Questions tagged [compost]
Compost is organic material which has undergone decomposition by microorganisms and is used as a soil amendment.
324
questions
1
vote
1answer
13 views
Huge Ammonia in compost danger?
Is it safe to use a sealed container to compost the raw chicken manure? Because as far as I know, these nitrogen-rich materials generate huge ammonia when decomposing. If I use a sealed compost bin it ...
4
votes
0answers
39 views
Free movement of worms vs siloed containment
Is there a benefit to free range worms over battery worms? i.e. At present my worms live inside a couple of bins (one inside the other, with small holes for aeration and drainage, whilst keeping the ...
3
votes
2answers
181 views
Can I put orange or other citrus peel on the compost pile?
I have heard from a friend that orange and in general citrus peel should not be put to the compost pile. This is due to the artificial ripening agents added to them.
If this really the case what is ...
5
votes
2answers
93 views
Should the first bin of a 3 bin compost system be bigger than the other two?
Should the first bin (ie the one you put the fresh stuff in) of a 3 bin be bigger than the second? And similarly should the second bin be bigger than the third, due to the fact that volume will ...
5
votes
2answers
602 views
Is this an acceptable way to use green waste on plants?
From what I've read online, it looks like I'm not composting correctly.
I don't have much space in my backyard so there's no space for a compost bin/pile. Instead, I've been putting scraps of food at ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
Identify these insects hiding under compost
I use a layer of compost as mulch, but every time I water, millions of tiny insects start jumping all over the place. Is it possible to identify them as I'm not sure if they're decomposing the organic ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Composting cooked food
I’ve made some vegetable broth and after it’s done I’m left over with some boiled vegetables can those be composted? I’ve seen some articles that say you cannot compost them while others you can which ...
1
vote
0answers
13 views
Lifespan/storage of Bokashi Flakes (compost)
I've made bokashi flakes from bran and LAB liquid, been using it for a while.
Dried the flakes and stored in plastic boxes, but I am unsure if that is the best way to
store, since I know the bacteria ...
4
votes
2answers
39 views
What would be the non-organic part in this vegetal compost mixture?
See the composition of this substrate mixture I've bought:
It only mentions organic stuff, like vegetal compost and composted pine bark. At the same time, it says that the organic matter content is ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Soil improvement for poor-producing squash for next year
I have two 8x4 raised beds that I grow various vegetables in, alternating tomatoes in one or the other with the other being squash, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and a few other vegetables.
This year, ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Are dead mice by my compost heap a sign of trouble?
I have a compost heap at the back of my property, probably 30-40 feet away from the house. It's one of those simple "circle of chicken wire on bare earth ones, with most of the material being ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Sequoia needles as mulch or compost
I live in Portland, OR and I have a 100+ ft sequoia in my back yard. Keeping up with the falling needles/leaves is a year-round project. I've often wondered if they would make good compost. And ...
1
vote
3answers
580 views
Does compost 100% decompose?
I guess another way to ask the same question: Can compost be used as soil?
The question comes up as I have just removed a tree stump and would like to plant grass instead. So right now there is a hole ...
3
votes
2answers
68 views
Should a compost bin have air gaps or solid walls?
When watching videos about composting there seams to be two kinds. Those that are made from pallets, and therefore have air gaps and those with solid walls.
According to this video, the correct way to ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
What do I do with compost bin contents
I'm not particularly green fingered but recently purchased a compost bin however I'm not entirely sure what I do with it once it's full.
I've been putting grass cuttings and fruit/veg waste from the ...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
How can I tell whether compost is too hot to plant into?
I have just had delivered a tonne of bulk compost. My intention was to mulch flowerbeds and also lay out a new no-dig vegetable bed so I ordered what I expected to be mature compost.
The compost is ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Should I put more soil / compost to cover bottom of cherry blossom tree?
I just planted this Yoshino cherry tree late last year.
But I have been wondering if I didn't bury it deep enough. Should I pile up more compost around the trunk where the red line is?
2
votes
1answer
32 views
Front yard shrubs need a boost
I come over from New Zealand once a year and get the family garden sorted. This year I haven't been able to arrive any earlier because of Covid-19. So we are in the middle of summer and the garden ...
0
votes
2answers
54 views
Using old soil with lying of new turf
I am building up my lawn as current one was messy and home to rice and rats crossing from the neighbour with the help of some videos here, here and I have taken out some old turf and still in process. ...
3
votes
0answers
32 views
Is spruce bark equivalent to pine bark in potting mixes?
Composted pine bark is a standard ingredient in potting mixes. Most of the local forestry is spruce. Is there any reason to not use spruce bark?
I know that generally barks need to be composted at ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
approximately how much compost does a foot of wood chips compost down to?
I'm heavily composting my garden with arborist wood chips, and was wondering how much compost I get from a square foot of wood chips. I'm using Stropharia Rugosoannulata to break down the wood chips.
1
vote
1answer
13 views
Acer Beni Maiko potting soil
Hi I am new to gardening and have bought myself an Acer Beni Maiko tree. I have repottd it when I got home. I have been reading that they prefer slightly acidic soil. I have potted it in Westlands ...
2
votes
2answers
104 views
What dug this hole under my compost heap?
This morning we noticed something has dug a large hole (20-30cm wide) under our compost heap. I'm not sure if they were digging out of our garden or into it. Based on my research I think it is either ...
1
vote
1answer
152 views
Do my tomatoes have aminopyralid herbicide damage?
Photo below of my tomato plant. This was planted in 3 inches of miracle grow with composted horse manure below, sourced locally. Everything was fine for about 2 weeks, then this morning I noticed that ...
0
votes
2answers
34 views
Processing compost while protecting earthworms
We were processing some messy compost/soil to get the junk (ie plastic bags, large bones) out when we realized it is full of earthworms. Any suggestions on a process that results in fewer worms being ...
