Compost anyone?

GardenForums.com a friendly and growing community of gardeners. We feature a Garden Discussion Forum and Garden Photo Gallery. It's a fun and friendly place to talk with other gardeners, ask questions, share you knowledge, view and post photos and more! Whether you're a master gardener, or brand new to the hobby, you'll find something of interest here.



Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
You can compost even in winter and even if you have snow on the ground. If you keep adding to your bin/pile then come spring thow think of the pile you will have waiting to be tended. Once it warms up begin adding your green stuff and turn. Also water depending on your thaw.
I just went out to mine to dump scraps and it was warm dispite night before last was in the 30's. I did turn it a bit even though it is kind of resting.Depending on how cold it is where you are thing could still decay but just at a much slower rate.
 

sassmuffin

New Member
Right now bin is buried! There is about 15 inches of snow to walk through to get to bin, and blowing snow has it pretty much covered. With another 7-11 predicted over the next 2 days. Oh joy.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Well sorry about that. Wish I could send you some warm sunshine. You could hop down for a visit and get your garden & sunshine fix by working in my garden :D
 

sassmuffin

New Member
Oh wouldn't I love to do that. We are having an unusual thaw right now, 56 degrees and rainy, foggy and it smells like spring, and I want to go out and play! Even if it is muddy.
 

froglady

Member
Thanks for all this great information. Now I need to find out who owns the cow pasture a block down from my house and see if they mind if I go down there with my bucket to bring home some goodies:eek:)
 

Scarez

New Member
Couple of questions...

1) Can I use bird dropping from seed-eating pet birds?

2) As this winter is more rainy than most, do I need to cover my outdoor compost "pile"?
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Marie,
I have to get with my horsey neighbor and get his stall muck. I haven't done it in a while. Funny thing some people look at you like you're crazy when you ask for manure. The good thing is once you realize how valuble it is you don't mind you kinda look at them like their crazy for giving it away:p

Sarez Answers:
1.) You can use those bird droppings but as always make sure they are well composted and you wash your veggies. All birds carry salmonella and unless compost is coooked well it can transfer to the garden.

2.) You do not need to cover your compost to protect it from rain unless you are just having so much it can't dry out a little. You don't want a sludge but a pile so just play it by ear. If you think it is too wet or soupy you are most likely right;)
 
K

Kale

Guest
Couple of questions...

1) Can I use bird dropping from seed-eating pet birds?

2) As this winter is more rainy than most, do I need to cover my outdoor compost "pile"?
Scarez, I use to use my bird and hammies and mice and piggies droppings in the roses but never touched it or grew foods with it .I did find..lots of those seed DO germinate! Yes they do ..and how! I had "weeds" in my whole front yard one year*LOL I mowed around them and let several grow I had millet spray, queen annes lace and several other herbs growing like mad. I let most of them grow about 2 feet or soand mowed only the inside, left all edges grow.sorta kept the wonderful bike, cans, bottle and junk food bag throwing children off the lawn for a while *LOL
Everyone inquired what in the world I was doing and then the big question...WHY??? then my hum.. hum.. answer...."Because I can"*LOL That is what triggered my mind in what I was growing..herbs lots of herbs and some rag weeds and other pull outs.

It was very interesting. So if anyone tells you that they do not germinate and you do not believe them put some in a pot by itself outside somewhere and see for your self! Keep it watered.
Note: mine was in lawn and we were having lots of rain early that season.
I tried it with the sunflower seeds and did get a few mini,but that was later in the season ...I tried whole sunflower seed even later, then forgot to water..it was in a pot.

I would not put my birdies stuff in my compost. Some of those seed can take 7-50 years to germinate! Don’t know which would germinate anytime before 50 years but..just read that!

I don’t think that little bit would actually make your compost a better gold..
Up to you.
That’s my story..
Sorta goes along with Crabber..cooking...must heat up, then again some seed need a cooking. depends on what you are dealing with.

