I spent the day building a compost bin in my backyard. Started with a palette on the ground and then some 2x4 posts nailed to the palette. To the posts were nailed the walls, 1 x 6 slats placed with about a half n' inch between them. The palette base and the space between the slats are to provide some oxygen to the various layers of the bins contents. Didn't get a lid on it before the day was done but that's definitely coming soon!
Started out by filling it with leaves bagged from last fall but that weren't dealt then with because I knew I wanted them in the compost bin yet to be built. So it's filled with carbon... now for the nitrogen! 25-30 to 1, carbon to nitrogen is supposed to be the ratio and right now it's 100 to 0 carbon... coffee grounds & kitchen scraps to follow. Hopefully have some soil for growing season.
Any other composters here?
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Your craftsmanship is superb :)
I think Timmay would compost quite nicely.
Quote from: Jaron on March 14, 2010, 11:33:48 PM
Your craftsmanship is superb :)
Thanks, but this bit is just wood and nails. From this bin waste shall be turned into soil that is rich in nutrients... and from that soil shall grow food stuffs... and that will be the true mark of craftsmanship!
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 14, 2010, 11:35:30 PM
I think Timmay would compost quite nicely.
You'd want to compost him out in the woods not close to any neighbours because his decaying flesh would attract pests like rats n' such... luckily i'm in Alberta where there are no rats. Also if his leg is indeed made of wood that would take a long time to compost... a couple years before it turned to red rot anyways, you'd want to chip it up first.
Quote from: PRC on March 14, 2010, 11:42:04 PM
You'd want to compost him out in the woods not close to any neighbours because his decaying flesh would attract pests like rats n' such... luckily i'm in Alberta where there are no rats. Also if his leg is indeed made of wood that would take a long time to compost... a couple years before it turned to red rot anyways, you'd want to chip it up first.
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I tried to set up a compost pile, but it really pissed off the landlord.
Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on March 15, 2010, 12:18:43 AM
I tried to set up a compost pile, but it really pissed off the landlord.
Luckily I don't have a landlord and you should endeavor to find yourself in that position as well.
I don't understand how the compost doesn't rot through the boards. :hmm:
Been a while since I composted, but i do remeber a few things,
A, why don't you build it straight on the ground so that you can drain it into the soil and get fungus and worms from the soil to speed up the process? It will also keep it moist so it doesn't dry up on you
B, you need to get the soil out in the bottom as you fill it, so a trap door or unhinged side would have been good
C, often you need to turn the content over, sort of upside down, not right away, but say once or twice a year.
D, you need a sill of sorts, my granddad used to build one, just a large frame with wiremesh nailed on, so that the soil was sroted from whatever debris was still left (twigs and so)
E, he usually had 3 bins, a "starter" where he dumped this years cutoffs and so, a middle that was slowly decomposing last years cutoffs, and a third, almost soil, where he would drop contents from the second one after the silting, and take soil from. those three alternated ofc, yearly so it fitted with the stage of decomposition.
But nice craftmanship indeed :)
V
My parents used to have a similar thing in the garden. Such a odd yet OK smell.
Quote from: Valdemar on March 15, 2010, 03:25:28 AM
Been a while since I composted, but i do remeber a few things,
A, why don't you build it straight on the ground so that you can drain it into the soil and get fungus and worms from the soil to speed up the process? It will also keep it moist so it doesn't dry up on you
B, you need to get the soil out in the bottom as you fill it, so a trap door or unhinged side would have been good
C, often you need to turn the content over, sort of upside down, not right away, but say once or twice a year.
D, you need a sill of sorts, my granddad used to build one, just a large frame with wiremesh nailed on, so that the soil was sroted from whatever debris was still left (twigs and so)
E, he usually had 3 bins, a "starter" where he dumped this years cutoffs and so, a middle that was slowly decomposing last years cutoffs, and a third, almost soil, where he would drop contents from the second one after the silting, and take soil from. those three alternated ofc, yearly so it fitted with the stage of decomposition.
But nice craftmanship indeed :)
V
This two parts are very important in composting 101...
