A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.
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March 27, 2018 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 65
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Composting in 5 Gallon bucket
Hi all,
While I dream of living on a big piece of land, I'm currently in an apartment in Los Angeles and don't have any room to make a big compost heap. So, I use two 5 gallon buckets which I've perforated with many holes to allow for air circulation. I fill the buckets with about 1/3rd fresh "green" vegetable scraps from the kitchen, and the rest with "brown" fallen leaves. I roll the buckets and flip them every week or so. Do you know any tricks to make them compost faster? Any other pointers or recommendations? Thank you. |
March 27, 2018 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 2,052
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Make sure they are moist. If the brown stuff doesn't get moist it will take longer to compost. You can splash in a cup or so of water when you mix if it is dry.
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March 27, 2018 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 65
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Thanks. I wonder about how much time a properly managed bucket should take to be completed and ready to use?
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March 27, 2018 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: So Cal
Posts: 380
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Hi The amount of time,depends on a lot of things. Cut up your kitchen waste in small pieces, same with the brown waste.I use my weed eater for that also keep the mix damp and in the sun. Mike
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March 27, 2018 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 65
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I appreciate that. I noticed that when we went through a chilly spell here in So Cal the decomposition slowed down. Now we're looking at warmer weather, so that should help.
Thanks. |
March 27, 2018 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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You could buy compost starter.
Nan |
March 27, 2018 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Posts: 3,149
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Add some soil or mycorrihizae. This is to get the beneficial bacteria and fungi growing which will help to break it down faster. The soil has these things in it and is free. So add a few handfuls of garden dirt to the mix to move it along.
__________________
~ Patti ~ |
March 30, 2018 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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How about worms? I think they would speed it up.
I need a new composting strategy to avoid feeding and attracting rats. I like the sound of the buckets. "Perforations" don't sound like a rodent could get in. Just wondering if it's easy enough to keep it aerated and not smelly. |
March 30, 2018 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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With a tight-fitting lid, you could roll the bucket around. Or have two buckets, and dump from one to the other to aerate.
Nan |
March 30, 2018 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Yeah. The virtue of my old style lazy heap compost was never getting any on ya. Bucket composts tend to be drippy .. or maybe I'm wrong?
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March 30, 2018 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 2,052
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You're not wrong. I have a 30 gal plastic trash can I perforated for composting and I had to set it up on blocks with a pan underneath to catch the tea that drips from it. Hey, that's compost tea! I dilute it and use it.
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March 30, 2018 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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I'm down with the tea for plants! Just don't want to waste any... on my dirty clothes.
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March 30, 2018 | #13 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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I have wondered about the compost tumblers. Not for my own use, but just in general. This thread makes me think about them. A general search - https://www.google.com/search?source....0.8yznlS4_v78
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March 30, 2018 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 65
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The contents of my bucket system do get stinkier and a bit slimier than it would be in a regular heap. While I was preparing my plot over the fall and winter, I placed the buckets over the spots where I knew I would plant so the tea would drip into the ground. I'll be finding a way to catch the tea now.
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March 31, 2018 | #15 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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Quote:
ago when I lived in the city. Without worms to digest the vegetable matter I would think it would stink and take a while to break down. Even so, I did have to toss some bags in the freezer so the worms could catch up with so much veg matter. Helps if some compostables is the dry stuff from juicing. Really chopped up. I had to build a big wooden lidded box for mine with some drilled air holes to keep the pups out of it. Lots of DIY worm bin ideas out there. |
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