Been composting for years. I don't have anything fancy, just bins made of pallets. I think we're up to three bins now, we use from the oldest one and then re-fill it after all the compost is gone.
Had a melancholy moment this spring as we were using the final compost from our oldest bin. Found a small piece of clear plastic that somehow got in there. Took me a while to figure out what it was but I finally identified it as a tear-tab off of a disposable baby bottle liner. But, my youngest child is 22 years old!!! Goes to show you how long I've been at it.
While I've been composting for years, I don't let my chickens eat out of the compost. I'll give them any leftovers from the garden instead of putting it in the compost. If they don't eat it, I then remove it for the compost. I had one girl die last year of what I think was botulism so I don't want to take that risk, especially in the summer when the threat of botulism is higher.
I compost most anything organic. I don't compost weeds going to seed or anything I don't want to see pop up in my garden. I do compost coffee grinds and tea bags and even the lint from the dryer. I don't intentionally try to make it cook as, IMO, "compost happens". However, sometimes it does cook. Last year it was so hot it would fog my son's glasses when he threw clippings on it. This year it's been too rainy and the compost too wet to cook properly. Mother Nature will straighten it out in due time.
Best bonus was the surprise plant that popped up in my garden this spring. Took me forever to ID it but learned it's Acorn squash, which I've never grown before. Guess a seed from one I purchased didn't cook and came to life! So far we've counted a dozen acorn squash on this one plant and it's threatening to take over the garden. It's producing better than the stuff we intentionally planted!
Another benefit = BAIT! The bottom of the compost pile is a great place to collect worms for fishing. Compost . . . you've gotta' love it!
Had a melancholy moment this spring as we were using the final compost from our oldest bin. Found a small piece of clear plastic that somehow got in there. Took me a while to figure out what it was but I finally identified it as a tear-tab off of a disposable baby bottle liner. But, my youngest child is 22 years old!!! Goes to show you how long I've been at it.
While I've been composting for years, I don't let my chickens eat out of the compost. I'll give them any leftovers from the garden instead of putting it in the compost. If they don't eat it, I then remove it for the compost. I had one girl die last year of what I think was botulism so I don't want to take that risk, especially in the summer when the threat of botulism is higher.
I compost most anything organic. I don't compost weeds going to seed or anything I don't want to see pop up in my garden. I do compost coffee grinds and tea bags and even the lint from the dryer. I don't intentionally try to make it cook as, IMO, "compost happens". However, sometimes it does cook. Last year it was so hot it would fog my son's glasses when he threw clippings on it. This year it's been too rainy and the compost too wet to cook properly. Mother Nature will straighten it out in due time.
Best bonus was the surprise plant that popped up in my garden this spring. Took me forever to ID it but learned it's Acorn squash, which I've never grown before. Guess a seed from one I purchased didn't cook and came to life! So far we've counted a dozen acorn squash on this one plant and it's threatening to take over the garden. It's producing better than the stuff we intentionally planted!
Another benefit = BAIT! The bottom of the compost pile is a great place to collect worms for fishing. Compost . . . you've gotta' love it!
