A Excellent Video wy to Compose

[just_sawing]

This is an excellent Video on why to Compose

YouTube

One of the really great points made is why not to use kitchen waste in the compose.

[Gravytrain]

I thought we were talking about a creating a concerto at first. Then I realized it was some dude with a thick, nasally Philadelphia accent talking about compost.

[geo in mi]

He references Rodale, but aparently hasn't read very much Rodale.....
http://www.rodalenews.com/compost-and-organic-gardening

My opinion: Another outspoken amateur(even though funny and entertaining) who will eventually write a book, set up conferences, and become a rich fake guru of composting.

Again, my opinion.

geo

[DEKE01]

I am on a terrible internet connection for the next few days and can not get the vid to run in less than hours. Why not compost kitchen waste? And what are the other things we are getting wrong?

[Alice In TX/MO]

He didn't say (at least in the first half) not to use kitchen waste. He said do not use ONLY kitchen scraps.

Make a pile of everything, including kitchen scraps, leaves, hay, garden clippings. Let it sit. Use it.

Don't worry about kitchen scraps.

Low stress compost.

Also, he made another error. Not all trees shed their leaves in the fall. Live Oak trees shed their old leaves and put on new ones in the spring.

Edited to add: He finally got around to the garbage he said about kitchen scraps in the last two minutes. He's full of organic fertilizer, and that's not a compliment. I've composted kitchen scraps in my bins with leaves, hay, and goat poop for years. Kitchen scraps will absolutely compost.

[elkhound]

whole cows disappear in this heap....lol

Extreme Composting

[DEKE01]

Lessons from Extreme Composting

1. There is nothing less stressful than composting the right way. If there is ANY stress, then it is the wrong way.

2. What can you compost? Anything that is or was plants or animals with the exception of anything that has become petrified or petroleum. Anything you have heard to not compost may be true for small, cool piles but irrelevant to large, hot piles.

3. What happens if it stinks? Add more carbon sources.

4. What if I want it to rot faster? Add more nitrogen sources and turn it. But turning it is strictly for your benefit, not the compost's.

5. Keep it slightly moist.

6. Make LOTS and LOTS of compost. Pile it up big and high. Leave it alone till the pile is one third of its original size. Spread it around liberally.

My book is written, but as small as my expected royalty checks. My TED talk composed and ready to be filmed, but I don't think I can fill my full 15 minutes. Everything else about composting can be really interesting to those into the science, but is more than you need to know to make good compost.

[myheaven]

All that I needed to know about composting I learned from Tim.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by DEKE01

I am on a terrible internet connection for the next few days and can not get the vid to run in less than hours. Why not compost kitchen waste? And what are the other things we are getting wrong?

If it ain't metal or plastic it goes in my pile. Mine even gets dog poop. Its benign to humans anyway. Heat kills all worms and their eggs within a few hours.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

He didn't say (at least in the first half) not to use kitchen waste. He said do not use ONLY kitchen scraps.

Make a pile of everything, including kitchen scraps, leaves, hay, garden clippings. Let it sit. Use it.

Don't worry about kitchen scraps.

Low stress compost.

Also, he made another error. Not all trees shed their leaves in the fall. Live Oak trees shed their old leaves and put on new ones in the spring.

Edited to add: He finally got around to the garbage he said about kitchen scraps in the last two minutes. He's full of organic fertilizer, and that's not a compliment. I've composted kitchen scraps in my bins with leaves, hay, and goat poop for years. Kitchen scraps will absolutely compost.

Naw we had the Christmas goose fer dinner.

[Glacialtill]

This is Mike McGrath, former editor-in-chief of Organic Gardening magazine and host of the nationally syndicated radio show, You Bet Your Garden:

http://whyy.org/cms/youbetyourgarden/

Good show. Have a listen.

He's an expert, but also a populist and maybe some of his expertise gets lost in his populist schtick. He is all about organic and doesn't preach to the converted, but tries to get other people to give it a try: people that have little knowledge or experience with gardening or composting/etc that want to learn. Young folk, suburbanites, etc.

The main point about the talk seems to be keep your leaves. They are a valuable resource. Don't pay to have them hauled away. We have a small town lot and not many trees, but we bring in bags and bags from the neighbors every fall. The neighbors are thrilled and think we're a little crazy and I think they're a little foolish. I do shred the leaves by just running over them with the lawn mower and either compost or save for mulch. You should see our worms. Happy worms everywhere.

All our kitchen waste goes in the compost pile. Turns into black gold in a matter of months. No worm bins, the worms live in the pile and just do their thing.