May 25th, 2007 by The Bosphorus
We’re thinking about composting here at the Cemestos Gardens.
The Missus saw this contraption that Martha Stewart built. Here is another set of instructions for the same sort of system. Martha let’s you play with worms when you compost her way. Those worms will freeze in the winter, though. Perhaps AT would let us winter the composter over at his place.
I like this. 
Do any of you all compost? Have any suggestions for composting on the cheap, in other words, less than $25U.S.?
May 25th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
We started composting 2 years ago when my father “retired” from the sport and gave him his barrel composter thingy.
At first I was the Compost Queen and every peel, veggie scrap and fruit core was stored in a mini “compost” bucket under the kitchen sink. It was just a rubbermaid type canister with a lid. This was useful and I recommend having something like this local. Every couple of days I would bring this canister out to the real composter.
We’re just really getting to use the compost started a few years ago. I”m told if we made it more “worm friendly” the compost would have been ready earlier and even more nutritious for my flowers. The idea of all those worms in a pile is nightmare material and totally nasty.
All I think about is that gross cheesy 80s movie Worms.
Good luck! It’s pretty cool and my kids get a kick out of it.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
We also have a compost barrel thingy, but haven’t used it much since I outlawed keeping a scrap bucket in the kitchen (due to an invasion of fruit flies). Also, it doesn’t smell too good close to the house.
However, the compost seems to stay rather warmer than its surroundings, so I don’t think the worms would freeze.
May 25th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
yes … keep the compost at a distance because it smells like … well, like rot. hubs knows all about that stuff … he could give you an ear full.
May 25th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Don’t forget about snakes, I find their eggs when I till my open-air pile with a rake. And rats (if you live near a river, a city, or both!) possums, raccoons, etc. I’ve been thinking of going bin-style, too. That one you picture looks perfect, but I’d put some sort of cover or lid on it.
Who doesn’t love free potting soil? There’s just something wrong with having to buy dirt.
May 25th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
My husbands a dirt farmer and makes a killing off selling dirt, I won’t even tell you what he makes per yard (dump truck load). :-) We live in Wilson County outside Nashville, and it’s ALL ROCK! Good luck composting!
May 25th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
bos,
I have six or seven old pallets — if you want to use them for the compost project you are welcome to them. Just get them out of my backyard with your man truck.
tg
May 26th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville used to sell a nice tumbling-type composter. I think it was more in the $50 range, though.
Re: the smell… Usually a bad smell means that some kind of animal product found its way in, or something too oily, like avocado or peanut butter. You also need the right ratio of ‘greens’ to ‘browns’ so you’ll have to read up on all that.
If you do a kitchen bin… Keep it small, washable, and keep a lid on it!
My personal favorite garden diy project is the rain barrel…. Now, where is that rain?
May 27th, 2007 at 9:39 am
We compost the old-fashioned (also cheap) way: with open compost piles. It’s slower and less convenient than using manufactured bins or tumblers, but it works. One major drawback is that you need out-of-the-way space to maintain a compost pile.
May 28th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Yeah, we just have an area outside the kitchen that we throw everything into; kitchen scraps, rotting wood, leaves, weed trimmings etc…
I’ve found that most of the food that isn’t good for the compost gets eaten within a day by raccoons anyway, so it doesn’t pose a problem.
Obviously our compost doesn’t behave like good compost should. It doesn’t steam and devour. Plus it’s on a bit of a hard to access slope, so we can’t really get in there to stir things up like we should.
But it’s free, easy and convenient.
May 28th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I like the cheap aspect of an open pile, but I do want to contain the compost.
Timsan, thanks for the offer. I think I’ll wait till I get the hang of the process. Then maybe I’ll build something more permanent.