Comments on: Making Compost – The Basics

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:45:46 +0000

@ Kevin, I live in Washington state as well (Edmonds area). Unless you have a LOT of cardboard I would use needles. I use pine needles as my source of carbon. They dont have to be completely dried out. But only use fallen needles, dont go off scraping trees Keeping a 2:1 ratio of carbon is optimal. Good Luck

By: Ari

Ari — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:00:06 +0000

Worms dont like temperatures too hot. So if you see them, it means that the pile is not as hot as it should be. Of course if you are waiting for your compost to mature, worms might come in during this time, but if you have started out the pile and still have big chunks of waste, worms are a sign that your pile is sub-optimal.

By: steve

steve — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:07:43 +0000

@claudette, Yes pallets with chicken wire make great composters. You may want to consider covering the top with a tarp to help keep the heat in. Keep the front open and just slide a pallet back and forth giving yourself an area to get in there to mix it.

By: steve

steve — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:02:51 +0000

@Nicole, It sounds like you need more browns (carbon). Look for some leaves, newspaper, etc and if possible shred it before adding it to your unfinished compost. Make sure you don’t over water; it should be as moist as a well rung out sponge. Composting does take time so be patient, on average it should take 3 to 4 months for it to completely break down.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:09:53 +0000

I have been composting for a couple of years now and haven’t really produced a batch of compost. I am combining vegetable/fruit kitchen waste with shredded white paper (household bills, etc) at approximately 4:1 ratio. I see slugs and worms and feel heat coming from the pile, but it’s a very slow process and sometimes it look watery and smells “off”. What am I doing wrong?

By: claudette

claudette — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:48:00 +0000

I have four pallets and want to staple chicken wire around them. Can I use that as a compost bin? It will give lots of ventilation. I am am going to used brown grass, green grass and leaves as well as kitchen scraps and stir it once a week. Will that work? Thanks. Reply

By: steve

steve — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:21:22 +0000

@Dominic, It should be fine to use the leaves from your pool that have diatomaceous earth. The diatomaceous earth will likely kill the larger insects but not harm the microscopic sized organisms that break down the compost.

By: Dominic

Dominic — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 06:52:38 +0000

I have leaves from around my pool filter that have gotten a good coating of diatomaceous earth . Will adding them to my compost pile have any negative effect?

By: steve

steve — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:41:51 +0000

@Rhonda, Yes, your little fat mouse shouldn’t cause any problems to keep you from using the finished compost, but keep in mind, that little fat mouse is going to soon turn into numerous fat little mice. I suggest a live animal trap and releasing him out in a field or park. As for a screen, no I don’t have a site, but they are simple enough to make. Buy some mesh screen the size of holes you want, and staple it to a wooden frame. You can use 2 x 2 inch studs, cut them to size and screw them together like a picture frame. You should be able to get all the supplies at a local feed and hardware store.

By: Rhoda

Rhoda — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:55:18 +0000

I noticed that a fat little field mouse visits my compost bin at night and now I’m afraid to use my finished compost in the vegetable garden. Is it safe to use? Also, do you know of a website showing how to make a screen to sift the finished compost? I didn’t see any info on this.