When I still lived with my parents, we had something similar. It was also built above ground, dad bought a bunch of red wrigglers from the local bait shop and put them in with the grass clippings and coffee grounds. The compost was regularly, at least in the summer time, turned over with a pitchfork by us kids whenever we went fishing. The bottom had a forward slope to it and a hinged door in the front to get the dirt out.
So is this like a hobby or something?
Right now I just have a pile in the back yard next to the shed which gets filled with some vegetation, soil, leaves. Not really composting. But I've started to check out composting, might try and set up something this year. Would help with the vegetable garden to get some rich soil.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 14, 2010, 11:35:30 PM
I think Timmay would compost quite nicely.
Too many metal parts. He would need to be smelted.
Quote from: Valdemar on March 15, 2010, 03:25:28 AM
Been a while since I composted, but i do remeber a few things,
A, why don't you build it straight on the ground so that you can drain it into the soil and get fungus and worms from the soil to speed up the process? It will also keep it moist so it doesn't dry up on you
B, you need to get the soil out in the bottom as you fill it, so a trap door or unhinged side would have been good
C, often you need to turn the content over, sort of upside down, not right away, but say once or twice a year.
D, you need a sill of sorts, my granddad used to build one, just a large frame with wiremesh nailed on, so that the soil was sroted from whatever debris was still left (twigs and so)
E, he usually had 3 bins, a "starter" where he dumped this years cutoffs and so, a middle that was slowly decomposing last years cutoffs, and a third, almost soil, where he would drop contents from the second one after the silting, and take soil from. those three alternated ofc, yearly so it fitted with the stage of decomposition.
But nice craftmanship indeed :)
V
Yep, good stuff.
For A. I wanted it raised to help get oxygen into the lower layers and because I was a little worried about the moisture levels in the ground in that area. Worms can and will be added.
B. The front side won't have the high slats like the other side to help with that. A true opening would have been nicer for sure but it will still be low enough that it shouldn't be to hard to get at, I tested that out to make sure I wouldn't be impeded when shoveling it.
C. Definitely!
D. Really good point, this is what my parents used to do as well... I will have to try to come up with something.
E. Yep, i'm going to add another one to the right of this one when the time comes.
Good job.
I am lazy and use the black plastic ones from the local lumber store.
I understand you need for oxygen, but I fear raising it that much will mean it dries out? You ought to get oxygen from the sides and possibly turning it over.
Especially if you have many leaves wich tend to be very dry and hard to decompose. Once you have plenty of "wet" debris like flower cuttings and such it might be better.
Oh, and be careful with too much grass, it might ferment instead.. which is NOT a pleasant smell :)
Ofc, I don't know exactly where you live, but if yo have a decent topsoil that ought to give you drainage enough when needed, and moisture enough when not :)
V
Doesn't this set up...stink? :unsure:
Quote from: Monoriu on March 16, 2010, 10:09:36 PM
Doesn't this set up...stink? :unsure:
Depends what you're composting... some stuff decays nicely and breaks right down into the components you need. Other stuff... not so much. See above for mention about the fermenting grass.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on March 16, 2010, 10:15:50 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on March 16, 2010, 10:09:36 PM
Doesn't this set up...stink? :unsure:
Depends what you're composting... some stuff decays nicely and breaks right down into the components you need. Other stuff... not so much. See above for mention about the fermenting grass.
Exactly. If your ratio of composting ingredients is too high in nitrogen then you will have a stench. But as it is in this picture it's 55:1 carbon to nitrogen. I've got lots of nitrogen rich ingredients to add before there will ever be a stench. The ideal compost ratio of carbon to nitrogen is 27:1.
High nitrogen ingredients are coffee grounds (20:1 carbon to nitrogen), most kitchen food waste (20:1), seaweed (19:1), horseshit (15:1), etc. The leaves that are in there now are 55:1 carbon to nitrogen.
So you just need to balance that ratio.. if you get over 35:1 carbon to nitrogen you will start to get a strong smell emanating from the bin.
Quote from: Martinus on March 15, 2010, 10:04:14 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 14, 2010, 11:35:30 PM
I think Timmay would compost quite nicely.
Too many metal parts. He would need to be smelted.
Also he's radioactive.