So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of
property. I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated to
composting and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond that.

I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so far,
but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside? I won't contaminate the yard
with salmonella? I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the compost in
the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all with the wet egg
shells.
- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?
- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels in
the kitchen compost bin?
- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of
autumn leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous
pine bark chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed. Should I
mix these all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all of them with
the kitchen scraps in the bin?

What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in? We get
monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap or can
of bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on the
shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things progressing?
Compost accelerator products?

Thanks for guidance.

Karen

dkhedmo said:

So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of
property. I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated to
composting and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond that.

Congrats. Sounds like a nice place. =)


I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so far,
but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside?

They're fine. crush them up as much as you can, prior to adding them.
Smaller pieces of anything will break down quicker.

I won't contaminate the yard with salmonella?

Not if it heats up properly. The center of the compost should heat up
nicely, and there will be plenty of "good" organisms to counter the "bad"
ones.

I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the compost in
the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all with the wet egg
shells.

Give him a beer and the remote. Then just don't tell him the shells are
there. He won't be eating the compost, you know.

- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?

Sure, why not? It's organic, no?

- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels in
the kitchen compost bin?

I stay away from paper in my compost bin. Shredded, it makes a good mulch
for veggies, though.

- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

Nah, my compost bins are wide-open. No lid, and the sides are a nylon mesh.
I've never had a problem with anything eating from them.


I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of
autumn leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous
pine bark chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed. Should I
mix these all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all of them with
the kitchen scraps in the bin?

Why "layer"? Things compost much more quickly when they're stirred up. You
need several things to make good compost. You need the nitrogen-rich grass
clippings, as well as the chopped up leaf material. Bark and other hard
material takes much longer to break down.


What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in?

Sticks, twigs, and other hard debris. They just take too long to break
down. If you're not planning on stirring the compost often, I'd stay away
from any diseased plant material.

We get
monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap or can
of bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

Yup, you're on the right track.


I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on the
shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things progressing?

Stir it with a fork, weekly. Sunny areas are better choices, but it'll work
in the shade. It just takes a bit longer.

Compost accelerator products?

Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red wigglers.
=)

HTH
--

Eggs

-For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

Eggs Zachtly wrote:


Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red wigglers.
=)

HTH

Thanks so much for the quick, detailed reply! I just saw a bait vending
machine somewhere recently, now where the heck was I when I saw it???
Anyway, lots of anglers around here, bait's easy to find.

Thank you!

Karen

"Eggs Zachtly" wrote in message
...
dkhedmo said:

So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of
property. I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated to
composting and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond that.

Congrats. Sounds like a nice place. =)


I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so far,
but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside?

They're fine. crush them up as much as you can, prior to adding them.
Smaller pieces of anything will break down quicker.

I won't contaminate the yard with salmonella?

Not if it heats up properly. The center of the compost should heat up
nicely, and there will be plenty of "good" organisms to counter the "bad"
ones.

I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the compost in
the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all with the wet egg
shells.

Give him a beer and the remote. Then just don't tell him the shells are
there. He won't be eating the compost, you know.

- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?

Sure, why not? It's organic, no?

- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels in
the kitchen compost bin?

I stay away from paper in my compost bin. Shredded, it makes a good mulch
for veggies, though.

- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

Nah, my compost bins are wide-open. No lid, and the sides are a nylon
mesh.
I've never had a problem with anything eating from them.


I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of
autumn leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous
pine bark chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed. Should I
mix these all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all of them with
the kitchen scraps in the bin?

Why "layer"? Things compost much more quickly when they're stirred up. You
need several things to make good compost. You need the nitrogen-rich grass
clippings, as well as the chopped up leaf material. Bark and other hard
material takes much longer to break down.


What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in?

Sticks, twigs, and other hard debris. They just take too long to break
down. If you're not planning on stirring the compost often, I'd stay away
from any diseased plant material.

We get
monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap or can
of bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

Yup, you're on the right track.


I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on the
shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things progressing?

Stir it with a fork, weekly. Sunny areas are better choices, but it'll
work
in the shade. It just takes a bit longer.

Compost accelerator products?

Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red
wigglers.
=)

HTH
Eggs


All good advice - but why is everybody in such a hurry ? Including a little
soil also helps.

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
ink.net...
So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of property.
I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated to composting
and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond that.

I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so far,
but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside? I won't contaminate the yard
with salmonella? I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the compost in
the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all with the wet egg
shells.
- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?
- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels in the
kitchen compost bin?
- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I strap
the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of autumn
leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous pine bark
chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed. Should I mix these
all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all of them with the kitchen
scraps in the bin?

What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in? We get
monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap or can of
bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on the
shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things progressing? Compost
accelerator products?

Thanks for guidance.

Karen

Salmonella or not in the eggshells wet contents, by the time its done
cooking and plants engorge upon it, filter it, and take the nutrients, makes
no sense. Only hens eggs (shells) benefit from eggshells. Does no harm
irregardless in compost.
Dave

dkhedmo wrote:

Eggs Zachtly wrote:


Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red wigglers.
=)

HTH

Thanks so much for the quick, detailed reply! I just saw a bait vending
machine somewhere recently, now where the heck was I when I saw it???
Anyway, lots of anglers around here, bait's easy to find.

Thank you!

Karen

each year I like to add more fishing worms to my flower
beds, gardens and compost areas. it's kind of fun to open
the fishing worm container and set all those worms free to
do good things in the soil and to the soil.

the informational advice you got from Eggs was spot on.
happy composting.

good post Eggs.

dkhedmo said:

Eggs Zachtly wrote:


Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red wigglers.
=)

HTH

Thanks so much for the quick, detailed reply! I just saw a bait vending
machine somewhere recently, now where the heck was I when I saw it???
Anyway, lots of anglers around here, bait's easy to find.

