And to collect your food scraps in your home, you should try The Kitchen Cone - a cleverly designed cost-effective, clean, non-smelly food-scrap collecting bin that uses newspaper instead of expensive bags.
Haha, my recent "compost" efforts haven't gone terribly well...my compost has sprouted in several areas and I now have a sort of mystery garden, with my leftovers from salads and veggie dishes now sprouting in miscellaneous places (e.g., a potatoes sprouting in my basil patch, tomatoes sprouting where the beans are planted, etc.). I'm trying to move them to more suitable locations...hey, if they've sprouted, the least I can do is help them reach maturity. 8-)
HELP!!! fire ants invaded my compost pile! bad news is they invaded my pile, good news is they brought in some dirt. will using poison(amdro) to get rid o the ants ruin my pile?
Great video, but the proportions are wrong. I know it's not meant to be rocket science, but the "brown", as you call it, it the main source of nitrogen. 3 parts "brown" to 1 part "green" would surely be more beneficial in the long run. Nevertheless, however you do it, keep on keeping on.
I find it odd that people can see compost being made successfully but still complain that the method is wrong. I make compost with just green grass or just brown leaves or mostly chicken manure and all three are excellent compost and are fantastic composts. Stop following experts blindly and see with your eyes instead of your info sheets.
I'm going to be composting for the first time in a few days and I'm afraid that the plants I'm going to use for composting are nutrient poor. (low in nitrogen, calcium, and iron, and whatnot)
I was wondering if I could take vitamin capsules from my medicine drawer, crush them up, and put them in my developing compost.
@ObeyBunny Just make sure you put all our kitchen waste in the compost pile.
Egg shells, all vegetable peelings, teabags, anything that was once alive apart from meat and fats should keep it full of nutrients. And dig a load of live worms up and put them in too. And fallen leaves.
Pet hair is another good thing to throw in.
Also, ask around to see if a neighbour has a rabbit and ask if you can clean it out and keep the straw and droppings. Of if you have kids get them to do it. :)
Asking if one of my neighbors would be willing to give me their rabbet’s pellets is actually a pretty ingenious way of getting manure for the compost. I wish I had considered that considered right from the start. But wouldn’t fur be non-decomposable like the rest of animal it comes from?
@ObeyBunny Pet hair is fine to compost.. I have a dog with short, stiff hair and I have done it for about 5 years and it seems to aerate the pile really well. Also i bet all the gunk that is in dog hair just adds nutrients and bacteria to the pile. Most pet hair is water repellent so adds draining to your plants too.
And slugs hate it because it sticks to them. Which it amusing to watch.
Also the birds come take it for nests and crap all over the pile, giving me more free nutrients :)
Oh well... I'll just have to find another way of recycling fish bones and spoiled meat.
In the 2 days since I posted my question, I've started thinking about building an Aquaponic farm (which combines hydroponics and fish farming.) If I ever have to deal with spoiled meat, I can use it to attract maggots and beetles which I can feed to my fish.
(I still have no clue what to do with fish bones though…)
Would adding dog doo-doo be a detriment to a compost in it's earliest stages? Does it introduce harmful bacteria or highly concentrated toxins into the mulch or would the poo be broken down without a problem?
I apologize for asking such a dumb question, but I just started investigating composting 30 minutes ago.
Also, can things like fish bones and spoiled meat be broken down in a compost (and be usable material for plants)?
i am trying it for the first time - i just put leaves, shredded, wet carboard, and fruit/veggie extras in a hole and covered it up with a black trash bag, and i mix it ups lol
Its definitely not rocket science, use what you have got. I turn my compost every week. If I only have brown compost (dried leaves twigs paper cardboard) I turn the heap put a layer of soil over it then add the brown compost, manure (dynamic llfter chicken poo pellets) and dampen it with compost tea then add a layer of soil. Green brown layering is a joke, its more important to keep your pile moist manured and layered with soil and turn once a week, adding weekly any organic material you have.
@reaperx20tem Weeds form 70% of my compost in the the form of green ingredients, mixed with brown ingredients, manure and water and a layer of soil. In my third month of composting, I turn every week and have the satisfaction of seeing a steaming hot compost.
Thank you so much. I am a newbie composter and I have been watching and re-watching your video to make sure my "garden lasagna" is constructed correctly!
I'm 21 and just startng a garden. I love the idea of composting and I'm for sure going to give it a try! (I'm going to try to turn my mom into it as well!) Thanks so much for this infromative video!
This is a good video but please FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE BEGINNING! The opening shot of the guy talking doesn't have any audio. Surely that will turn off many people who would have watched further...
@mklempner Hi. This audio problem wasn't in the the source file and only started to appear after the video had been viewed 200,000 times so I can't understand what happened. I've got a request in with the YouTube support people and hope they can correct it on their end.
3 parts green to 1 part brown will give your plants wayyy too much nitrogen.
So, unless this compost is for tomatoes, which will benefit from all that nitrogen, you should go 2 parts brown to 1 part green.(2 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen)
@kayleeShoe i agree , the ratio do appear wrong, the ratio we use is 4-3-2, thats 4 parts carbon to three parts green material, to one part high nitrogen. Bio-vital composting with paul taylor for the latest in composting techniques, go to trustinnature channel.
