How to start and maintain a compost heap?

[jwahlton]

I asked this in my tomato post, but I thought it might be good to be a post of it's own.

I've got a small compost pile. I put pretty much all of my scraps in there (no animal stuff though). How long does it take to break down into the compost? I still have pineapple tops from a couple months ago The egg shells and other "small" stuff are pretty much gone

I rotate it every couple of days (bring the bottom to the top, etc). Got some nice rich soil going there that will be great for my fall garden. It's small and I think I need it larger. Can I just put regular dirt in there to bulk it up?

TIA

[thriftychic83]

Yes you can add regular dirt to your compost. It will also turn into rich soil just like everything else. I have used the extra dirt from gardens that I have extended and it is almost black. The great thing about having a compost is that you can throw almost anything in them. It sounds like you are doing a great job already

[MrsPinecone]

We may be buying a new house soon, so I will have room to start my mondo three-bin composting system!

I don't think small when I want to do something.

[BeachBum1984]

I need help with a composting bin. I have a very small area to work with, as I live in an urban area. I'd prefer to make my own bin/container, but I have no idea where to start. What do you do your composting in?

[kcuts]

We just used some old pallets to make the sides ours is open to the front so we can turn it. But for us no one can see it so it did not matter what it looked like but it is very functional. I love to make compost!
We also have one of the Rubbermaid type containers that is plastic but it does not work well, a pain to use.

[janastanley]

I couldn't get ahold of any pallets, so I used plastic garden mesh and tall garden stakes. But it looks like I am going to make a new compost bin with pallets this spring.

[NIGHTB1022]

I'm not into composting, as my covenants & restrictions won't allow it in our subdivision, but I googled for you, hope this helps you!
How to Make a Compost Bin From a Garbage Can | eHow.com

[tmsmalley]

Ok, what can I compost out of my kitchen scraps?

I know I can do:
-old fruits and veggies
-egg shells, rinds
-coffee grounds

I know no meats or dairy, but can I do things like:

-stale cereal (dry- no milk on it)?
-bread?
-stuff that's been pickled like well, pickles?

Anything else I can add or shouldn't touch?


Thanks!
Tess

[jrobertson911]

I compost about everything other than meat and dairy products from my kitchen. Breads and other starch items are fine.

Also try: dryer lint, vacuum waste, tea bags (w/o the tag/string), shredded newspaper (no shiny paper like coupon inserts). To keep from having to water the pile so much, you can also use the drain off from your canned veggies, water you boiled your potatoes/corn/etc in, etc.

[janastanley]

I put everything but meat and dairy into mine too. I found that with the shredded newspaper, the smaller the shreds, the faster it composts. My paper shredders might disagree, but they always get a treat after they are done shredding the newspaper.