I don't like change. Not at all.
To help cheer me up. Any ideas for making a compost pile when I don't have any animals for manure?
I have cats, but I'm pretty sure clay cat litter, and cat poo, aren't wise to use, but I could be wrong.
Hope you all like this new look better than I do, though if you don't use the dashboard you won't have any idea what I'm talking about. ;-)
About Me
- LindaG
- Retired, housewife, mother of three. Picking up the pieces after God decided the 145 year old farmhouse was no longer the house for us. Praise God for His mercy and love!
I put all my kitchen scraps (no citrus or meat products, breads finely broken up) in a bottomless bin and top with garden waste like grass clippings, leaves, etc. I add a good handful of blood and bone and some nitrogen based granulated fertiser occassionally. I let the bin fill (you need to re-top it as it shrinks) and when its full I let it stand for the winter. Come spring I lift the bin off and I have a good body of material suitable for growing snow peas, climbing beans (you need a trellis to support these), pumpkins, marrows, squash, melons, sweet potatoes, etc. I place several sheets of a broadsheet newspaper on the ground and empty my compost pile onto this (stops invasive weeds and grasses from growing up through the pile. Water well for the first two weeks with a liquid fertiliser - 2 gallons/week.
ReplyDeleteNot a compost aficianado, so I'll let other commenters pipe in.
ReplyDeleteHope you find an answer. :)
Linda - don't use clay-based cat litter as it will 'clump' and go moist and be too hard to work - besides there are no nutrients in it. I made that mistake using kitty litter from the barbecue grease trap - YUCKY!!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't know anything about composting, but I do know that I'm like you, I don't like change either! :-) I hope you're having an enjoyable weekend!!
ReplyDeleteJohn, thanks for all your input. Much appreciated! Hope your knee is getting stronger for you.
ReplyDeleteNancy, hope you're doing well. :)
Kim, we are having a wonderful weekend so far, thank you. I hope you all are, too. :)
Do not forget that if you get some kind of barrel (or whatever you get) and make a whole/have a hole in the bottom, you can put fine mesh in the bottom and a bucket under so that any liquid caught can also be used as fertilizer. II also second the person who said to use table scraps but not the meats. Most stuff will eventually dry out but meat will attract bugs and more. And yes while Citrus-y stuff is not good as it can limit what you can use your homemade fertilizer on the rinds from oranges and stuff can be used or you could have two compost, one for stuff that needs more acid (Hydrangea, Azalea and other pink/red flowers) which the fruit can give, though this will need to be more sealed as it can attract fruit flies.
ReplyDeleteChris, thanks for that information. I appreciate it! :)
ReplyDeleteLinda I have a large composting system that has worked great for many years. If you go on line you can get lists of things to add to the bin. I even put the disposable bag and contents from the vacuum into the compost. It is amazing how much is compostable. I would definitely put the cat stuff on the list of what not to add as it can attract rats and mice. If you have the open bin type of system then you would want to cover it with a plastic sheet to help hold the temperature up, heat and moisture break the stuff down quicker and kills weed seeds.
ReplyDeleteDoc, Thank you for all your information. Much appreciated! :)
ReplyDeleteDeputy Dave and I are just getting deeper into composting, it's definitely an art!
ReplyDeleteLana, it certainly is. I've read a lot of articles about it and there are so many ways to do it!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you and Deputy Dave! :)