@kayleeShoe There isn't one definitive recipe for compost and different proportions can work. The ones included in the video are those proposed by Rodale (and other authorities) for a hot compost pile. It's true that there's a lot of nitrogen in 3 parts green to 1 part brown, but nitrogen is the "match" that sets a hot pile on fire.
I'm so glade to see someone else keeping things as simple as they truly are. The simplest ideas usually solve the problem the EASY way. From military experience I have learned KNOWLEDGE trumps a high tech solution and as my father said,"Throwing money at a problem is no solution. Less gadgets means less breakdowns anyway."
this video help me alot i built my bin and in two months it was ready ....i just turn it every week ..and now my garden is looking better ....thanks ...
I have a MASSIVE but not particually well structured compost heap. the trouble is that firstly i dont know what to do with it all and secondly it would be very very challanging to seperate the good decomposed compost with the chunks of stuff that hasnt decomposed.
@jackmaggotdude that's why you need a build a compost filter. Take some 2 x 4 and hardware cloth and buy a stable gun. Make a box out of the 2 x 4, then stable hardware cloth on the bottom.
That way when your compost has made, you can easily filter out the chunky stuff. Put the chunky stuff back into the pile because it is the perfect inoculant.
There is an interesting book called 'Farmers Of Forty Centuries', about the turn of the century use of organic farming methods in Japan, Korea and China.
Farmers hauled weeds from less fertile (higher) land to add to their farmland.
I'm getting ready to create my first real compost pile. Thanks for showing me how to do it.
MY QUESTION is: once I've created a pile with good green brown ratios, what if I were to only add all my daily fruit/veggie scraps to the pile and no "browns" on an on-going basis? Will that mess it up? Do I need to be diligent about finding browns to toss in regularly, too?
Why are there food flies in my bin when I open my compost? I try to cover kitchen waste when I put in but flies are still there. So the kids hate to go near there!
im starting my first compost and i was wondering if its alright to put crab shell's in there. it was cooked and brine frozen so its kinda salty. would that be alright?
@rxwarrior998 some people say don't add anything that might attract larger animals. But I've thrown in rinsed out sea shells, crab and egg shells , and buried them rather than just putting them on top. Burying them will reduce the chances of say...a squirrel running amok on top of your pile or a raccoon.
im starting my first compost and i was wondering if its alright to put crab shell's in there. it was cooked and brine frozen so its kinda salty. would that be alright?
Yes it is alright to add crab shells or shrimp tails. If you have an open pile, just bury them within or if you have an enclosed bin, you are fine. I've pushed my luck far beyond just crab shells- I've added fish guts from fishing trips, bones from meals and other various "unrecommended" additions. As long as its buried or put into a rapidly composting pile you are fine.
The best way to start the microbs to work in a compost heap is to pee on it - yes I`m not joking we has vve microbs inside us that help digest our food the are the same type that is needed in the compost heap.
i understand all this but wat are u supposed to do with the compost when its done? put it on top of the soil? or mixt it through? before or after the plants are planted??????/
@BoogerLad4 You can either work it into your soil before planting or during garden maintenance, or you can just add it as a nice topping over your existing bed to give it that nice dark brown finished look.
I put a bunch of pulp frpm my juicer in a bucket,then I added some pineapple skin,apple skin orange skin,lemmon skin, banana peals,cantelope skin and cour,carrot skin,some dead leaves,some potting soil,and some newspapper.will this work? or do I need to add something else..
I am living in a apartment without a garden, I want to use all our waste food to make compost for growing wheatgrass, it must all be stored indoors in containers. I have it plastic-bin bags, when the bag is full it is in storage, how long will it take to make? Should the bag be tied or kept open to let air in?
"I have it plastic-bin bags, when the bag is full it is in storage, how long will it take to make? Should the bag be tied or kept open to let air in?"
It really depends on the size of the bags. This is a great video, but it didn't mention that, ideally, a compost heap should be at least 3' x 3' x 6'. That keeps the heat in and allows the various bugs to break the rubbish down into compost. Your kitcken waste will need air, so keep the bags open and every week or so.....
.....empty one bag into another, which will allow air to get in and feed the micro organisms. Keep the waste moist (lots of heaps don't compost because they are too dry). A large, regularly turned outdoor heap will be ready in three to six months. An indoor heap should be slower because it won't be able to heat up so well.
"i unknowingly mixed in unfinished compost into my garden, now my seedling are not germinating... what should i do?"
Actually, it may be that the compost is too rich rather than unfinished. More plants die of overfeeding than from starvation. Gardeners make a fuss of their plants because, well, they are gardeners, not because they should.
Nice contribution. Showed my kids, we are trying to begin a compost pile at my house this coming year. We started gardening last year.
We installed a 4.2kW rooftop wind turbine system that's worth looking at if anyone is interested. I posted that to look at. So, next we are going to start composting.
I just started my pile 2 weeks ago comprised of the old lawn and various yard clippings and tablescraps. I've kept the piles moist and have already turned them 3x in the last 2 weeks. How often should my pile be turned over?
My compost tumbler never seems to be warm and never is hot. The bacteria need a certain temp to be active, right? What can you do to get the temperature up?
