Questions tagged [compost]
Compost is organic material which has undergone decomposition by microorganisms and is used as a soil amendment.
356
questions
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1answer
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What are these bugs? And how can I restore a healthy compost?
I have a ventilated outdoor compost bin, primarily for food scraps. Until recently, it was a diverse ecosystem that produced good compost. About a month ago, it turned into a mono-culture of these ...
2
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0answers
40 views
Should I mulch my neighbors' leaves?
My neighborhood is 40 years old. I'm planning to only compost my backyard trees leaves. My front yard has a huge maple infected with scale and aphids, and has iron deficiency. The aphids suck moisture ...
6
votes
1answer
53 views
What is this disease attacking the leaves of most of my plants?
more than half of my plants (total about 100, from a wide variety of plant families, all on a large balcony) are affected
stems, roots, flowers and fruit show weak growth but no direct sign of the ...
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0answers
21 views
Composting camphor leaves?
I have been reading at various sites online that it is bad to compost camphor leaves because camphor is mildly allelopathic, specifically, inhibiting seed germination. I also see some other people ...
2
votes
1answer
258 views
Galvanised fire bins and ash?
I bought a new galvanised fire bin and burnt a shed load of garden waste ...just leaves and branches. I want to use the ash in the compost when preparing my raised beds but I'm worried about the ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
How long do leaves remain "green" for compost material after cutting a tree?
I am planning to clear some trees from my property to make room for a garden. I would like to chip/shred the branches to be used as mulch and compost material. According to the Back to Eden ...
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1answer
41 views
what happens to uncovered Bokashi waste?
Usually Bokashi waste is advised to be buried.
But we know rats are not attracted to the Bokashi waste. So what is the real reason for burying this waste. What happens if Bokashi waste is not buried?
...
2
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0answers
22 views
Simplest grass seed mulch options: Nothing vs Paper vs Ground Wheat vs Ground Oats
I am growing Kentucky bluegrass on deep topsoil in Minnesota and found that the grass
punches through mostly in spots covered by a thin shredded-paper mulch that I applied
(since I applied the paper ...
2
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0answers
46 views
Can anyone identify producer of this rotary sieve?
I am trying to find the producer of this rotary sieve (image found on now defunct hotbin blog). It is mentioned that it is a Belgian, but not more than that.
I'd be also happy with pointers to ...
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0answers
32 views
Is submerged composting of meat practical?
The list of no-no composting is
Meat
Fish
Poultry
Cheese
Oily foods
Butter
Dairy products
Other animal products
Can I drop them inside water for being composted and yet feel safe from smell and rats?...
3
votes
2answers
44 views
Growing plant in a composting terrarium
I was thinking about throwing compostable rubbish into a jar and growing a plant in it while the jar lead is closed as a terrarium before the composting proceeds—and then leave it as it is. I am not ...
0
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1answer
71 views
Why is table salt evil?
In history class they teach the military strategy Scorched Earth: "burn the villages and forests, salt the fields, come back next year to fight a starving enemy".
What is the chemical ...
2
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2answers
49 views
Is it safe to use yuca/cassava skins in my compost
A whole bunch of cassava root has made its way into my house and now I have a whole bunch of cassava rinds, about a kilo or so, which I chucked into my compost bin (A trashcan full of holes) to start ...
1
vote
2answers
59 views
Ammonia smell in compost
I've got a pile of hot compost going which consists primarily of:
Straw (about 75% by volume)
Kitchen Scraps
Rabbit Manure
Fall leaves and grass clippings
At the moment it's giving off a pretty ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Garden Bin full of decomposed grass... is this compost? Can I apply it to the dead patches of my lawn?
Disclaimer: I am a complete beginner to gardening and have no idea what I'm doing.
I have a garden bin full of decomposed grass from the former property owner.
Is this basically compost? Can I apply ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Does composting spearmint contaminate lower temp compost piles?
