Questions tagged [compost]
Compost is organic material which has undergone decomposition by microorganisms and is used as a soil amendment.
281
questions
10
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
33 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
73 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
80 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
40 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
56 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 ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Can you easily see mycelium when it's conquering territory?
In my stropharia rugosoannulata mycelium piles I tried looking for some mycelium when digging, but it was undetectable. Why was I unable to detect the mycelium with just my eyes?
0
votes
1answer
45 views
Moldy apple core in potted plant
Put an apple core in the pot with my plant and now it’s getting moldy and the mold is spreading to the soil. Will the mold hurt my plant? Or is this all part of the composting process?
0
votes
2answers
64 views
do wood chips insulate better for cold than heat?
I noticed that my wood chip compost pile that I never turned has ice still about 1" below the surface, so that got me to wonder if wood chips are better cold insulators than heat insulators.
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Making emulsion out of slaughterhouse waste
I have previously made fish emulsion to fertilize a small greywater garden; pretty much sealing fish waste (entrails, bones, skin) into oxygen-free plastic containers and leaving it for 6 months to a ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Why do compost piles warm from the outside in during the springtime?
I started moving my composting wood chips this spring, and noticed that the middle of the pile is still frozen, but the outside is workable, why is that?
I can tell you that when we had no snow on ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
What is the difference between replacing soil and amending soil?
I came across this article and I find that it goes against everything that's said about soil amendment before planting. I've copied bits of it down below.
You are planting a new tree, and you want ...
2
votes
1answer
53 views
Can I put mealybug-infested kale in my compost?
I have a huge infestation of mealybugs in my kale. Am I able to compost these plants or will I risk contamination?
3
votes
2answers
55 views
Burying large amounts of burgen
I need to dispose of a very large amount of Burgan (kunzea/tea trees) that I am removing from a part of a rural property it took over and is posing a fire danger.
The current pile is about 3x3x10 ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Can I throw a plant that has white flies into the compost pile?
I have a bunch of dead leaves from a plant that has white flies. Can I use them for compost?
4
votes
2answers
118 views
Can the filter papers in coffee K-pods be used for composting?
I already know it's a lot of trouble to remove them for composting, but does anyone know if the paper filters inside the K-pods are actually biodegradable? We no longer use the old fashioned coffee ...
2
votes
2answers
53 views
Bury Rodents Compost
Is it safe to bury a rat, approx 12" deep in my vegetable garden? I grow tomatoes, cilantro & peppers. Does it pose any health hazard?
3
votes
2answers
81 views
Is composting just stacking organic waste together?
I read a few sites, http://decompose.co and how to compost and a few other sites
is it really that complicated?
Is there anything else I need to learn?
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Fresh cowdung and baggase in lasagna gardening
I am an apartment balcony gardener. I have access to a lot of fresh cowdung and baggase. However, I have no place to dry it or let it mature properly. I could dry it in my little balcony but the smell ...
2
votes
2answers
107 views
Which kitchen and garden scraps can be scattered on a vegetable garden soil?
I'm trying to make the switch to adding natural instead of synthetic fertilizer to my vegetable garden (and stop tilling while I'm at it). Besides compost, I'm curious whether I could use some kitchen ...
4
votes
3answers
4k views
Does anyone know the reason potatoes should not be added to the compost pile?
There is a list of at least 13 things that do not go into the compost pile. Most I know and understand. I just found a list that included potatoes.
Potatoes do what to a pile of compost? Feces, ...
3
votes
2answers
303 views
Is it sensible to do composting in a grow bag or pot which already has plants planted in it?
I've taken a half liter soft drink bottle, cut off the bottom portion of it and created holes at the bottom and created top-vents like the ventilation that pipe composting needs.
The blue arrows ...
3
votes
1answer
69 views
Do I need to throw away my compost if it has had a mouse living in it?
I found a mouse in my compost a little while ago. Whilst the mouse doesn't seem to be there any more, I have been told that I should throw away this compost as the mouse could have brought some ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Would a Jean Pain heater work well for heating in a USDA Zone 4A?
I'm considering digging a 300' (distance to the compost pile) trench 2 ways to heat constantly on a closed system as it's cheaper/easier to get a pile of wood chips than split wood. Would a wood chip ...
1
vote
0answers
20 views
What will fungi do in an aerobic environment?
This winter I'm considering adding another foot to my wine cap bed so it has a nice thermal environment all winter. That would make it under 2' (wood chip dimensions of 10'x100'x2') of wood chips/...
6
votes
2answers
74 views
Are hops bad for compost?
I brew my own beer and as such have a relatively large amount (2KG dry weight) of spent malt grains and a small amount (100g dry weight) of hops that go in the compost once a month or so.
Hops are ...
2
votes
1answer
35 views
How thick of a layer of wood chips will I want to keep the soil warm in a USDA zone 4A environment during the winter?
I'm currently building a 10X100 fungal/garden bed, in a USDA zone 4A environment, and am going to want to keep the soil warm enough to keep fungi spreading. How deep will I want a layer of wood chips ...
3
votes
1answer
367 views
Can I compost vermiculite?
I've read online that you can compost perlite without a problem, and it actually has some benefits. I couldn't find information online that says that composting vermiculite is okay.