I have a smaller garden and I use a 2 stage VERTICAL composter. It is made from a bought compost bin on top of a home built bottom unit. It is a few years old now and it takes a lot of the work out of composting. When the compost is half made, you just pull it down into the bottom chamber! No heavy turning! The compost is better and quicker than when I used a one stage bin. Please check it out in the video responses and make one for yourself.
It shouldn't because composting is made possible by bacteria. Bacteria can survive in the winter or very cold climates (remember all the winter colds you have had before? lol).
Besides, the center of the compost pile is very warm. Did you see that steam coming out of the compost pile in the video?
It may take longer for things to break down in the winter, but it can still be done with the same techniques.
im having some trouble with my compost. i recently checked it and it was very much decomopoosed but really really wet like mud so i put in some more dirt and left it and checked it 3 day6s later and it was just like wet dirt. but my real question is how do you make the compost acutally look like the dirt and not mud?
If you have it in a bucket, the reason why it is wet is because the water has no where to go! either tip it out and dig it into the soil now and let it dry out of its own accord, or drill/ puncture a few holes in the bottom of your bucket. The only difference between dirt and mud is water! Get that goodness in the ground and grow some vegies!!!!!
It's not only a southern thing. I am from up-state N.Y. and we composted for years. We grew our own vegetables in our ONE ACRE garden. All the vegetables I had from the age of five to 19yrs was all grown by my family.
Is it really "organic" if you place say conventional fruits and vegetable waste into pile? Don't they have some residual pesticides in them? Thus, not necessarily organic???
@HumanistWikitopian, as far as I know, it's pronounced that way throughout the US. I'm in California [has a dialect, but not Southern -_^] and 'compost' rhymes with 'toast' here as well. I've read that in countries using Commonwealth English, however, 'compost' rhymes with 'lost'.
i used to focus on hot compost. but i have learned that a cool compost is better and get better results. two reasons:
1. since it's cool, you get a greater diversity of microbes, not just the ones that are responsible for the heat. many beneficial microbes in the soil will die in high temperatures.
2. cool compost that is rotting allows worms to enter from the start. worms won't go near a hot pile of compost.
the disadvantage is that you need to be more patient. i think it's worth it.
Thanks a bunch. I bought a lot of composted cow and mushroom manure, and it just isn't cutting it.
Dear old mom advised that I needed a better fertilizer. She's right! Now I'm looking into composting myself. Thanks for making this available. Lots of valuable info here.
I am totally new to this and started my pile about 6 weeks ago. I still do not have any worms and there is not steam at all. I am really not too sure about my ratios because I have just been adding stuff each day or so as I get it: kitchen veggie waste, grass clippings dried, and a friend that gives me horse manure. i'm assuming the manure would count for "brown"? In that case, I have much more of it than anything else. Should I start just adding green from now on? It is looking pretty good. Thx
Thanks for this informative video. I have a question: when you say 3:1 green to brown, do you mean in weight or volume? From the sources i've gathered, i've found that you want a lot more brown than green (25x more), so i'm not sure what you're getting at with the ratio you're suggesting. Is it because the green tends to have a lot of brown in it as well?
You're going for a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 30:1 and you can get there in different ways. Grass clippings have a C:N of 20:1 and decompose quite well on their own were it not for the fact that they clump together. Leaves have a C:N of 50:1, so a combination of the two can get you there. Vegetable wastes have a C:N of 15:1. Hope this clarifies things.
Don't worry about it too much. Composting is an art as much as it is a science! I just sort of estimate how much is enough. Let the pile be your guide.
have a few questions concerning your closing comment saying someting to the effect that 'there's no better thing for your soils nutrition than compost'.
i'm curious about what you think is the available N-P-K levels in general compost. While i definitely agree that compost is a crucial part of soil health and diversity. I also know there is a debate about what the Macronutrient levels in compost might be. Thank you again. great video.
This has been flagged as spam show
And to collect your food scraps in your home, you should try The Kitchen Cone - a cleverly designed cost-effective, clean, non-smelly food-scrap collecting bin that uses newspaper instead of expensive bags.
kitchenconecompost 3 days ago
Help I have a question will roaches and mice/rats get into this?
DarkTheShinyUmbreon 3 weeks ago
Haha, my recent "compost" efforts haven't gone terribly well...my compost has sprouted in several areas and I now have a sort of mystery garden, with my leftovers from salads and veggie dishes now sprouting in miscellaneous places (e.g., a potatoes sprouting in my basil patch, tomatoes sprouting where the beans are planted, etc.). I'm trying to move them to more suitable locations...hey, if they've sprouted, the least I can do is help them reach maturity. 8-)
tvswnet 3 weeks ago in playlist Guerrilla Gardening
HELP!!! fire ants invaded my compost pile! bad news is they invaded my pile, good news is they brought in some dirt. will using poison(amdro) to get rid o the ants ruin my pile?
slimepig 1 month ago
COCAINE SCOIUANDTRACK
whotaughtyou 1 month ago
Great video, but the proportions are wrong. I know it's not meant to be rocket science, but the "brown", as you call it, it the main source of nitrogen. 3 parts "brown" to 1 part "green" would surely be more beneficial in the long run. Nevertheless, however you do it, keep on keeping on.
W4V3MAKER 2 months ago
I find it odd that people can see compost being made successfully but still complain that the method is wrong. I make compost with just green grass or just brown leaves or mostly chicken manure and all three are excellent compost and are fantastic composts. Stop following experts blindly and see with your eyes instead of your info sheets.
