Grass clippings, dead leaves (no pine needles), topsoil and dirt found in the woods, random fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc.?
I've been giving this a go for about 8 weeks. I bought a 32-gallon Rubbermaid trash can with lid at Lowes and drilled holes in it.
I added a little blood meal organic fertilizer (maybe 1/2 cup) and added a few earthworms I found in the yard. I kept the trash can in the sun with the lid on it.
I think I put too much water on it towards the end of composting it and it stopped it from completely breaking down, however, it was very black/brown in color and had a little bit of an odor to it. Also, the trash can was full when I last filled it and watered it, and tonight it was half full, tightly compacted, and wet.
I think I put 4-5 gallons of water in the trash can 3 times in 8 weeks.
I don't know if I'm doing this right?
I have a second pile of grass clippings I simply dumped out into a pile in the yard. I've left it untouched since I first made it 10 days ago. This pile had grey grass, grey dust, and a little steam in the middle of it tonight. This pile looked too dry, and my first "trash can" compost looked too wet, so what the heck, I mixed them into one big pile in the yard and added some water, but not so much this time.
My plan is to cover it with plastic sheeting and rocks I have and hopefully keep it from drying out too much in the Sun.
I'll be cutting the grass in a day or so and will have fresh clippings that I could add to the pile in the yard, or start making a new batch in the empty trash can. What should I do?
I think I disturbed the pile in the yard with the grey dust, etc. in it tonight by turning it too much. I know I'm supposed to turn it, I just don't know how often, and I'm not sure what happens next after that grey dusty grass is just left alone?
I also think I need one of those thermometers that tells you what stage your pile is in.
If someone could explain the "stages" and help me fine tune my ingredients, turning, and watering, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
I've been giving this a go for about 8 weeks. I bought a 32-gallon Rubbermaid trash can with lid at Lowes and drilled holes in it.
I added a little blood meal organic fertilizer (maybe 1/2 cup) and added a few earthworms I found in the yard. I kept the trash can in the sun with the lid on it.
I think I put too much water on it towards the end of composting it and it stopped it from completely breaking down, however, it was very black/brown in color and had a little bit of an odor to it. Also, the trash can was full when I last filled it and watered it, and tonight it was half full, tightly compacted, and wet.
I think I put 4-5 gallons of water in the trash can 3 times in 8 weeks.
I don't know if I'm doing this right?
I have a second pile of grass clippings I simply dumped out into a pile in the yard. I've left it untouched since I first made it 10 days ago. This pile had grey grass, grey dust, and a little steam in the middle of it tonight. This pile looked too dry, and my first "trash can" compost looked too wet, so what the heck, I mixed them into one big pile in the yard and added some water, but not so much this time.
My plan is to cover it with plastic sheeting and rocks I have and hopefully keep it from drying out too much in the Sun.
I'll be cutting the grass in a day or so and will have fresh clippings that I could add to the pile in the yard, or start making a new batch in the empty trash can. What should I do?
I think I disturbed the pile in the yard with the grey dust, etc. in it tonight by turning it too much. I know I'm supposed to turn it, I just don't know how often, and I'm not sure what happens next after that grey dusty grass is just left alone?
I also think I need one of those thermometers that tells you what stage your pile is in.
If someone could explain the "stages" and help me fine tune my ingredients, turning, and watering, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