I know it is ...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
what is the liveable temperature range of winecap?
I'm trying to promote wine cap growth, and am unsure if I should leave a black tarp on it, or take off the black tarp.
1
vote
3answers
82 views
Is it possible to compost living grass?
I'm trying to kill off a large area (30'X30'X4') of living grass that has been established for hundreds of years. What would be the best way to kill off this grass? I do have a 30'X30' grain plastic ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Insect Identification: What's this insect
Recently i found an insect very rapidly multiplying itself in the compost heap at home. I took some blurry images of the insect since they were very brisk and not sufficiently static. I am concerned ...
3
votes
4answers
75 views
What are the obstacles to wide-scale commercial composting of human feces?
I hope this isn't too broad.
I'm talking about large scale industrial composting. So you take a city's sewage, treat it (irradiating is one method I've seen mentioned) and modify it as needed. Then ...
2
votes
0answers
23 views
What treatments would “balance out” what's in dog poo on my lawn, to not kill the lawn?
Criteria:
I do not want to MOVE the poop.
I just want to keep it from killing the grass
I'm ok with it taking 1-3 weeks to break down.
I'm looking for easy not perfect :)
I know: we should be ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
What do I need to add to turn (or offset) dog poop into fertilizer?
We end up with dog poop in our yard.
I'd like to put pour something on it that would break it down/compost it (even if it took a month). I'd rather not have to pick it up :)
Bonus points if there'...
4
votes
2answers
150 views
How should I deal with garlic rust after the harvest?
I've grown garlic that got infected with garlic rust. I had some luck in that the infection started late in the spring so the bulbs are actually pretty big - around 60g, cleaned.
The garlic stems and ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
should water going through compost come out sudsy (like soap suds)?
I have a composting chamber (similar to a miracle grow container but goes in 1 side and out the other) be sending out water that seems a little sudsy on the output side?
3
votes
2answers
83 views
Is this underground compost system likely to work?
I live in an arid area with strong winds and very hot summers. I've tried a regular compost pile but have had problems with pests (migratory rats that seem to be attracted by the smell) and the heat: ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Chopping old vegetable/fruit to the ground as compost [duplicate]
Sometimes I have vegetable/fruit that's gone bad and it's going to be thrown. I was thinking about chopping it and mix it with the ground of the plants I have (not so many).
Will it be helpful for ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
How can I care for my euonymus japonicus president gauthier?
I bought a cheap supermarket mixed planter pot about 3 years ago. I left them outside in a damp, sheltered area with little direct sunlight. The plant I now believe to have identified as euonymus ...
5
votes
2answers
56 views
Will cat poo affect my flowers?
We have two cats at home, one of them uses the indoor litter tray while the other prefers to use the flower bed (then diligently spreading soil to cover up the deed).
Should I be concerned? The ...
4
votes
1answer
71 views
Will forest floor mulch work well for fungal dominated wood chip compost?
I'm in a bind to find fungal dominated wood chip compost (yes, even the crops extension line at the local university gives me the stumped response) in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, and was wondering ...
2
votes
2answers
36 views
How much swap-space should a leave in my compost tumbler?
My wife and I decided to try composting and after filling a five gallon bucket in three weeks with kitchen scraps we took the jump and bought a two-chamber tumbler (so we can add to one side while the ...
4
votes
2answers
89 views
Is just adding a new soil layer on top of existing soil good for creating a new plant bed?
I want to create a small area (2 square meters) for new plants and/or seedlings. I need to raise a level in that area a little (for overall garden design purposes), and I plan just to put 30cm / 1ft ...
5
votes
2answers
98 views
How to balance the compost bin
We have a black tumble composter that is about one-quarter full of organic plant food and garden clippings. Now that the weather is heating up the bin has become quite smelly and is attracting flies.
...
15
votes
7answers
5k views
Is there a way to avoid the recurring cost of microbes when composting at home?
I am planning to start a terrace garden and to generate compost for it. I found two sellers Seller1 and Seller2 in my city. Seller1 has "patented microbes" and Seller2 has microbes, saw dust, dry ...
5
votes
1answer
54 views
How should I store a large pile of compost for future use?
I recently acquired 5 cubic yards of compost. I'd hoped to use this immediately on my small zone 6 property for some garden bed and sheet mulching projects. However, I've since been injured and may ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
I've read that composting can reach up to 140 degrees - does this affect my plants?
I plan to do approximately a 1'x1' curved ditch between my garden rows filled with wood chips, and manure, will this make the plants get too warm, or will it keep the soil cooler like cover crops do??
2
votes
2answers
230 views
Handling Compost with Bare Hands?
I just realized I did this today. I usually wear gloves but today I was starting a lasagna garden (at least the base of it) and i got some bagged compost to spread over cardboard and I just spread it ...
4
votes
1answer
968 views
Another dying Meyer lemon tree
I have two potted Meyer lemon trees, both about 20 years old, in 14" pots. I live in Rhode Island, so the trees are outside from May to October, then in a west facing, roughly 70 degree kitchen, with ...
6
votes
3answers
338 views
Is it possible to plant vegetables just in compost without soil added?
I am new to gardening and I have started to grow my own vegetables at home. I have used only compost - and now that I am reading more about gardening, I am not sure if what I did was right. So do I ...
