What is the best way to make cheap organic compost?
Marilee Shuagsweil asked:
Anyone have any ideas or web links on the most cost effective way to make your own fast composting organic compost bin?
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Anyone have any ideas or web links on the most cost effective way to make your own fast composting organic compost bin?
March 26th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Recycled leaves
March 26th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Get some 4ft 2in.X4in. fencing. Make 3 cylinders, by standing the fencing up, and making a circular tube about 3ft in diameter. Cut the fencing, and wire the ends together. Make 2 more .
Collect your neighbor’s leaves and cut grass(be careful toavoid grass that has recenly been treated with weed-killer), and go to you neighborhood fruit stand, and collect all the corn tailings, rotten fruit, and so on. Any thing organic will do.
Layer the materials into the first cylinder. 6″ leaves, 2-3″ grass, some other organics, 6″ leaves, 2-3 in grass, and so no. It is not rocket science, but I have found that grass is a great catalyst, as it produces lots of heat, and nitrogen to speed the process. Too much grass will make the mixture too hot, and will produce a soggy, matted mixture.
Every 2 to 3 days, just lift the cylinder up, letting the mixture slide out the bottom. Then fork the mixture into the same, or another cylinder. This turning aereates the mixture, and you start the process again. With 3 cylinders, you can have a sort of production line that produces viable compost in about 2 weeks, when done right, 3 if you mess up.
Good luck.
March 28th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Use an old playpen (or two, one for collecting materials and one for ‘brewing’ the compost). If you don’t have a playpen, you can use old hard plastic wading pools (I say “old” because I’m thinking you’re recycling it!), or construct a compost bin out of scrap wood, chicken wire, and bricks. Even old drawers from a discarded bureau will work (put several together). Great way to recycle old furniture!