[pico's parent]

I have wanted a composter for several years (I am a woman of simple pleasures)but my husband was way negative about the smell, bugs, etc.

Well the city advertised $80 composters for $20 on a one-day sale and I finally got my composter. I read the instructions and it doesn't seem that complicated.....it is trash, after all! But I wondered if anyone else here has a composter and could tell me if it is ok to put cantaloupe or watermelon seeds or any kinds of seed in a composter.


I always throw dry leaves on top of the kitchen scraps I put in (no meat, bones or fat, of course) and so far it is not breeding fruit flys. Well, maybe one or two. In 6 months I'll have some good garden compost. Then, I'll probably want to get another so I can have more, MORE COMPOST! MORE COMPOST!

 

[pico's parent]

Sometimes I feel like my computer is a composter..............


A composter is where you can put kitchen scraps and yard debris such as leaves and grass clipping and let them decompose into.....compost. Then you can add the compost to your plants and yard as a nutrient-rich top dressing.

I figure I spend up to $1.00 a pound for my fruits and veggies and now at least those $1/pound scraps will do me some good. Maybe cut down on plant food, make my plants and yard healthier, too.

 

[pico's parent]

Originally posted by Msloke+Jul 21 2005, 11:46 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-SNOWY

@Jul 21 2005, 11:29 AM

excuse my ignorance, but what is a COMPOSTER?

when I first read the topic I think was a new computer and you were using a cutsy name, but now I am totally at lost....

<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=83343

It a gardener's thing.

It's a way to breakdown yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc.) and kitchen type waste (potato skins, vegetable peel, coffee grounds, etc.) into organic matter to use in gardens as a soil enhancer. A recycling kind of thing.

I built my own 2 bin system. It's 3-sided, frames with wire mesh, front is open with 1x6 boards to stack on edge in track to contain as pile get higher and to remove to turn the pile and remove when it's done. Raw materials go in the first bin to start breaking down, needs heat and water to do the process, then can be turned into next bin (to mix it). New material goes in first bin to repeat the process. It looks a lot like soil when it is done, especially good to use with clay type soil so it doesn't compact as hard or in the garden, good nutrients for plants.

As I recall, the temperature in the center of the pile can get up to over 120 degrees F, which is what you want.

But have to admit, now that my city picks up yard waste every week, I've kinda backed off on using as much. City picks up the yard waste bags, composts it all and we can go get the finished compost....far too easy. Composting was really a good method before we had yard waste pickup because weren't supposed to put grass clippings and leaves in trash but what else could you do with them?

On a another note, when I bought my chipper/shredder (which sold since we have the pickup), I envisioned piles of mulch for my plants. Yeah right!

Big pile of branches and leaves turned into less than a 5 gallon bucket of mulch.

So much for that idea.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=83348
[/B][/QUOTE]

Our city will shred Christmas trees and then we can go down and get mulch but they aren't composting yet. Sure is a good idea! My composter is one of the big black enclosed type and so far doesn't smell when I open it and I do have it against the fence by the garage so it is a good distance from the house. I chop kitchen waste before I put it in the container that goes to the composter every night but I didn't know if putting seeds in it would cause unwanted plants to grow when I finally get enough compost to use.....should be ready in time for Spring.