Trash: Composting

Trash, alternate 'Pottie' ideas and Waste Management ideas
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Readymom
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Trash: Composting

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Composting-General Discussion

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Originally posted by (Janet) at Fluwiki:
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

If you have enough yard/property, might be wise to start up a compost if you don't trust your garbage disposal.

:arrow: (BroncoBill)
Remember that if you decide to start a compost pile (and they are wonderful for gardening!), be absolutely certain that you put NO animal products in it! No meat, no grease, no poultry, no bones. The saying goes, "If it didn't grow out of the ground, it doesn't go back into the ground". About the only dairy product that can go into compost piles is washed-out egg shells because they are almost pure calcium,but that may become a moot point!

:?: (ricewiki )why can't you put animal products in the compost?
:arrow: (BB)
Animal byproducts are not considered organic. In other words, they don't decompose in the same way as plant material. Meat will attract flies and maggots, other critters, etc. The fat won't break down and will cause the rest of your compost pile to become cooler than necessary to internally heat up to the proper temps for degradation.

In general, the rule of thumb for a compost pile is this: if it grows in the ground, compost it. If it walks, swims, or flys, toss it out.

If you have egg shells, you can wash those out and put them in the compost pile also. Along with what ImaGardner mentioned above, the calcium is a great additive to your tomatoe plants.

:arrow: (Ima_gardener)
While you can compost meat as it will break down, it is also a maggot/fly attractor and not something you want to be in your compost pile. Grease is so hard to break down and bones? are well.. bones! http://www.mda.state.mn.us/composting/compostguide.pdf and http://www.dairybusiness.com/western/Nov01/NovWDBcompost.htm
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Post by Readymom »

Composting-How To Basics

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Hygiene - Waste
http://www.getpandemicready.org/Guides/Hygiene/Waste.aspx

Create mulch of what you can. Compost wet trash EXCEPT meats and fats.
Put shredded paper materials over wet trash and add dirt on top of the paper.
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Composting Your Garbage

GUVSWD
http://www.guvswd.org/compost

Composting in your back yard... it's easy, saves you money, and produces great amendment for your garden!

Basically, composting is just collecting kitchen scraps and leaves and putting them in a pile or bin. Then Mother Nature does the work of turning it back into soil. Composting can be done with almost no effort. Just add equal amounts of kitchen waste and leaves from the autumn leaf drop and... compost happens!

[snip]

The Lazy Composter

Designate a good spot.
A good spot to compost is one where you won't mind the sight of the bin and one that's not too far from the door (the farther away the bin, the more energy it takes to bring stuff out to it, and worse yet, in the winter you'll have to shovel the path!). The spot should allow the bin to be set on the earth (we want water to drain out and earthworms to visit). It would also be good if the spot had room for two or three bins. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---

Includes information on how to:

-Decide on a bin.
-Collect leaves from the yard.
-Collect scraps in the kitchen.
-Cover with leaves.
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Re: Trash: Composting

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Website/Blog on Composting:

Compost Guy
http://www.compostguy.com/

From 'About' Section of site:

Bentley 'the Compost Guy' Christie is on a mission to get people reconnected with the earth and on their way down the path towards sustainable living. ... continued at link, above ...
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Ants in Composting

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Ants in Composting Pile

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Get rid of ants in compost bin
https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/get-rid-of-ants-in-compost-bin.16151/#post-147324

Q: How do I safely get rid of a colony of tiny ants that has taken up residence in my compost bin. ...

==================================

UBC BotanicalGarden

Ant colony in my compost
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15144

Q: I have one of those black plastic composter's that the City of Vancouver sold to residents. Yesterday, when I went to put in some yard waste and old container soil, I found what is obviously an entire colony of ants. The hill seemed quite far along, with tunnels and what looked like larvea being tended.
What can I do to get rid of the ants? Is there any way to save the compost? Help!

==================================
GardenGuides

How to Control Ants in a Compost Pile
http://www.gardenguides.com/67535-control-ants-compost-pile.html

Overview

Ants seek out compost bins for warmth and protection. Although they may actually benefit the compost bin by introducing bacteria and fungi that help with decomposition, too many ants can be problematic. You can take some steps--both organic and non-organic--to discourage ants from staying in your compost bin. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Trash: Composting

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How to Make a Trash Can Composter
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/compost/a/cancomposter.htm

Not every gardener has the space for a large compost pile, and not all municipalities allow back yard composting. The good news is that it's very easy to compost in a small space. Even if all you have is a patio or balcony, you can use this method of making compost in a trash can. And, if you need to compost on the sly, no one will be the wiser---they'll just see another trash can. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Trash: Composting

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WET Compost & Fruit Flies

Willamette Valley Homesteader

When Compost Goes Bad (this mean war!)
http://willamettevalleyhomesteader.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/when-compost-goes-bad-this-mean-war/

Fruit flies. Only scientists love those little dudes. I was very pleased that the compost in my plastic bin had heated up very nicely. I am a constant but not very textbook composter. Put another way, I compost everything (including the kitchen waste from granny’s house) but I am terrible when it comes to altering green and brown, turning, containing, etc. I usually have a couple.of piles in varying degrees of decomposition and recently added a free plastic bin. Over the last season, I did begin covering my piles, having realized that the heavy winter rains of Oregon were keeping it so sodden I couldn’t turn it without using my entire day’s allotment of energy. Another challenge I deal with is dog, the compost-eater. Things that put in his dish would have him looking at you as if to say, “what’s up with this slop?” suddenly become irresistible in the compost pile. The bin solved this. All food goes into the bin and is unreachable by nasty (but cute) dog.

And so began an adventure. The bin filled nicely, packing down to hold a surprising amount of material. It heated nicely too with all the green material in the form of veggie trim and findings from kitchen and garden. It actually heated up! It bred a bazillion fruit flies. I could not open the cover without needing a face mask to breath, the air being so thick with frenzied fat fruit flies.

So Sunday I Googled “fruit flies compost”. Ding ding ding! --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Trash: Composting

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Wind powered Composter - The Green Twist , Exactly
http://www.instructables.com/id/Wind-powered-Composter/?ALLSTEPS

Image Composting is the easiest thing one can do to help your community. With a wealth of good soil you, your neighbors, and everyone else is stuck with the predictament of what to grow. Imagine such a world.

The problem is that the standard composter doesn't turn itself, and the average human is too everwhelmed with life's callings to take the time to turn the composter once a week.

Hence the self turning composter, wind powered so no additional power is needed. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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