Your 2024 Garden

[JacinLarkwell]

I heard, a long time ago, that you can even compost used tampons. Don't think that is something I would ever try

Some of the materials would likely take far longer than ideal to compost.

 

[tripletfeb]

Some of the materials would likely take far longer than ideal to compost.

Not something I'll ever find out because that is just gross to me

 

[Sally PB]

We learned even if covered, as ours are two bins that lock and unlock so we can spin them, that we still shouldn't put meat or bones in it.

Did critters still get into it? Wow.

Only problem is I don’t mix it. It’s more just to not make waste. I would love to utilize it, but the ratio seems waaaay off. Dried leaves go into the chicken run, along with grass clippings and pulled weeds…any suggestions?

A pile that is left long enough will eventually compost. Mixing/turning introduces oxygen which helps it break down faster. Having a combination of carbon/nitrogen helps it break down faster. The pile also needs moisture. If it's bone dry, it will take much longer. They say it should be as damp as a wrung out sponge. I was surprised at how much water my compost pile needed to feel damp. Several gallons!

Chickens will do a lot of the compost "work" for you. Their scratching and pecking at the stuff on the ground helps shred the leaves, etc. They'll level a pile of leaves in minutes in my run. I think the phrase, "they took it down in minutes flat!" was coined by someone watching chickens work on a pile of leaves.

@gtaus uses his chickens to make compost in their run to great effect!

I cut my dh's hair, put the clippings in the compost.

Hair, fur, feathers are all sources of nitrogen, because they are made up of a lot of protein. So is blood from ... that other source mentioned.

 

[gtaus]

@gtaus uses his chickens to make compost in their run to great effect!

Thanks for the shout out. Looks like there is a good conversation going on here in this thread. I'll add a little response to the post you quoted.

I have a big pile at the end of my property against the woods, and we just throw all of the kitchen scraps that the dogs and chickens can’t eat back there. (Avocado pits & peels, molding produce/bread…) in the summer I dump the chicken shavings there during coop cleanouts,

I have some full-sized pallet wood compost bins that I dump what little organic waste that I don't want the chickens to eat. It's not very much. I just let that stuff sit in the compost bin for years and eventually it breaks down on its own.

Almost all my organic material gets tossed into the chicken run composing system. All my old coop litter gets dumped into the chicken run. I use the dry deep bedding system and clean out my coops twice a year. For the past 2+ years, I have been using paper shreds I make at home for my coop litter. The paper shreds compost really fast in the chicken run - maybe in as little as 2 months depending on the weather.

Only problem is I don’t mix it. It’s more just to not make waste. I would love to utilize it, but the ratio seems waaaay off. Dried leaves go into the chicken run, along with grass clippings and pulled weeds…any suggestions?

If I dump some old moldy food into the compost bin, I will cover it with a layer of dried leaves. Makes it look better and sometimes covers the bad smell. That lasagna style of building a compost bin, and then just letting it sit for years, seems to make good compost over time. You don't have to mix a compost bin if you just want to let it cold compost over time. It just takes a lot longer.

I am assuming that your ratio is waaaaay off in terms of too much nitrogen. In that case, just add dried leaves.

You can't have too many dried leaves in a compost pile. That's what people call leaf mold compost at that point. If you can keep the pile moist, it will compost faster.

If you want to start to manage that big pile at the end of your property, and start making some hot compost, I just posted an interesting concept using stackable, interlocking compost bins on the thread Show Me Your Pallet Projects. Check out the link for the full post. Here is a short copy and paste to see if it interests you...

*****

OK, now some pictures to peak your interest. Here is the compost bin all stacked up and interlocked...

Looks pretty nice to me. But here is where the design really shines. Each layer of that compost bin can be removed and restacked in another place. For example, if you practice hot composting and you need to turn the pile, you simply start taking off the top portion of the compost bin, set it on the ground next to the original pile, and then start moving the compost material into the new bin you are building.

Here is how they show it on their website...

I think that's a pretty interesting way of turning and rebuilding the compost bin!

If you are interested in that design, here is a link to the Free Compost Bin Plans.

*****

I put almost all my organics into the chicken run composting system and let my chickens turn the compost litter for me. So, I don't practice hot composting and I don't manually turn my compost bins. But if I did, I think I would use that stackable, interlocking compost bin concept.

 

[winteralley]

How many folks here have started planning their garden for next year. I'm in the early stages of planning based on how much of what we need to use fresh and preseve by drying, freezing, canning, and pickling.

Same! I haven't quite got the hang of how much we need through the year. Seems I never put up enough tomatoes. We've already ordered trees (fruit and nuts) and berries. I'll figure out the seed order soon, I hope.

 

[Sally PB]

I'll figure out the seed order soon, I hope.

Sow True Seeds has free shipping this month. Baker Creek always has free shipping, I think. Maybe not on heavy stuff, but on seed packets.

 

[Sally PB]

I haven't quite got the hang of how much we need through the year. Seems I never put up enough tomatoes.

I figure we use a quart of tomatoes a week. Sometimes we skip a week. But I plan on canning at least 52 quarts (more like 56, since the canner holds 7 quarts). I like to have extra on the shelf.

Then there's the salsa... I need 'maters for that too.

Since hubby has developed a taste for grilled beans, I need to grow more of those for the freezer. We never seem to use up all the potatoes, but that leaves me seed potatoes for the next season.

I'd really like to get enough sour cherries to make jam, and to freeze. The birds got the 6 cherries that were on our tree. This is the first year it had cherries, so I'm hopeful for next season.

Does anyone here freeze greens for winter use? Spinach, chard?

 

[Debbie292d]

Did critters still get into it? Wow.

Not at all. These were given to us or we'd not be composting at all. We border a forest and already dealt with skunks who would be the first "customers."

 

[Debbie292d]

I figure we use a quart of tomatoes a week. Sometimes we skip a week. But I plan on canning at least 52 quarts (more like 56, since the canner holds 7 quarts). I like to have extra on the shelf.

Then there's the salsa... I need 'maters for that too.

Since hubby has developed a taste for grilled beans, I need to grow more of those for the freezer. We never seem to use up all the potatoes, but that leaves me seed potatoes for the next season.

I'd really like to get enough sour cherries to make jam, and to freeze. The birds got the 6 cherries that were on our tree. This is the first year it had cherries, so I'm hopeful for next season.

Does anyone here freeze greens for winter use? Spinach, chard?

I've frozen kale for the chickens. I just rinse and chop it into 5"x5" approx pieces, lay them out on large cookie sheets and freeze for about an hour. Then put into freezer bags and back into the freezer. They like it in the winter. Last winter I didn't and just bought a bunch in the store. That lasted about a week, so an occasional treat. I think @LTAY1946 spoke of freezing greens of some sort though.

 

[fuzzi]

I've frozen kale for the chickens. I just rinse and chop it into 5"x5" approx pieces, lay them out on large cookie sheets and freeze for about an hour. Then put into freezer bags and back into the freezer. They like it in the winter. Last winter I didn't and just bought a bunch in the store. That lasted about a week, so an occasional treat. I think @LTAY1946 spoke of freezing greens of some sort though.

I grow collards all winter long, as they laugh at snow and ice.

This year I have been harvesting some of the lower leaves for the chickens, and they attack it like piranhas!