How to start and maintain a compost heap?

[diva_dynamite]

This is a great thread - Thanks!! I have tried starting a compost pile a few times, and it hasn't worked too well. I've really felt bad about how much good stuff I've just thrown away. Now I can at least use my coffee grounds until my compost pile heats up (trying to be positive here...) We have 6 Starbucks in town, and Target is building another one. No shortage of places to try!

[JANE4girls]

I have been reading up more on composting and found a site that says you can use hair! that seems kind of strange to me, LOL.


http://www.compostguide.com/

[BzyBee]

LOL...I shake the hair (from haircuts) out into the woods...I am sure birds use it in their nest at this time of year...so in a way it gets composted. :rolleyes:

[crazybmb]

People need to be careful not to add too much. It can cause other problems

[JANE4girls]

well, I shredded tons of newspaper and put that into my compost pile too!

does anyone know if just having it in a heap is okay, or do I need to put it in a bin or cage?

[pieohmy]

I've always done mine in a heap and it works fine. Just keep adding to it, keep it wet, and turn it every now and again.

For those interested there is a method of making beds called lasagna gardening. Google it and check it out. You great results for minimal effort.

[allynbayleigh]

Horse manure is great. Its very high in nitrogen. DO NOT apply fresh hm to plants though as it will burn their roots if they are not used to it or well established. I personally spread it out a bit and then allow it to start to break down and dry out. THen it gets moved to compost. Since my horses will be at home in afew weeks I will just scoop it out of their stalls and pasture.

You can contact most any horse stable and gather some up. Should be free, you may have to "pick" it from their pile though.

Also if you live near a beach, seaweed and certain types of algea are supposed to be great. You need to rinse it first though. My friend gets algae regularly for hers from her daily walks.

[bluedaisy]

GREAT thread! The latest Mother Earth News has a whole article on this too! I think I'll call Starbucks before going in for the grounds...great tip!

[BzyBee]

I have enough scraps to start a small compost pile and keep it going...but not sure where on the property to locate it. Sun, shade...a bit of both, does it matter??

Thanks!!

[TheWoman]

Far enough from the house to not smell it. Close enough that it is still convienent. I would think that sun would be better as stuff decomposes better when warm--in fact, the inside of a properly made compost pile gets hot enough to kill weed seeds and such. Sun would help with that.