Praxxus55712 3 months ago
HI nice video but my environmental science teacher said you need to put 1 part carbon to one part nitrogen?
jlavalla100 3 months ago
Composting babies is bad!
crispyglove 4 months ago
GET THAT BABY OUT OF THOSE MICROORGANIZIMS! LMAO!
MrDriftnismo 4 months ago
yep composting is definitely an intelligent choice
wisesakura 5 months ago
Teach me how to make SuperCompost lol
MyrAge219 6 months ago
You didn't mention much about placing it. Should it be shaded as much as possible?
MikaelLAOhman 7 months ago
very helpful. thanks for charing.
bourouatia 7 months ago
I'm going to be composting for the first time in a few days and I'm afraid that the plants I'm going to use for composting are nutrient poor. (low in nitrogen, calcium, and iron, and whatnot)
I was wondering if I could take vitamin capsules from my medicine drawer, crush them up, and put them in my developing compost.
Would that be a good idea or bafflingly bad one?
Thank you.
ObeyBunny 7 months ago
@ObeyBunny Just make sure you put all our kitchen waste in the compost pile.
Egg shells, all vegetable peelings, teabags, anything that was once alive apart from meat and fats should keep it full of nutrients. And dig a load of live worms up and put them in too. And fallen leaves.
Pet hair is another good thing to throw in.
Also, ask around to see if a neighbour has a rabbit and ask if you can clean it out and keep the straw and droppings. Of if you have kids get them to do it. :)
DreamsCatcher101 6 months ago
@DreamsCatcher101
Asking if one of my neighbors would be willing to give me their rabbet’s pellets is actually a pretty ingenious way of getting manure for the compost. I wish I had considered that considered right from the start. But wouldn’t fur be non-decomposable like the rest of animal it comes from?
ObeyBunny 6 months ago
@ObeyBunny Pet hair is fine to compost.. I have a dog with short, stiff hair and I have done it for about 5 years and it seems to aerate the pile really well. Also i bet all the gunk that is in dog hair just adds nutrients and bacteria to the pile. Most pet hair is water repellent so adds draining to your plants too.
And slugs hate it because it sticks to them. Which it amusing to watch.
Also the birds come take it for nests and crap all over the pile, giving me more free nutrients :)
DreamsCatcher101 6 months ago
Babies, no. Small children have less fat content and will work better.
maylolik 7 months ago
can you compost dandelions?
bummpin 8 months ago
dont use pine needles they give off a chemical that kills plants around it
vanhalenman60 8 months ago
@ng31200
Oh well... I'll just have to find another way of recycling fish bones and spoiled meat.
In the 2 days since I posted my question, I've started thinking about building an Aquaponic farm (which combines hydroponics and fish farming.) If I ever have to deal with spoiled meat, I can use it to attract maggots and beetles which I can feed to my fish.
(I still have no clue what to do with fish bones though…)
ObeyBunny 8 months ago
Would adding dog doo-doo be a detriment to a compost in it's earliest stages? Does it introduce harmful bacteria or highly concentrated toxins into the mulch or would the poo be broken down without a problem?
I apologize for asking such a dumb question, but I just started investigating composting 30 minutes ago.
Also, can things like fish bones and spoiled meat be broken down in a compost (and be usable material for plants)?
ObeyBunny 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Great vidio
TheWholefoodfarmacy 8 months ago
So important to begin keeping lawn waste and food peelings on site. It's easy and rewarding! Thank you for this great video!
bouvfan 8 months ago
Okay, what's the point of layering everything if I'm just going to turn it in a week and mix it all back up again?
theholytoast 9 months ago
Mingi loves compost
raiyan65 9 months ago
i am trying it for the first time - i just put leaves, shredded, wet carboard, and fruit/veggie extras in a hole and covered it up with a black trash bag, and i mix it ups lol
lgnstk123 9 months ago
3 carbon to 1 nitrogen (3 brown to 1 green). Not 3 green to 1 brown.
TominatorJ 9 months ago
wow!!This was a great lesson. I have compost behind my garage and didnt realize thats what I have. Guess I will be working my hubby this week!
tiffanymount6 9 months ago
Its definitely not rocket science, use what you have got. I turn my compost every week. If I only have brown compost (dried leaves twigs paper cardboard) I turn the heap put a layer of soil over it then add the brown compost, manure (dynamic llfter chicken poo pellets) and dampen it with compost tea then add a layer of soil. Green brown layering is a joke, its more important to keep your pile moist manured and layered with soil and turn once a week, adding weekly any organic material you have.
stylus880 10 months ago
CAN YOU USE WEEDS AS COMPOST?
reaperx20tem 10 months ago
@reaperx20tem Weeds form 70% of my compost in the the form of green ingredients, mixed with brown ingredients, manure and water and a layer of soil. In my third month of composting, I turn every week and have the satisfaction of seeing a steaming hot compost.
stylus880 10 months ago
3 green to 1 brown? I've always seen it the other way...
phidelt274 10 months ago
3 green to 1 brown? I've always seen it the other way...
phidelt274 10 months ago 2
Thank you so much. I am a newbie composter and I have been watching and re-watching your video to make sure my "garden lasagna" is constructed correctly!