As far as covering…. as Crabber said,;)
rain is good, I would like to add that it is wonderful that you are getting wet through and through it will freeze which means less chance of any rodent making a family in there! and you will get a wonderful breakdown come spring.
If mine dries out I try to get water to it all throughout the year I do not turn while frozen or Semi frozen) something tells me I may do harm so I let it melt or wet with warm water and wait to see if it stays defrosted and drying before I turn.
As far as Scraps you are not hoping for a compost to be cooking if you are storing the food scraps in a garbage can closed or a container of any kind closed you are simply storing for the big warm break in Spring*LOL!!! to add to the pile only if and when you have more browns.


Kale:D:D
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Kale,
Wasn't it you who had the pigeon droopings a few years ago? How did that work out for you? I just remebered that.
 
K

Kale

Guest
Yes, I just left (some) it in a corner in the box, didn't add anything to it. ...
When I got rid of my van,the man said he didn't care what I had in there. I told him what it was. He insisted he didn't care.I got rid of several boxes and bags full !
I didnt have the heart to give it to the garbage men and chance them breathing that in!
I was extremely ill afterward, the dust nearly killed me, it took a few days to recover..
***No more poopsie for me*LOL!!

Kale:)
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Those bird droppings are some of the worst for allergens and illness. I was wondering how it did in the garden. Was it really hot?
 

Blueaussi

New Member
My usual source of horse manure dried up this year, so I'm tilling in some bunny poo into the vegetable garden. I've used it in the flower beds before, but not the vegetables. It's not a hot manure, so felt comfortable scattering it straight in amongst the perennials, while the horse manure I tilled in early enough for it to compost over the late winter and early spring.

The bunny poo is mixed in some pelleted paper bedding and a bit of wheat straw that I figure will decompose and add more organic matter to the soil. The soil in my yard, btw, is decent, if a bit on the sandy side for about two feet down, then you hit red clay.
 

latebloomer

Active Member
I added some bunny poo to one of my worm bins two days ago. I swear I now have double the amount of worms in that bin!
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Funny you should talk about bunny poo. I was working last weekend in the garden and found a very large deposit under some old turnips. Some of you may recall my frustration last year with them eating everyting right down to the ground. Well I guess they gave back. Funny , they must have been hiding under the turnips because this was a very large pile. Must have been their favorite place to sit!
 

GardenBear1

New Member
I've been using bunny poo for years on my roses and they all seem to do well, I've even use it in my potting mix for my epies, I save all my old potting mix and mix it with the bunny poo let it cook all summer and add old potting mix when I repot plants I'll even add a few leaves in the fall if I'm running short of potting mix I can end up with about 50 lb of new mix each year and that saves me lots of money and time running to the garden center
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Wish I could post pics. My compost pile has sprouted a melon or suqash CROP I mean at least 30. I am just going to let them grow and start a new pile. Can't wait to see what they are. Oh , I guess you know I wasn't turning my pile like I should have been :p
 

Bernie

New Member
When I was growing up on Maui my father raised every thing from bananas to pineapples and a lot more in between. Dad was big on compost and manure. We collected manure form the cows, horses, rabbits and chicken from our animals and from other farmers when we could. My uncle had a poultry farm. My father paid my cousin to take a large load of chicken poop out to the farm. Dad had just built a shed made of corrugated roofing material. He told my cousin to put the poop against the back of shed where is would be some what protected from heavy rains. I don't remember the time period but some time later we went to work at the farm and discovered my cousin had miss understood my Dad. He had put the poop IN the shed and had closed the doors. Dad told us not to go anywhere near that shed under any circumstances. We didn’t know why but we knew Dad meant business so we stayed clear. A few days later while weeding in the hot summer sun I stood up just in time to see the shed explode. I knew chicken poop got hot but until that day I didn’t understand just how hot it could get. It was a real learning experience.
 


Gardenforums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Top