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why is it that when i get my compost pile built up that after a few days it turns into a smaller pile.
thank you for your answer
My compost bin is cranking out lots of nice black compost–has been for a couple of years. When we first broke ground on a veggie garden I turned a lot of compost into the soil, in addition to using it as a mulch around some of the plants. Did the same in year two. Now that we are established at this, is it beneficial to keep turning more compost into the soil before each growing season, or should I just use it for a mulch, or do you have another suggestion? Thanks for your help!
Can you put boxwood clippings in a compost? Started to pit them and then just thought because I don’t know that they shouldn’t go in for some reason, ie ph, acid.
@Larry
Vegetable plants are often heavy feeders, and can deplete the soil over time. So it’s a good idea to keep adding more compost every year to keep the soil fertility high.
@R french
Yes, you can compost them. Really woody materials take a very long time to break down though. If it’s mostly woody material (like branches), then don’t overdo it. If it’s mostly leafy, then you can add more.
@tracy m
It turns into a smaller pile because it’s working!
As organic materials break down into compost, they also shrink in size. Your final amount of finished compost might only be 10 percent of the size of what you started with. That’s totally normal, and it sounds like you’re doing a good job of making compost.
Today I wanted to begin composting and am using an old 100 gallon resin(plastic) cow tank. I weeded my garden and placed weeds, lettuce waste, etc. into the tank. Will this work? Do I need holes in the bottom?
I know that you can compost hair, but what about animal fur? My long-haired cat is molting like crazy, and I’m wondering if I can add her discarded fur to my compost.
@Monica
Yes, you can compost animal fur.
The only caveat would be that like any other material, if you have too much of one thing, it will slow things down. So if you were a groomer, for example, you might end up with too much fur to compost effectively. As long as you have plenty of other materials in there too though, it should be fine.
@Cheyenne
Compost needs oxygen to break down the quickest. So you’ll get better results if the tank can drain. Otherwise, it will be a slimy rotten anaerobic mess at the bottom after you get a big rainfall. If you don’t drain anything, it will all still break down eventually. But it might stink like crazy, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
My first ever compost pile has finished. Woo! I was able to use it because I had to throw out zucchini and yellow squash plants from my garden. Squash borers infiltrated their stems, and my best most beautiful zucchini plant flopped to the ground. After some investigation, I saw the slimy little grub crawling back into the stem he had ruined, so I knew it was squash borers. My question is, can I use plants that have been attacked by grubs in my compost? Should I cut off the stems and just use the leaves or something?
@Sarah
Squash borers are caterpillars that turn into a moth. So composting the stems shouldn’t hurt anything, because caterpillars don’t lay eggs — only moths.
The moth lays eggs at the base of the squash plant, according to this. So the eggs probably wouldn’t be on the leaves either.
http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=804
I would imagine that the eggs hatch quickly, so they wouldn’t just sit there dormant in your compost pile for a year, regardless.
They would either hatch in the compost (where they wouldn’t find any vines) or they would get burned up by the heat of the pile.
I have seen articles on making a compost bin from a plastic trash can, is this a good idea? Is it too late in the season to start? I have kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, newspapers, and grass clippings. I’ve never done this and have a lot of questions. This website is very helpful. Thanks.
I’m thinking about using two garbage bins — either plastic or metal for batch composting. Since many people use plastic compost bins, and since the materials get really hot, don’t the toxins in the plastic leach into the compost, which would then leach into fruits and vegetables if you have a fruit/vegetable garden?
Thanks
I just started composting. I have a barrel type. Can I use moldy vegetable scrapes from refridgerator. I am juicing using alot of carrots, spinach and apples. I keep a container in the fridge but often it starts molding before I put it in the composter. Is this okay or should I not use moldy vegetables?
@MylaRay
Yes, you can absolutely compost moldy or rotten vegetables. Composting is the process of organic material breaking down, and it doesn’t hurt at all if it has already started to rot in the refrigerator before you add it to the compost bin.
@Rhonda
Yes, it’s perfectly reasonable to make a compost bin out of a trash can, as long as you make sure it has drainage and aeration holes.
It’s never too late in the season to start composting. Compost generates its own heat. When there are freezing temperatures outside, the composting process will temporarily stop. But it will start back up again on its own when the weather starts to warm up. So you can keep adding to your bin all winter, as long as there’s room to put it in. It just won’t break down and/or break down very quickly during the freezing cold months.
@Robin
It’s all about what you’re comfortable with, but I personally have absolutely zero worries about anything from the plastic leaching into the compost. The truth is that compost is used to remediate toxic materials — even stuff like explosives. So it’s unlikely that some minute amount of plastic stuff would hurt your compost.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/pubs/
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