Best,
Nicole (from the Searching for Sustenance blog)
mathbymsv 10 months ago
as a beginner in garding, thank you for this informative video.
i'll surly give it a try!
massivetubez 10 months ago
my compost pile doesnt grow babies :( what am i doing wrong?
cltpython 10 months ago
i like this video
alavoudine 11 months ago
i just want to know how to make one!!!!
kittygirlsofie246 11 months ago
great video!
2late4me2care 11 months ago
Very interesting video.
I have 5 plastic composters in my garden and it really gives a plus to my flowers
to add compost in the garden and all the pots
madmiask 11 months ago
I'm 21 and just startng a garden. I love the idea of composting and I'm for sure going to give it a try! (I'm going to try to turn my mom into it as well!) Thanks so much for this infromative video!
SAMMMCAMMM 11 months ago
keep gardening everyone
MrGreengardener 1 year ago
This is a good video but please FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE BEGINNING! The opening shot of the guy talking doesn't have any audio. Surely that will turn off many people who would have watched further...
mklempner 1 year ago 17
@mklempner Hi. This audio problem wasn't in the the source file and only started to appear after the video had been viewed 200,000 times so I can't understand what happened. I've got a request in with the YouTube support people and hope they can correct it on their end.
kitchengardeners 4 months ago 2
If you like composting, you have to check out the bokashicycle which is a digester, it is the way of the future my friends.
jebidiahtaylor 1 year ago
1:30 minutes into this and still not to the point. Cut the shuttle scene and get to the garden
GOP4USA 1 year ago
An Ex Wife will totally screw up your PH level as well ..
ccowdog72 1 year ago
this video is HILARIOUS. after seeing the space shuttle in the beginning I couldn't take it anymore. nice work!
crazyaboutcompost 1 year ago
awesome!
1998gagana 1 year ago
The proportions are way off.
It should be 2 parts brown to 1 part green.
3 parts green to 1 part brown will give your plants wayyy too much nitrogen.
So, unless this compost is for tomatoes, which will benefit from all that nitrogen, you should go 2 parts brown to 1 part green.(2 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen)
kayleeShoe 1 year ago 6
@kayleeShoe i agree the ratios are all wrong , check out bio-vital composting for better info
trustinnature 6 months ago
@kayleeShoe i agree , the ratio do appear wrong, the ratio we use is 4-3-2, thats 4 parts carbon to three parts green material, to one part high nitrogen. Bio-vital composting with paul taylor for the latest in composting techniques, go to trustinnature channel.
trustinnature 5 months ago
@kayleeShoe There isn't one definitive recipe for compost and different proportions can work. The ones included in the video are those proposed by Rodale (and other authorities) for a hot compost pile. It's true that there's a lot of nitrogen in 3 parts green to 1 part brown, but nitrogen is the "match" that sets a hot pile on fire.
kitchengardeners 4 months ago 3
@kayleeShoe Way off on both counts. Optimal composting ratio is 25:1 carbon:nitrogen. see geoff lawton's permaculture soils video
gibson625 1 month ago
I'm so glade to see someone else keeping things as simple as they truly are. The simplest ideas usually solve the problem the EASY way. From military experience I have learned KNOWLEDGE trumps a high tech solution and as my father said,"Throwing money at a problem is no solution. Less gadgets means less breakdowns anyway."
DMarksmanLima21 1 year ago 2
and what do i do in the winter??
AliciaNPJ08 1 year ago
Jesus' corpse was once composting too
AChildMolester 1 year ago
Comment removed
mediarize 1 year ago
can u mix peat based compost with non peat compost plz any1
1983SMOGGY 1 year ago
Dig in! nice music selection.. great vid
KatillacKato 1 year ago
Can't hear you.... sorry!
rztexas 1 year ago
Thanks for this video!
moyimus 1 year ago
this video help me alot i built my bin and in two months it was ready ....i just turn it every week ..and now my garden is looking better ....thanks ...
hugocasarrubias 1 year ago
"hardcore compostologist"?
tsti1es 1 year ago
Can you turn a pile too much? Is it bad to turn it daily? How about every other day?
Wraith99 1 year ago
potato skins- Brown, or Green?
purpletaco542 1 year ago
Or you can peel an apple and leave it to rot in the garden -.-
eytank97 1 year ago
I have a MASSIVE but not particually well structured compost heap. the trouble is that firstly i dont know what to do with it all and secondly it would be very very challanging to seperate the good decomposed compost with the chunks of stuff that hasnt decomposed.
jackmaggotdude 1 year ago
@jackmaggotdude that's why you need a build a compost filter. Take some 2 x 4 and hardware cloth and buy a stable gun. Make a box out of the 2 x 4, then stable hardware cloth on the bottom.
That way when your compost has made, you can easily filter out the chunky stuff. Put the chunky stuff back into the pile because it is the perfect inoculant.
damontoney 1 year ago
There is an interesting book called 'Farmers Of Forty Centuries', about the turn of the century use of organic farming methods in Japan, Korea and China.
Farmers hauled weeds from less fertile (higher) land to add to their farmland.
tigerone1970 1 year ago
Oh that pun! Keep up the good work
kitchenwastebags 1 year ago
I'm getting ready to create my first real compost pile. Thanks for showing me how to do it.