4
votes
4answers
807 views
How to compost bacon grease, cooking oil, and other voluminous fats?
I don't often deep fry, or have bacon in the mornings, but when I do, I always have the same question of what to do with the grease. Usually, I just put it in the city compost bin, figuring all the ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
What is the carbon content of tree seeds and would they be suitable to balance nitrogen rich compost?
On top of my garage was a full 2 inches of densely composted material that I presume has built up over many years. Right above the garage are 2 trees that seem to shed hundreds of thousands of tiny ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
Is fertilizing a zero-sum endeavor?
Maybe a better way to put this question is:
Given an isolated garden bed, that had no external inputs except light, water and air. If you were to grow plants in it, compost those plants and add them ...
1
vote
0answers
28 views
good or bad guys in compost bin?
I am making this compost at home using green and brown materials (egg shells, banana peel, kitchen waste, dead leaves, green leaves, etc.). While there is no bad smell or any liquid discharge, I ...
1
vote
3answers
73 views
Safe to use dirt with a dead possum in it?
So I just bought some bagged topsoil and a week in I'm covering my compost with it and I discover what looks like the hide and fur of a possum or racoon. I shoveled it out and there's no wet anything ...
1
vote
2answers
72 views
Can I Compost Grape Sticks?
My field is surrounded with wine fields and my neighbors prune their wine field every spring which makes so much grape sticks available for me. Sticks are about 1ft-3ft long and thinner than my finger....
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Help potatos growing?
I think i have potato plants growing in my compose box . which would be a first for me. And i am unsure if that is what they are and how to cross plant them to a new location.
2
votes
1answer
46 views
Can I compost around a mature live oak tree?
I have a mature live oak tree in Florida that is much taller than my two story house. I have a small yard and would like to compost around it if possible. I've read here on stackechange that this can ...
4
votes
2answers
56 views
Planted chili seeds in regular garden compost: should I dig them up and start again?
I ordered a variety of types of chilli seed (habanero, jalapeno, anaheim) because I can't buy these types of chilli here. I've never grown anything from seed before, so I think I approached this a bit ...
2
votes
0answers
35 views
Bokashi with little food waste
I am new to composting and I have so far failed 2 batches of bokashi. I have a 20l bokashi bin which lasted about 3 weeks in my 2 attempts before they started to smell rotten. It usually takes me ...
1
vote
2answers
299 views
Composting Citrus Leaves
I have three mature citrus trees. One orange, one tangelo, and one really productive lemon tree. These trees produce a ton of leaves as you might imagine. Will composting so many citrus leaves "...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
Are grubs helpful in decomposition?
I have a small decomposition box made out of improvised plastic machine oil tubs. I have been adding kitchen wastes to it for the past couple weeks along with dry leaves.
Recently I added okara to it ...
0
votes
1answer
248 views
How to check quality of vermicompost?
I know it must be really hard without proper equipment to check the quality of vermicompost, but is there, still, another way to test the quality?
To me, this doesn't look like vermicompost at all. ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
How to use worm castings indoors?
My wife and I have a worm compost pile in our workshop that processes a few pounds of food waste a week. Up until now, it has been used in outdoor gardens.
Now I am starting some indoor plant gardens ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
Heavy wet clayey soil - grit, sand or perlite?
I live in a rented house with a garden in North East of England. Last year I attempted to create a small bed for growing herbs and some vegetables but the soil appears to be very clayey and wet all ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
How to root basil cuttings without putting them in water?
I tried several times to multiple my basil using the cutting method, however they don't root and rot everytime, even if I put a piece of charcoal in the container fil with water.
So, is there other ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Is this some kind of moss?
When I took the lid off of a large container of my composted soil that I had stored in the garage, I found this! Small whitish little balls all over the top of the soil and growing up the side of the ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
How long should I leave potted roots to rot down before reusing the soil?
I have a number of pots I grew tomatoes and cucumbers in through the he summer. These have now died off but I want to reuse the soil (mixing it with compost etc to get nutrients back) for other plants....
1
vote
3answers
132 views
Could one grow mushrooms on processed food waste?
I'm wondering if the processed food waste (PFW) output of an electric composter, like this one, could be used to grow (oyster) mushrooms on?
The PFW is supposedly sterile, so the idea is to lightly ...
11
votes
5answers
4k views
Rat proofing compost bin but allowing worms in
I've found a rat this morning in my compost bin :-(. It burrowed into in.
It's a small compost bin with solid plastic sides, a lid with an open bottom. In retrospect it was a potential rat haven. It ...
0
votes
2answers
59 views
Seeds That Grow in Decomposing Scraps
Are there any seeds that will tolerate growing in decomposing scraps of food? My city collects organic waste, but I thought I'd try to put it to use myself. I have a can of sweetened red bean paste ...
1
vote
1answer
186 views
Small white worms in the garden compost
It's been a couple of weeks that I've started to recycle our kitchen scraps (vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, paper towels) in our garden. I've been reading various instructions over the internet ...
3
votes
2answers
168 views
Can the bacteria in compost bin be dangerous for kids?
During the process of composting, is it dangerous for kids to play with? I mean to say is it okay if a child plays close to a compost heap or touches the material with their bare hands? I heard about ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
Are my compost bin bugs ‘good’?
I have a closed compost bin and when I took the lid of today to put something in it I noticed lots of bugs, a bit like flattened wood lice... I am just wondering if they are good for the compost bin ...
1
vote
3answers
204 views
Cooked rice and peanut shells?
Some background: I’m a beginner gardener (and that’s being generous) with a rooftop and a balcony, so everything I grow, if it survives, is in planters and pots. But I know almost nothing about ...
