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HI Talulah,
Welcome, and glad you joined our very nice Cyber Community here!!!

DID SOMEONE SAY, COMPOST??? COMPOST????
OH MY GOSH!!! THAT'S MY FAVORITE SUBJECT!!!

There's lot's of other gardener's here that also do it too!!!

Yes, there are several styles of composting,
depends on how much work you like or want to do to it..
You can leave your ingredients layered on top of each other in a huge pile in the "Back~40" and never touch it, just keep layering on top after a bit, stop using that one and start another one, under it will be the most luscious dirt you've ever seen.... with no work other than layering, but may take a year, or two or three, but no turning, just layering...

You can work a compost hard, and if you start it at the right time, when you're first mowing lawns when leaves are falling from the trees in the fall.
IT's OPTIMAL time to start!!!
The combination of the fresh cut grass and the chopped brown dry leaves, it's instant starter!!!!
Green grass is the gas and the brown is like the wood, and it's instant heat and the pile starts to COOOOOOOOOK!! Decompose....

And even if you get a late start, start it now, it'll marry the brown and green, yes, it freezes in the winter, solid, but when it's time in the spring, it'll start right back up....

Composting can be tricky in the spring, if you're a new gardener and your compost pile is either in a wet spot or with too much green *which turns to a slurry like if it's mostly green and can smell* to correct it add more brown and dirt, either from a previous compost pile *WHICH IS OPTIMAL, because it is full of the "good guys" already in there ready to go to start composting the new pile*

It'll do fine in the spring and take off re~cooking even if it frost over the winter....

Turn as often as you like, if you're in a hurry for compost, or leave and it will do it naturally but will take more time.....

Again, that's where I say it depends on your style of composting,

have I put you to

Lot's more info, as you can tell I just get a wee~bit excite
I tend to over do it sometimes....

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can i use one of those great big rubbermaid containers w/ drainage holes and the regular lid that goes w/ it?

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I am not too sure of that one, almost sounds like a sandwich container??????
or do you mean one of those big green compost bins?

Will answer any more questions that I can,
if you need more answers!!!
sometimes I get side tracked on answers, but if I forgot a section, or need more info, let me know!!

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

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the container i'm thinking of using is a big hard plastic container about 2.5 ft deep, 2 ft wide and 4 ft long - it has a snapping lid (but isnt airtight)

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Now I know what you're talking about, didn't think of one like that!!!
Hmmmmmmmmmmm>??>
Not sure........

Almost sounds a bit in the lines of Vermaculture..
Have you looked into that for the winter months???

Weezie

I'm going to my kids' class right now, and pickin' the other one up after, so I will be out for a bit, but I do want to get back to this....
So, I'll be later in the afternoon and evening...
So much to talk about!!!

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

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hope you got the kiddies home ok. for the first time ever, mine gets to ride the schoolbus home - yay

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We walk to school, we live within a couple of blocks away and it's soooooooo nice to walk with them, and talk and get the exercise. Plus,
I am not in too big of a hurry to put my wee~one's on the school bus, I'm a wwwwwwwwaaaaay over protective mother and I think I'll be driving them to school once they change schools... *I used to ride the bus for a little over an hour when I rode the bus.
Country Livin'* UGH for the drive time.

Anyhow,

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anyway, i wanted to tell you where i got the idea for using a container (since i only wanna have a little compost pile)
it was from this post, talking about 'tea' which i dont think i'll do, but i was intrigued by the idea of using the big container: i think this was from 'jiffymouse' (you all have such cute names:)

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I found something for you, to give you an idea that may work for you, Worm Farm Bin This could be a way to convert your bin into something along this line.
Whattya think???
I have never done it in a bin, but who's to say you can't.... I'd give it a try if you like the idea, and you're willing to do it, you may end up pleasantly surprised, and if by chance it doesn't quite work out, *which I don't see why it wouldn't* but don't give up on composting, if you have the will, it CAN be done!!!! And the rewards are AWESOME!!!!
And I love all the peoples' names here, they come up with the coolest names, someday I wish I had a neater one!!!

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just seems a lot easier (for my hubby anyway, who wouldnt want to have to mow around yet another 'thing' in the yard) if that makes sense.

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I had also wanted to comment on this one,
I fired mine, because the complaining was just getting to be a little toooooooooooooooooo much!
I said, Husband, YOU'RE FIRED!!!
That lasted for about 3 years, he whined so much that he wanted to get back on the mower, he hasn't said one word to me, about not mowing around all the happy crap in the yard.
Sounds like I'm a meanie, but my kids have alot of fun with that "FILLED" yard, and when they grow up, we can "CLEAN it up and CRISP it up"
then. But he's still FIRED from the weed whacker, I draw the line somewhere's... He's a little tooo crisp and clean for me!!!

So, again, *got a bad case of the Weezie's this morning*
but PLEASE keep us posted if you do this composting in the bin... we all like to learn stuff here, and whether the out come is good OR bad, we'll still learn...

I would like to know what zone you are in?
It may freeze over in the winter time.....???
NOT SURE, it freezes over here, in zone 5...
(Even when it's cooking, it'll still freeze.)
And if your in that growing zone, it may still freeze for you in your garage, usually because the compost/food scrap's have moisture in them???

Hope this helps a little!!!

Weezie

P/S Worm composting isn't too hard as I understand it. It's very, very rich in nutrients,
I just don't have enough room to do that in my back room, or I'd be doing it too!!!!
LOTTERY TIME!!!

P/S And what WAYSIDE GARDENS is a great idea!!!
With the double buckets...there is a "juice" that happens from worm composting and it does need to go somewhere's, and it's soooooooooo good for your plants...

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/