MY QUESTION is: once I've created a pile with good green brown ratios, what if I were to only add all my daily fruit/veggie scraps to the pile and no "browns" on an on-going basis? Will that mess it up? Do I need to be diligent about finding browns to toss in regularly, too?
mommyloveskai 1 year ago
Why are there food flies in my bin when I open my compost? I try to cover kitchen waste when I put in but flies are still there. So the kids hate to go near there!
waterprooftoo 1 year ago
I just mix everything up, dampen it, pile it and taadaaa it starts cooking. It's really an easy thing to make and works miracles in the garden. :)
Praxxus55712 1 year ago
This is a great demo, thanks for breaking it down so well for people! - Anna
YourGardenShow 1 year ago
i have recently gotten into gardening and this video was very helpful for me. Thanks A lot!!
lawyer66 1 year ago
Do you have to add worms into the composter...because i have a tumbler and i was wondering if worms would help out more
zanthenes 1 year ago
im starting my first compost and i was wondering if its alright to put crab shell's in there. it was cooked and brine frozen so its kinda salty. would that be alright?
rxwarrior998 1 year ago
@rxwarrior998 some people say don't add anything that might attract larger animals. But I've thrown in rinsed out sea shells, crab and egg shells , and buried them rather than just putting them on top. Burying them will reduce the chances of say...a squirrel running amok on top of your pile or a raccoon.
Shetasen 1 year ago
im starting my first compost and i was wondering if its alright to put crab shell's in there. it was cooked and brine frozen so its kinda salty. would that be alright?
rxwarrior998 1 year ago
Yes it is alright to add crab shells or shrimp tails. If you have an open pile, just bury them within or if you have an enclosed bin, you are fine. I've pushed my luck far beyond just crab shells- I've added fish guts from fishing trips, bones from meals and other various "unrecommended" additions. As long as its buried or put into a rapidly composting pile you are fine.
QuirkyQuercus 1 year ago
thats some sexy compost
TheSniperman2009 1 year ago
Great video.
envirosponsible 1 year ago
I wouldn't stick your nose over that gas very long. It's not just steam.
TheBrassHole 1 year ago
The best way to start the microbs to work in a compost heap is to pee on it - yes I`m not joking we has vve microbs inside us that help digest our food the are the same type that is needed in the compost heap.
powerspade 1 year ago
i understand all this but wat are u supposed to do with the compost when its done? put it on top of the soil? or mixt it through? before or after the plants are planted??????/
BoogerLad4 1 year ago
@BoogerLad4 You can either work it into your soil before planting or during garden maintenance, or you can just add it as a nice topping over your existing bed to give it that nice dark brown finished look.
Shetasen 1 year ago
Now everyone says more way more brown than green. Whats up with that? I hope Im doing it right.
jonnham 1 year ago
I'm building a bin right now! Thanks 4 the helpful video!
Gone2Huntin 1 year ago
wouldnt putting it closer to the house just attract rats near your house
lavelliINC 1 year ago
I put a bunch of pulp frpm my juicer in a bucket,then I added some pineapple skin,apple skin orange skin,lemmon skin, banana peals,cantelope skin and cour,carrot skin,some dead leaves,some potting soil,and some newspapper.will this work? or do I need to add something else..
djfantom205 1 year ago
@djfantom205
may i suggest drilling a few holes in the bucket and adding a handful of worms?
calebmovie 1 year ago
I have a pile of cut limbs that went throuth a grinder and now it has just been sitting there.
Is there any way to turn this into a compost pile?
can i just put it in my yard the way it is?
jesuskopp 1 year ago
Thanks! I'll give it a try!
coolbeansmellon 1 year ago
This video is great. I just turned my compost pile and found a very nice black earth ready for spring. Just in time too.
I did the same strategy this video describes, but there was never any steam. Maybe I missed it, but all I know is it worked.
mikeyaaa 1 year ago
...I took Worms from a fishing trip & added them a few yrs ago....now my pile is Swimming with Worm castings.....YaY
jemcnick 1 year ago
y do tra do mog?
k4y0tick1ller 1 year ago
i was mad at what i saw
k4y0tick1ller 1 year ago
1:58 ugly baby
Tscargs4549 1 year ago
awesome video. Thanks a lot
ReiseLu 1 year ago
Right to the point with good information!! Thanks!!
CrashFactory666 1 year ago
Very usable, thanks!--The Great American Dollhouse Museum
TheDollhouseMuseum 1 year ago
Hey
It's mentioned that "untreated cardboard" can be used... what about cardboard boxes with ink? like the type you might see with wholesale produce?
do the dyes affect anythin?
xxObscuraxx 1 year ago
Thank you very much!!!
I'll start my own tomorrow!!!
alexalvesjr 1 year ago
he did not mention how long it takes for the composed to be cooked and ready to use...
lebonpost 1 year ago
when the compost no longer looks like what was put in it to begin with....it's ready.
flam51 1 year ago
very encouraging. i love composting.
Mataji108 2 years ago 10
Just DON'T add a baby to your compost pile!!!
