any updates on your garbage can composter tina?  i like how easy and cheap it sounds, just wondering how well it works.  i want something for the front yard of mama's hip for small amounts of plant and kitchen waste.

cheap easy composting gets my attention!

must know more.

weve always had just a fenced off compost area, but im not sure how itll work out at the place were moving, so im all ears to alternatives.

I'm curious on this one too.  I think we're going to attempt a (small) raised vegetable bed this year, and it'd be nice to do the compost as well.  Cheap and easy sounds right up my alley.

Jes - I described what I did on the Blog page. Basically, I found a blurb in a gardening book about making a cheap composter by poking a bunch of holes in a round garbage can and filling it with stuff to be composted. If the lid fits (or if you make it stay on by using bungee cords) you can tip it over on its side and roll it around to mix it up. It basically operates like those expensive round composters that you can turn with a handle.

Now, as to how it works? I'm not sure yet. Keep in mind that I really don't have a clue what I'm doing. I read some more on it in a different book and it said that if I'm trying to do "hot" composting then it should be steaming by now. When you do hot composting you create the pile and then don't add anymore to it. It's supposed to break down a lot more quickly and the heat kills any weed seeds or antigens. Since I want to use it in my garden I'd rather it break down sooner than later, kwim?

Cold composting is exactly what it sounds like. You can keep adding things to it and it breaks down much more slowly. Shannon, I think for your purposes, that's probably what you'll end up with. I think the garbage can idea is good because it'll keep out vermin. A friend of mine tried just making a pile once. She said she ended up with all the neighborhood cats using it as a littler box. (Gag.)

I'm hoping I can convince mine to be a hot composter. My husband bought me some "compost starter" so we'll see how it goes...

Ooooh, and I had another idea, too. The cheapest I've seen water barrels sold for is $65 if you buy 2 or more from the Nature Center. I think they're provided by MSD, but that's where you pick them up. Well, the same kind of big plastic garbage can I'm using for the composting will work as a rain barrel (as long as I don't poke any holes in it, lol). I have to figure out how to take apart a section of our gutter downspout thingy so I can put the (new) garbage can under it. Once it's full, I'll simply reattach the downspout and put the lid on the can to keep out mosquitos. Then I'll use a bucket to dip out water for my garden.

So, how about you practice with your downspout and let us know : ) The landlord might not like me messing with the gutters. But I definitely want to try because there is no outside water here.
Has anybody else read the book 'You Grow Girl'? I love it and her site too(by the same name). You all should check it out!

I have been thinking about setting up a worm composting bucket. Has anyone done that? I like the idea that they can live in a rubbermaid tub in the basement, won't smell, and will break down all my garbage pretty quickly. But I have been in the "planning stages" for weeks with no progress, and now my seeds have sprouted and I'm going to need compost soon! Any thoughts on worm bins vs. garbage can composter? Like Tina, I have no idea what I'm doing, really, and usually need clear instructions.

I am really excited to hear about the rain barrel! Let us know how that works!

Tiffany - I've nver done it, but I remember seeing a segment on Martha Stewart once upon a time. I think I was watching it in a dentist office waiting room or someplace weird like that.

I found a link to some text and the how-to video:

http://www.marthastewart.com/articl...composting

There's an upcoming "learn to compost" event at Blackacre on April 11th. I'm planning on going! http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Louis...ide?id=364 They're also hosting monthly veggie gardening talks.

thanks tiffany, im gonna have to try to go to that too!!

as for rain barrels. we have a touch of knowledge on that. weve never disassembled our gutters, just put it at a corner of the house that has the most rain seepage (does that make any sense. maybe weve just lived in places with crappy gutters, lucky for our rain barrel.

as for mosquitos, goldfish! last year we just bought like 5 25c or whatever feeder gold fish and put them in there, the larvae was gone in a day! (i promise they didnt all grow up. we were in nc, mosquito heaven, and had larvae consistently for weeks before i read the gold fish trick)
theres lots of odd solutions like adding dish soap, etc. but i just didnt feel right about using water with anything like that on my veggies. (it can only be dawn or something, a soap we dont use) but goldfish dont scare me, and dd1 got really excited about them and named them.

ok. i rambled. haha. sorry.

Excellent idea, Jes. I didn't even think about that. We had our gutters replaced a few years ago, but we do have one spot where they still run off. In fact, it's eroding our yard on that corner. I'll just put the bucket under that corner. Duh. Brilliant!

I was thinking about simply putting the lid on the can after the rain stops... If I can remember to do that, it shouldn't be an issue. And believe me, we already have plenty of mosquitos in our yard every year.

Great link. I added that site to the Resources / Going Green page. Thanks!

I also wanted to mention that you can get some experience by volunteering with Breaking New Grounds. It's the organization set up by the Heine Brothers guys. I volunteered once last year with my son. It was at a place near St. Agnes, but I think they're moving to a larger site downtown where they can do the composing and vermicomposting all at the same place. 28th and Broadway, maybe?

I would've done more volunteering, but I just got busy I guess.

If you decide to go, make sure you wear ooooold shoes. I think mine still stink, lol.

Hey, Jes, so did you have to do other stuff for the goldfish, or did they just live on happily swimming around the barrel with no maintenance?

If we had a worm bin talk/demonstration at Mama's Hip, would you all be interested? I have a mam who has suggested it. I will get the ball rolling if anyone's interested.

That'd be cool. Especially if I could bring Piper and she could look at the worms. Good grief that kid is obsessed with digging for worms.

I would be interested as well Shannon!! We have a compost bin that we got online at Costco and it works pretty well. They also sell them as Sams now! and they are reasonable!!

id go shannon! tiffany, the only thing i really do, is keep a small thing of flake food on hand in case the mosquitos arent keeping them fed. other than that theyre totally happy.

I want some lovely Worm Poop compost like they sell at Heine Brothers. I've never bought it but it looks so dark and lovely. I'm sure my garden would thrive on it.

My composting experiments are not very successful so far. I think the "trash bin with holes in it" trick will work if I let it set for about a year. But I was trying to make a "hot" compost pile. From what I'm reading, the pile needs to have a larger diameter to heat up properly.

Clearly I'm doing something wrong.

I just checked my compost tonight to see if I have some fertilizer and nothing hardly at all?? I started it last year (July) and its not breaking down properly?? any thoughts?

what kind of composter are you using fairymommy?
we have, more or less, a "pile". but we still "turn" it every so often, just using a shovel, dig out the bottom, put it on top, etc.

if you never turn it, its likely it doest heat up enough, especially here (on the coast of nc, it seldom gets below 40, and summers seldom below 80, 90s (feels like 100s) common. so turning it wasnt really AS essential, but we did it anyways)

that's probably the problem, I very rarely turn it! it seems almost impossible to. what do you turn yours with or what is the best thing to use??