretty good? We get a LOT of deer in our yard here in Pittsburgh, and keeping them away from the garden is hard enough.

I'm new to composting too, being in metro Detroit, its also hard for me to compost without squirrels, rats, and rabbits, having a go. We also have a residential skunk, and a mama possum that roam the neighborhood. Thinking about it, I have decided to go up to my city hall to buy another recycling bin, they come with a lid, and already have holes in the bottom, so maybe if set that a few inches in the ground behind my garage, I'll have a mini compost bin. I can stir it up every now and again, and the squirrels can only try to get into it. Maybe you should try it too?

 

[grouie]

I believe in the saying 'Something is better than nothing' in that I do not have a perfect approach to composting. I have several pits in my garden where I throw whatever that can be composted. A layer of soil is thrown every few days and in a year's time I get good compost.