Ideas for improving this second-generation home composting method

[krw]

Water.

[Danny D]

I do appreciate the admonition, as experience trumps guessing.

I do have rats, although I just did a check of my traps for you just now, and the only thing I found was a live lizard in the furnace closet that I had to shoo out to keep it away from the peanut butter in the otherwise empty traps.

BTW, if my lessons learned are of any use, these traps that I inherited from the previous owner are nearly useless:

That yellow plastic trigger has far too many false snaps, especially while setting them (I've caught my finger more than once in the damn things).

These all-steel trap mechanisms are much better (IMHO):

They have a much more securely held trigger that is much easier to set. If I ever buy new rat traps (the previous owner had dozens of them around the house), it's gonna be no plastic for me! Lesson learned.

[Danny D]

I understand. Luckily, I can't even 'see' my neighbor, let alone smell something from his compost heap.

It's pretty airy here, and the winds are ferocious (100MPH gusts are normal) coming off the Pacific Ocean, so, smells aren't going to be a problem for me.

But, it's good advice for those who live within shouting distance of their neighbors...

[Danny D]

UPDATE:

I followed your advice, and added the new steps of "turning" and "aerating" the compost pile.

The turning is done by digging with a shovel to turn the soil; and the aeration is by chopping with this "chopping tool" (what is it properly called?).

[Danny D]

To test whether the "diggers" were attracted to my compost, I left the fence open the past two days at my compost pile:

Checking this morning, I don't see evidence of animals digging up the salmon or steak bones yet ...

[dpb]

...

Keep it up and you can be sure rats and other _will_ find it. A day or two isn't long for new food sources to be discovered but rest assured it will be found if it's kept up.

[Dan Espen]

While discussing compost piles, I thought you might appreciate a real compost pile:

The fence is 6ft high. Last years leaves are compacted and partly broken down.

[Danny D]

The holes in the fencing are big enough for rats to get through, so, if/when they find the compost, I'll see some evidence of that, I hope.

[Danny D]

Wow. I wish I had that much compost!

[Dan Espen]

Only if you really like exercise.

1 years leaves pile up much higher than that.

[Danny D]

I have a lot of Spanish & Scotch Broom, which I pull out (Scotch Broom) by the hundreds, and I cut & glyphosate (Spanish Broom) by the scores; but I don't want to compost that so I put them in the green recycling bins.

It takes a few months because each bin only holds about an hour's worth of cuttings; yet I generally cut for four or five hours at a time.

But, other than that, I don't have compost since I'm in a windy location exposed to the Pacific Ocean winds, which do all my leaf raking for me during the winter storms!

:)

Of course, it all ends up in the pool ... :(

[DirtBag]

Dan Espen said

Wow, the wife would never tolerate that pile. I had to pitch a fit to get two 4" square bins accepted. :-)

[Dan Espen]

The pile isn't visible from the rest of the yard.

You can't make compost in 4 inch bins. Well you can, but you can turn the compost over with a teaspoon.

[David Hare-Scott]

It wouldn't get very hot would it.

D

[DirtBag]

David Hare-Scott said

Hmmmm, maybe that's my problem. Too small! :-) (oops)

[Danny D.]

I took all your advice to heart, and added two more steps to my composting sequence:

1. I now rake the compost over a larger area than before (in order to aerate it and allow bacteria their freedom).
2. I disinfect the compost bin in the kitchen with chlorine (to keep the mold away, which has been happening lately).

PS: The wife has been complaining about the smell of the pool chlorine in the kitchen; so I have to clean it at night.

[Dan Espen]

Those bacteria are what you want to break down the compost. Adding chlorine to house air is a bad idea.

Keep the container sealed. I put coffee grinds, spent flowers, pistachio shells, and leaves in mine. Nothing smells. The actual compost is 99% yard waste. You mentioned pulling weeds and not composting them. That does not seem logical. If you give it enough time the seeds won't survive.

[dennisgauge]

Because they are composting. You are simply burying your garbage in the yard, which is probably illegal.

Compost has no actual soil in it. Compost is purely the decomposed organic material.

Once the material is decomposed into compost, it is THEN mixed with the soil as a fertilizer.

[Danny D]

After googling, as suggested, I decided to experiment adding that new liquid element into the compost:

[DirtBag]

Danny D said

I apply such liquid after dark - when I take the dogs out for a wee.

The wife is none the wiser.