Compost Bin

OkieG · May 21, 2003

All this was done last Fall. I've been turning it with the FEL every few weeks and adding kitchen scraps (mostly peelings) and leaves, all the time.

My "compost" is not black, as you see. Probably because the composting process is not done and because of the dirt I added to begin with. It's encouraging that earthworms have come from nowhere and are plump and happy.

Our garden is mostly clay. It was reasonably productive last year, but I've about given up on trying any further conditioning of the clay. This Fall, after harvest, I plan to dig out the clay about a foot deep and replace it with my homebrewed compost and a load of topsoil (?) to make up the volume. The garden is only about 15' by 30', so I think it's doable.

Anyway, there's my simple, cheap compost "bin". It may be obvious this is my first attempt at composting and my bin is quite flawed, based on many of the good comments here in this thread. I just hope it yields some positive results. Once the Summer sun is through cooking, I'll post another picture if there's anything worth looking at. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

OkieG

OkieG · May 22, 2003

By the way, here's a web site with some basic information about composting bins, etc. Good luck. http://www.vegweb.com/composting/systems.shtml

OkieG

tdenny · May 22, 2003

OkieG,

Thanks for your observations and pictures. I'm taking in all ideas at this point. By the way, beautiful place you've got there. Thanks also for the link - I've actually read that article already. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I'm flying off to sunny Florida tonight for a nice week of golf and leisure. I'll be sure and revisit my composting dilemma as soon as I return. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Rch · May 22, 2003

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/35-57541-compostpileFord.jpg
Here is a side by side compost bin that the is wide enough for the tractor FEL. I used fence wire but that is too light. When I I fix it I'll weld up a rebar lattice or the steel mesh they use in concrete work. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 23, 2003

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
My "compost" is not black, as you see. Probably because the composting process is not done and because of the dirt I added to begin with. It's encouraging that earthworms have come from nowhere and are plump and happy.

Our garden is mostly clay. It was reasonably productive last year, but I've about given up on trying any further conditioning of the clay. This Fall, after harvest, I plan to dig out the clay about a foot deep and replace it with my homebrewed compost and a load of topsoil (?) to make up the volume.
)</font>

Making a pile on the ground works great. In fact you need soil contact for the bacteria, worms and moisture to have access to the pile even if you use bins. You can make fast (hot) compost by using the correct blend of materials and turning often. Or use the slow method and just make a pile. Over time the material will break down and you will have great compost that way too. The compost is "done" when you start to see threads of mycelium appearing in the pile. At that point you have potting soil. You can use the materials much sooner if you wish.

Clay soils have great water holding capacities and with the amendment of organic materials will make great garden soil. I'd also consider growing a cover crop. Cut the tall material off and add it to the compost pile and till the rest in a couple of weeks before planting your seeds. There is also nothing wrong with using topsoil and your own compost to replace some of the clay soil if you want to. A couple of things to keep in mind though. Don't get a 3 way or 5 way mix that has a bunch of fresh sawdust or chips in it. That material will rob the nitrogen from your garden plants and will not improve your crop for this year. Compost is the greatest thing you can do for your soil, but is not fertilizer, you have to add that too. Be sure to incorporate the new materials into the existing soil of your garden or you may end up with a stratified layer that will not drain and that the plants may not grow into...

Good luck!

GregJ · May 23, 2003

I started out thinking that I needed bins. I am going to be composting fairly large quantities of mulch, so the bins would have to be fairly large. After considerable research and a little experience I came to the following conclusions:
1. The best way to compost large quantities is in open piles or windrows. When it is open on all sides the oxygen is more plentiful and that is a critical component for the composting process.
2. I found that even when being careful, I would always manage to hit the sides of any bin I tried to construct and my little tractor could easily destroy a side with very little effort on my part. (Maybe it's the driver thats the problem)
3. When I found out that dirt was a critical component to compost, it became clear that I didn't have to keep it contained to a small area.
4. When I turn the mulch, I am not restricted by exactly where to put it. I move the pile around wherever it makes sense.
5. To remove it from view, we are planting a hedge around my "work area". Now I can have piles of mulch, compost, sand, topsoil, etc. and it will be out of view from the house.
I have attached a picture of one of my mulch piles.