Thank you!

You're welcome.

I should have also added that with the exception of the eggshells, stay
away from any other "animal" products. Use only plant materials. You
probably already know that, but I try to remember to never assume anything.


Happy composting. =)
--

Eggs

-How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

Eggs Zachtly wrote:
dkhedmo said:

Eggs Zachtly wrote:

Head to the nearest bait store and get a couple containers of red wigglers.
=)

HTH
Thanks so much for the quick, detailed reply! I just saw a bait vending
machine somewhere recently, now where the heck was I when I saw it???
Anyway, lots of anglers around here, bait's easy to find.

Thank you!

You're welcome.

I should have also added that with the exception of the eggshells, stay
away from any other "animal" products. Use only plant materials. You
probably already know that, but I try to remember to never assume anything.


Happy composting. =)

We're vegetarian anyway, but yes, I do know know to avoid putting
anything with dairy on it in the compost.

I'm very interested to see how much less garbage will be going out to
the curb each week. Our company provides these gigantic trash cans,
which we fill maybe half way, and little bins for the recycling that are
always overflowing for us. I had to beg them to give me an extra
recycling bin. Meanwhile, my neighbors never put out recycling and their
garbage can is always spilling over.

Anyway, thanks!

-K-

All good advice - but why is everybody in such a hurry ? Including a little
soil also helps.



Not so much in a hurry, just concerned about lack of sun in an otherwise
perfect spot for composting. The heap of sod I've got has soil still
attached to the roots (we got off what we could), so it sounds like this
will be a good addition to the bin. We've been very pleased to find lots
of worms where ever we dig in the yard, especially as we have clay.

-K-

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/soil/



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bent wrote:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/soil/



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Excellent, thank you. I need to join that site, but keep forgetting
about it.

What are we using to "shred" leaves with? Do I need to shred the leaves
that have been heaped up out there since last fall, or have they started
to break down enough?

Karen

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
ink.net...
So we're in our first home, and we've got a nice sized piece of
property. I've got a nice big area at the end of the yard dedicated
to composting and general heaping of yard debris, with woods beyond
that.

I have the Smith and Hawken stackable compost bin, nothing in it so
far, but ready to start taking kitchen scraps out there. Questions:
- Egg shells - with the slimy goo inside? I won't contaminate the
yard with salmonella? I've put shells form hard boiled eggs in the
compost in the past, but the mister is convinced I'll kill us all
with the wet egg shells.
- Cereal with *soy* milk in the bin?
- I've read of shredding newspapers and putting dirty paper towels
in the kitchen compost bin?
- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

I also have some heaps collecting. Among them: a few large heaps of
autumn leaves, sod clumps from the garden beds we dug, those hideous
pine bark chips/mulch, with more around the yard to be removed.
Should I mix these all into one heap? Do I want to layer any or all
of them with the kitchen scraps in the bin?

What kinds of stuff from the yard should I *not* be putting in? We
get monthly curbside pickup of yard debris, so I can put out a heap
or can of bits. (I'm thinking rose bush prunings, and such?)

I can run a hose out there to keep things damp, but the area is on
the shady woodland side, so what can I do to keep things
progressing? Compost accelerator products?

Forget the accelerators.

I have two large compost bins. They get filled mostly with lawn
clippings and other yard debris. The kitchen waste is very little
compared to the yard waste. I try to bury kitchen waste, otherwise,
animals go through it and spread it around. Eggshells are one thing I
do not put in it, as they end up all over the neighborhood if I do
unless they are well buried.

With two large bins, I just keep adding to one while I take out of the
other. When adding lawn clippings, I spread them out to form 3-4 inch
layers and sprinkle a little dirt on the layer to "innoculate" it with
the necessary bacteria. This seems to avoid getting areas in the
compost which don't compost right, ending up as black slimy mess or
just uncomposted grass. I don't turn my compost, I just let it go for
a year or two. If you turn it regularly, the dirt probably won't make
much difference.

When one bin is empty, and the other is full, I start adding only to
the other bin. When I need more compost, I fork the top of the full
bin into the other until I get to the good compost, then start using
the compost.

A really easy to build free compost bin is four pallets stood on edge
to form a cube and tied, wired, or nailed at the corners. The only
problem is they have to be replaced every several years, and the
rotted old ones have to be disposed.

Bob

On Jun 11, 3:45 pm, dkhedmo wrote:
- We've got critters of all the usual northeast sorts - will the bin
become a buffet the minute I start putting scraps in there? Should I
strap the lid shut, or put a rock on it?

I never had a problem with 4 legged critters, but I did have a den of
snakes
take over a compost pile one time. Guess during the cooler weather
they
liked the heat from the pile.

KC

dkhedmo said:

Excellent, thank you. I need to join that site, but keep forgetting
about it.

Another site you may be interested in is www.davesgarden.com . It has the
largest plant database online, that I know of. There are discussions about
much more than just plants, though.


What are we using to "shred" leaves with?

Got a lawn mower?

Do I need to shred the leaves
that have been heaped up out there since last fall, or have they started
to break down enough?

If they're wet, let em go. If they're still dry enough for a mower to
mulch, go for it. =)

--

Eggs

A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.

dkhedmo wrote:

All good advice - but why is everybody in such a hurry ? Including a
little soil also helps.



Not so much in a hurry, just concerned about lack of sun in an otherwise
perfect spot for composting.

Heat is your friend with composting, right?

Shade isn't your friend with *perfect* composting? (just guessing)