Compost containers/bins

[bluie]

Composting is the best! You can also try sheet composting if you don't want a pile. If you have a place where you would like a flower or veggie bed in the future, or an existing one that is not currently in use (over the winter for example) try sheet composting. Just spread your compost materials evenly over the area as you acquire them. Try to keep green/brown proportions the same as if it was a pile. It won't decompose as thoroughly as it would in a hot pile (unless you give it a couple of years), but its the lazy woman's (me) method of building great soil. You will also get volunteer tomato plants and potato plants and stuff like that. There's a great book called "Lasagne Gardening" with lots more info. My other fave composting method is patience. Just pile stuff up (no stirring) and go back and get it in a year or two. I am planning to be more organized soon and am going to make a couple of three sided bins using concrete blocks. Also, my compost is always in complete shade. Happy Composting! Bluie

 

[Chelly]

How do you keep the flies out?

I will probably start some kind of compost going soon - I'll have lots of horse poop to add, but I dont' want FLIES!

 

[Agilityscots]

Chelly, it's interesting...there are all sorts of little weird flying bugs, but not a whole lot of flies. There are some, to be sure, but it's not out of control like I would have imagined. But just to make sure mine is about a hundred feet from the house, just behind our shed and near the coop.

Does anyone have problems with raccoons or possums raiding their compost piles/bins? So far no one's touched mine, but I keep wondering when someone's going to show up and start stealing my scraps.

Amy

 

[bluie]

I agree that compost piles in general do not generate a lot of flies. I would however, make sure that a fresh layer of manure or fresh kitchen scraps have a layer of soil or shredded leaves or the like on top. And about raccoons raiding the pile, yes. I have a pile of chipped branches and shredded leaves that is teeming with large earthworms. I keep having to rake it back into a pile because every night somebody comes digging around looking for tasty worms. Bluie