Greg

theboman · May 23, 2003

Nice rig Greg, what's one of those chipper shreaders cost?

StoneHeartFarm · May 23, 2003

OkieG

Like DavidB has said, don't give up on that clay. Our garden is about half clay, but it has been worked for a number of years and the soil is almost black. Clay holds water very well and has minerals that sand doesn't.

My suggestion would be to just keep dumping the compost and organic matter on it and plow it in.

Steve

GregJ · May 23, 2003

Bo,
My Bearcat cost a little over $2000. I have been very pleased with it. I had a small Sears unit before that was more work than it was worth. With this unit, all you have to do is get the debris to it. Once it's in the chute, it's gone. The chips are very small and compost quickly. I have done a couple of piles like the one in the picture, so far. The chipper blade is just now in need of sharpening. The blades are reversible, so all I have to do is turn them over and I'm good for a couple more piles, I guess, before I have to send them out to be sharpened. The blades themselves are very expensive ($165 a set), so I am going to have them professionally sharpened when the time comes. My salesperson recommended the model without the blower. They have had problems with clogging on that model. For my use, with a FEL, I really have no use for the blower anyway.

Greg

OkieG · May 24, 2003

DavidB and StoneHeartFarm,

Thankyou both for your input. You have raised my opinion of having clay in the garden and have convinced me to continue working the clay after all. I am new at gardening and know little about desireable qualities for garden soil, but I feel like I'm learning. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

OkieG

tdenny · May 28, 2003

Rch,

That is very close to the one that I've cooked up. I'm going to use some non-climb horse fence that I have laying around and basically make to little areas like yours. Nice tractor too. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Rch · May 28, 2003

tdenny, actually, as I think about it, I'm just going to remove the wire altogether on the backside. Any mulch that pushes through can just be shoved back into the center. This assumes you have enough room on both sides of the bin to manuever the tractor.

tdenny · May 29, 2003

RCH,

Good point about having mesh on the rear of the bins. I 'll probably do it anyway though since I like it to be more compartmentalized. If I happen to push some through the wire I guess I'll actually have to get off my tractor and do a little manual labor. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 29, 2003

Most clay is actually very nutritious, just not very workable :\ Here in NC we have some "lovely" clay that I garden in. After a couple of years of throwing shredded leaves over the beds in the fall, adding an inch or so of highly composted horse manure/bedding, and the process of ripping out dead annuals (ok, and weeds to...) has turned most of my beds into rich worm-hotels. Very satisfying. I never feed my garden beds - the combination of the clay and the manure and leaves all provide a good amount of nutrition.

That said, my all-time favorite composting site is http://www.mastercomposter.com/ with the sub-site of Piles http://www.mastercomposter.com/pile/index.html telling/showing you how to build several variations of compost piles, as well as what you can, can't, and can-but-shouldn't put in the pile. I hope you all enjoy that site as much as I do!

tdenny · May 30, 2003

JBandRio,

Thanks for the links - they make for some very interesting reading.

Anonymous Poster · May 31, 2003

Actually OkieG, that's the best design I've seen yet... nice job!.... and this is coming from one of those Organic gardening types... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 31, 2003

Actually, looking at OkieG and yours gives me a great idea to combine the two... cut into the side of a hill and build it up .... great thinking guys!

OkieG · Jun 3, 2003

JBandRio,
It's good to hear another voice recommending clay as a satisfactory substrate. I don't feel nearly as bad about having clay garden soil as I did before this thread.
Last year I spread a coffee can full of earth worms into the garden soil. Over the following couple of weeks there was a mass exodus of worms. They couldn't stand the inhospitable soil...and decided to abandon their new home. So, after they left, rather than throwing shreded leaves over the garden, I dug a trench and filled it with leaves (see picture) and covered it with garden soil last fall. It was a chance to use my backhoe and get rid of leaves at the same time. It's an attempt to run some organic material deep and make a happy home for the next batch of worm tenants that I may move in. I also like the links in your post!

EagleEye,
Wow. Thanks for the kind words. I knew my FEL operator skills would damage any compost bin I could build. Whereas, a hillside pit just might survive.

OkieG