Free compost

[Higgs Boson]

Whee! Saturday, the city of Santa Monica offered free compost, first come first served. My neighbor took me over in his pickup. Early as we were,there was already a line ahead of us. Finally we got to take our shovels and heavy duty plastic bags and dig into the most

[Higgs Boson]

Hmmm...must have hit the wrong key. Let's try again:

...the most

[Higgs Boson]

What is going on???!!!

...the most BEAUTIFUL dark, fragrant compost. I was expecting a more granular texture, but this was almost powder fine.

It was a good-natured crowd, shoveling compost into buckets, plastic bags, trash bins, and making their way to their vehicles with varying degrees of difficulty. I scored six bags, which won't go far, so I hope the City does it again soon.

While there, I also ordered a new compost bin, as the old one was sagging and bowed, and not delivering as much compost as I need. This one is a square Smith & Hawken Biocompost bin

looks great and I hope it does well. Only inconvenience is having to unload the compost segment by segment in order to "turn" the pile. In my situation, it means I have to move a lot of heavy, clumsy stuff around in order to free up a space where the compost can be unloaded. But then, that **** needed to be moved anyway -- give me a chance throw out a lot of old, termited lumber bits, for one thing!

Am also toying with the idea of buying one of their subsidized worm bins. A lady I talked to swore by hers, so maybe I'll take the leap. Stay tuned!

So, wish me luck with my new toy. Now off to write the City to make this a regular event!

Hypatia

[Dan L.]

My area also gives away free compost once a week for years, to the locals only. Difference is, everyone here lines up with their pickup trucks and a front loader drops a cubic yard in the back of your truck. No shovels needed. No getting out of truck. Ten minutes and gone. I am amazed that some pull up in Ford Rangers and Chevy S10's - Those little trucks can take it!

[Frank]

My area does this with mulch but what I got last year was more like compost. You cannot put yard waste in garbage anymore but you can diliver it to areas where it is ground and free for all. I've got a Subaru Forester and got 4 bags but leaf bags were barely adequate to hold it. Others with pickups had a good deal going as they could just fill the trucks bed. "Free" for me is too much effort.