I heard that you should NEVER compost mint, because it will contaminate where you put the dirt with a lot of new mint plants. Is this the same if you compost spearmint?
Note to the masochist: I want ...
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vote
1answer
41 views
Does adding large amounts of compost permanently decrease soil drainage?
Composting all my kitchen scraps in buckets ~20L results in:
large amount of compost compared to the amount of soil on the balcony (say 60L compost/year versus 200L of soil)
low temperature ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
Does nitrogen-rich material become carbon-rich after drying?
So my compost is very nitrogen-rich since my yard is mostly lawn and grass clippings are nitrogen-heavy. I read that hay, on the other hand, is carbon-rich. Since hay is just grass dried in the sun, ...
2
votes
2answers
110 views
Compost won't heat up
I bought a composting bin with thermal-insulated walls, mainly for composting kitchen waste:
https://postimg.cc/k2XFsKv3
However according to it's thermometer, temperature never raises over ~20 ...
2
votes
1answer
58 views
does steam kills weed seeds in compost
I have some compost material from a group of homes, if I wanted to sell them to organic farmers, will steam treating them kill all the weed seeds inside it?
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Does a defunct anthill make good compost?
So, there was this defunct anthill at the summer cottage, that I decided to turn into a vegetable patch. After the fact, I'm wondering how good compost the stuff really was.
So, what sort of compost ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
My home made compost produces leachate which smells a bit and is mixed with soil underneath, can i use that soil?
I've used a plastic bin with several holes done into it as a composting container. The content are all veggies and fruit leftover.
The compost gives out excess water (called leachate / compost tea). ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
Are gnats or small flies common around compost piles?
I am new to composting and started my first pile a few weeks ago. I've only put the following things in the pile:
Yard waste - grass clippings from mowing, clippings from my garden, clippings from ...
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0answers
26 views
New home yellow and patchy lawn from animals
If I thatch and aerate my lawn add some compost and seed will it help prevent this?
should I add tons of seed or tougher grass?
2
votes
2answers
49 views
Compost for beginners
I generally use grass cuttings and vegetable waste. When material is added should it be gently compressed or just left as it had been added
2
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1answer
62 views
Compost from wood chips
Last year I had 3 pine trees cut down in my yard due to safety concerns during inclement weather. These trees were healthy and disease free. After grinding the stumps I had piled the remaining wood ...
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2answers
28 views
Is this growing medium good for compost?
This straw-like growing medium was used to grow dhingri (oyster) mushroom. However, due to climate getting hotter here, the mushroom died, and now I am thinking if this medium is suitable for compost ...
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vote
2answers
31 views
Composting pineapple crowns, corn sheath and kernel
Do these take a long time to compost, if so is there some way to speed up the process. Or should I leave them out of the compost bin altogether?
0
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0answers
19 views
joint sand as rock dust for compost
This year I'm trying to improve my compost by adding rock dust. I'm having some left over joint sand (meant for plaster joints) and would like to know if this would work too.
0
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1answer
99 views
How do I deter the honey-bees from my compost bin?
I have two composting bins on the terrace beside my terrace garden (TG). A couple of days back I saw a swarm of honey bees near my TG, and from yesterday or so I am seeing that there are a couple of ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Can you bleach human poop to use as fertilizer?
I was thinking about how in The Martian the astronaut used the crew members poop to fertilize the soil and grow potatoes and decided to learn more about that. I read, though, that unprocessed human ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Terrace garden plants are slowly getting sick
I live in Pune, India and I am new to terrace gardening. I have no knowledge in this field.
I bought Marigold, Catharanthus, and Zinnia (name not sure) from nursery.
I made pot mix myself of 30% soil, ...
2
votes
1answer
41 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
47 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
239 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
103 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
618 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
67 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 ...
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1answer
32 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 ...
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0answers
15 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
40 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
34 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, ...
2
votes
1answer
213 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
260 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 ...
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vote
3answers
619 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
213 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
92 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
57 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 ...
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2answers
63 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 ...