SALFARFAN 2 years ago 61
@SALFARFAN Woops.
zomgwtfbbqbagel 1 year ago
@SALFARFAN
maybe babies makes a richer compost :) jajajaja
anarquismoespiritual 1 year ago
@anarquismoespiritual lol they also need babies
gaanaru98 1 year ago
Comment removed
albythepuncher 8 months ago
@SALFARFAN ohh thats how i messed up
vanhalenman60 8 months ago
@SALFARFAN yeah.. no babies bc babies=fats and protiens... a composting no no..
dragonracer76 8 months ago
Beautiful pics mixed with live action and great info. Thanks!
MilagroCompost 2 years ago
I am living in a apartment without a garden, I want to use all our waste food to make compost for growing wheatgrass, it must all be stored indoors in containers. I have it plastic-bin bags, when the bag is full it is in storage, how long will it take to make? Should the bag be tied or kept open to let air in?
golddragnet 2 years ago
@golddragnet
"I have it plastic-bin bags, when the bag is full it is in storage, how long will it take to make? Should the bag be tied or kept open to let air in?"
It really depends on the size of the bags. This is a great video, but it didn't mention that, ideally, a compost heap should be at least 3' x 3' x 6'. That keeps the heat in and allows the various bugs to break the rubbish down into compost. Your kitcken waste will need air, so keep the bags open and every week or so.....
oarfrost 2 years ago
@oarfrost
.....empty one bag into another, which will allow air to get in and feed the micro organisms. Keep the waste moist (lots of heaps don't compost because they are too dry). A large, regularly turned outdoor heap will be ready in three to six months. An indoor heap should be slower because it won't be able to heat up so well.
oarfrost 2 years ago
thanks for tha
golddragnet 2 years ago
i unknowingly mixed in unfinished compost into my garden, now my seedling are not germinating... what should i do?
suetombo69 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@suetombo69
"i unknowingly mixed in unfinished compost into my garden, now my seedling are not germinating... what should i do?"
Actually, it may be that the compost is too rich rather than unfinished. More plants die of overfeeding than from starvation. Gardeners make a fuss of their plants because, well, they are gardeners, not because they should.
oarfrost 2 years ago
would there be a lot of nitrates in compost?
98209276 2 years ago
Composting can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be and, to use a well worn cliche-as-a-pun: You get out of it what you put in.
simplelivingskills 2 years ago
Nice contribution. Showed my kids, we are trying to begin a compost pile at my house this coming year. We started gardening last year.
We installed a 4.2kW rooftop wind turbine system that's worth looking at if anyone is interested. I posted that to look at. So, next we are going to start composting.
WindEnergy7 2 years ago
jesus this sooooooo complex.
take a lot of shit and throw it around your garden and your plants will grow like a jem.
patrikasLTL 2 years ago
I just started my pile 2 weeks ago comprised of the old lawn and various yard clippings and tablescraps. I've kept the piles moist and have already turned them 3x in the last 2 weeks. How often should my pile be turned over?
dsouth762 2 years ago
As often as you can. The more air you can get throughout your pile the faster it will decompose and the less likely it will go anaerobic.
subcoolfl 2 years ago
great video and thanks
bmwwade 2 years ago
Great vid, thanks for sharing.
saphiablue 2 years ago
My compost tumbler never seems to be warm and never is hot. The bacteria need a certain temp to be active, right? What can you do to get the temperature up?
lesandnate 2 years ago
I have a smaller garden and I use a 2 stage VERTICAL composter. It is made from a bought compost bin on top of a home built bottom unit. It is a few years old now and it takes a lot of the work out of composting. When the compost is half made, you just pull it down into the bottom chamber! No heavy turning! The compost is better and quicker than when I used a one stage bin. Please check it out in the video responses and make one for yourself.
Brian
gaiatechnician 2 years ago
what about during winter like with the snow and all? does the cold make a difference or if were trying to make a compost pile in a colder place.
nate7773 2 years ago
It shouldn't because composting is made possible by bacteria. Bacteria can survive in the winter or very cold climates (remember all the winter colds you have had before? lol).
Besides, the center of the compost pile is very warm. Did you see that steam coming out of the compost pile in the video?
It may take longer for things to break down in the winter, but it can still be done with the same techniques.
HikariHime29 2 years ago
Thanks for great help. I'm going to do a lot of flower business more HOW TO videos at HOW2ANSWERS NET
stevgittselearning 2 years ago
and in realtion to my last question i forgot to add its in a bucket not on the ground in a bowl type thing is that bad?
zune345 2 years ago
im having some trouble with my compost. i recently checked it and it was very much decomopoosed but really really wet like mud so i put in some more dirt and left it and checked it 3 day6s later and it was just like wet dirt. but my real question is how do you make the compost acutally look like the dirt and not mud?
zune345 2 years ago
let it dry up, dumbass
JayDomination 2 years ago
If you have it in a bucket, the reason why it is wet is because the water has no where to go! either tip it out and dig it into the soil now and let it dry out of its own accord, or drill/ puncture a few holes in the bottom of your bucket. The only difference between dirt and mud is water! Get that goodness in the ground and grow some vegies!!!!!
ToyMaster83 2 years ago
It's not only a southern thing. I am from up-state N.Y. and we composted for years. We grew our own vegetables in our ONE ACRE garden. All the vegetables I had from the age of five to 19yrs was all grown by my family.
violakill 2 years ago
Is it really "organic" if you place say conventional fruits and vegetable waste into pile? Don't they have some residual pesticides in them? Thus, not necessarily organic???
aznballer04 2 years ago
Shut up.
