We have tons of kitchen scraps and I'm going nuts looking at everything from turning to bokashi to tumblers to holes. Does this really have to be so complicated? Then I read blogs online of failures, too much work, smell, etc. What really is the right way to do this in a smallish but not miniscule home flower/veggies organic garden?
Just pile your grass, leaves and other plant material in one place. Put a few branches around it. Don't add any meat or other items that might smell. Water whenever you feel like it.
Put fencing around it if you want. Even plant morning glories to grow over it. Just don't worry.
Dig a hole about 2 ft deep and 4 ft across. Put wire around it.
Add your compost, every month or so add some dirt, water if needed, and grass clippings, leaves, manure. Turn with a shovel each month as well. It isn't hard, its easy. Only the time it takes to compost is hard to wait for.
edit* I don't add lime to my compost – the ground here where I live is alkali enough, and I've never had a problem with ph…
References :
It's not really that hard.
To make your own compost:
Layer 1 part green materials( grass clippings,green leaves vegetable & fruit scraps) to 2 parts brown material(twigs, dried grass & leaves, shredded newspaper, coffee grounds). Add soil, then more green & browns. Wet down & turn often.
Never use animal fats or meats, weeds with seedheads, breads.
Video on composting with leaves:
http://www.technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxSYbVHOmHog
Another home composter:using a three bin method:
http://www.technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-QaoMxCfOrw
Good luck!!! Hope this helps.
References :
http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting1.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-703/426-703.html#L5
If you try Livn4the's advise (which does work very well), you will also want to add lime to the mix periodically to help speed up the process, add water to keep it a little moist when needed and cover it with a tarp. Also, have you looked into the manufactured composters (available at most Big Box stores). They work very well, come with instruction, are a sealed unit (helps eliminate odors) and produce usable compost quit fast.
Anywho….Happy Gardening!!
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The most common problem with compost is that it is too wet. When it's too wet, there is no air in the compost and then the stinky kind of bacteria takes over and it smells awful.
If you really have A LOT of compost, then I'd recommend making a simple bin out of four wooden pallets wired together to make an upright box. Make two side by side so you can alternate years with which one you use. Besides working really well, you can't beat the price of materials–free.
The other thing that is important is you need bulkng agents. If the Nitrogen gets too high, you will also have a stink. I use bales of either potting soil or peat moss and alternate layers of compost with bulking agents at least every six inches. Adding a handful of lime pellets every other layer will keep the pH high enough to also hinder bad bacteria. You can get both of these add-ins at any garden store.
If you are doing this on a smaller scale, you can use five gallon plastic buckets or even milk crates. Drill a lot of 1/2" holes in the bottom of the buckets then start with two inches of peat moss. This will give the leachate(ooze) some place to go where it won't make a stink until it drains.
When I use to compost for a summer camp, I ran everything through a wood chipper first. It was a bit messy but chopping everything up increased the surface area and made it decompose faster. It is really the only way to get corn cobs to disappear in a reasonable time.
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i am a lazy person. if i did the things listed here i would never compost. i have been doing it for 30 years. here is what i do. get 9 ft of wire fencing to make a circle 3ft in diameter. i dump all ny grass and leaves from the yard in it. plant debris goes in along with household stuff like egg shells and fruit peels. i cover these up with the grass and leaves so it doesnt look like a garbage bin. i water it once in awhile and stir it up now and then. thats it. nothing else. works great for me.
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I have a half-acre, large maples, fruit trees, berry bushes, lots of lawn, numerous flower beds,a 32'x48' vegetable garden and compost everything, including all "clean" kitchen waste (clean waste contains no fat, no protein, no sugar, no starch).
I would suggest the most important aspect of creating good, totally organic compost is time. I live in a Zone 8 climate and keep on a three container, three year rotation. When each spring rolls around, one contains ready to use, fully-composted material from two seasons previous, the second contains all collected last year and the third is for this year's use.
For everything above I use three 4'x4'x4' home made bins with covers to keep the rain out when needed and these are located in an out of the way spot near the garden. Size of containers will obviously be determined by your needs.
Keep damp (not wet) in first two years. Sprinkle a small amount from year two container into the current one every now and again to replenish bacteria. These little workers need air to break down plant material so layering soggy kitchen waste with dryish lawn clippings, leaves etc. will keep things working and relatively odor free. Mix the top 6" of the current year compost a bit every now and again.
When you have emptied all of your "ready" compost, replace with all from last year's container. Aside from exposing material to more air, this "turning over" of your unfinished compost places whatever was least decomposed on top of the pile onto the bottom where more heat, a byproduct of decomposition is stored, ensuring it will be ready when you need it.
Finally, although holes are more than adequate for composting, I would suggest using slightly raised containers rather to lessen back strain.
Good Gardening!
References :
Just pile your grass, leaves and other plant material in one place. Put a few branches around it. Don't add any meat or other items that might smell. Water whenever you feel like it.
Put fencing around it if you want. Even plant morning glories to grow over it. Just don't worry.
References :
"Gardens for beginners"
http://www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k