CarbonB 2 years ago
Not 100 percent organic but still organic by USDA standards
takadi 2 years ago
why he does say com poast ?
bigbollocks69 2 years ago 2
Used Comfery if you have it to help to generate the heating process, also use urine to water the heap that adds ammonia and thus nitrogen
powerspade 2 years ago
How Americans pronounce "compost" is highly ammusing to the ears of the rest of the English speaking world.
Is this purely a Southern dialect thing or common throughout the USA?
HumanistWikitopian 2 years ago
@HumanistWikitopian, as far as I know, it's pronounced that way throughout the US. I'm in California [has a dialect, but not Southern -_^] and 'compost' rhymes with 'toast' here as well. I've read that in countries using Commonwealth English, however, 'compost' rhymes with 'lost'.
TraePalmer 2 years ago
How long does "compost soup" take to become compost? Thanks for the video.
civildefense 2 years ago
i used to focus on hot compost. but i have learned that a cool compost is better and get better results. two reasons:
1. since it's cool, you get a greater diversity of microbes, not just the ones that are responsible for the heat. many beneficial microbes in the soil will die in high temperatures.
2. cool compost that is rotting allows worms to enter from the start. worms won't go near a hot pile of compost.
the disadvantage is that you need to be more patient. i think it's worth it.
palui 2 years ago 2
how do you get it steaming?
nochance101 2 years ago
THANKS!
lheartlondon 2 years ago
thank you so much i understand it now!!! how long untill it turns into compost tho?
applesmoothiee 2 years ago 2
2-4months
tutorialforgamemaker 2 years ago
Thanks a bunch. I bought a lot of composted cow and mushroom manure, and it just isn't cutting it.
Dear old mom advised that I needed a better fertilizer. She's right! Now I'm looking into composting myself. Thanks for making this available. Lots of valuable info here.
recovercast 2 years ago
its good to no.......
KenomeChan 2 years ago
I read that you shouldn't use citrus rinds.
douchebagchigger 2 years ago
Thanks for letting a lay man like me understand composting. : )
sludgedozer 2 years ago
watermelon rhinds are actually edible (cook em) and they have properties similar to viagra!
Carmarthan415 2 years ago
Yes, composting attracts rats! If you want to piss off your neighbors, start composting...
mike2lane 2 years ago
Pardon the pun but that's rubbish. Composting properly, not adding meat or cooked food, should not attract rats.
GardensandBorders 2 years ago
I compost and we have 2 rats living underneath the shed, they were attracted to the fruits and vegitables.
coolhandluke330 2 years ago
Mine was gooey and wet, what did I do wrong?
wisdomcomeswithage 2 years ago
Does it not attract Rat etc?
JamieStingray 2 years ago
Would you show us example how to build the compost and the end result
v632 2 years ago
Also a good ez way to determine what goes in is, (if it was alive, then it goes in the compost heap)
TheBrassHole 2 years ago
if it grows in the ground it can go in
stymye 2 years ago
Thanks for simplifying!
BestFruitNow 2 years ago
gracias.
sergeemama 2 years ago
I am totally new to this and started my pile about 6 weeks ago. I still do not have any worms and there is not steam at all. I am really not too sure about my ratios because I have just been adding stuff each day or so as I get it: kitchen veggie waste, grass clippings dried, and a friend that gives me horse manure. i'm assuming the manure would count for "brown"? In that case, I have much more of it than anything else. Should I start just adding green from now on? It is looking pretty good. Thx
momzmoviez 2 years ago
Great! i've got compost already heatin' up in my backyard, just ready to get busy!
valambiguous 2 years ago
Why he compost dat white baby?
blazinNAKEDBEERz 2 years ago
Composting is very good for the earth
BigGreenHelpers 2 years ago
Thanks for this informative video. I have a question: when you say 3:1 green to brown, do you mean in weight or volume? From the sources i've gathered, i've found that you want a lot more brown than green (25x more), so i'm not sure what you're getting at with the ratio you're suggesting. Is it because the green tends to have a lot of brown in it as well?
happybirthdayricha 2 years ago
You're going for a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 30:1 and you can get there in different ways. Grass clippings have a C:N of 20:1 and decompose quite well on their own were it not for the fact that they clump together. Leaves have a C:N of 50:1, so a combination of the two can get you there. Vegetable wastes have a C:N of 15:1. Hope this clarifies things.
kitchengardeners 2 years ago
Don't worry about it too much. Composting is an art as much as it is a science! I just sort of estimate how much is enough. Let the pile be your guide.
rileannas 2 years ago
uhh, do u add just raw apples dont even eat it.. lol. Amway do u use 2 parts green to 1 part brown?
Wizechris1 2 years ago
This guy should talk slower, jesus christ.
ericambrosecoon 2 years ago
i really loved your video!
have a few questions concerning your closing comment saying someting to the effect that 'there's no better thing for your soils nutrition than compost'.
i'm curious about what you think is the available N-P-K levels in general compost. While i definitely agree that compost is a crucial part of soil health and diversity. I also know there is a debate about what the Macronutrient levels in compost might be. Thank you again. great video.
reconeix 2 years ago