The Compost Bin

10 Comments:

1. Marc said...
   2:29 PM  
   I guess compost decomposition does slow down in the dead of winter, huh? I have a new compost tumbler that is basically a barrel suspended on a frame so it can swivel. When I was out last week, I gave it a whirl and it took off and tumbled down the hill into my fence! What I didn't realize was that it was frozen solid, so when I turned it, the weight of the mass took over and toppled it! That's how I found out that composting stops in the winter! :)
   Anthony said...
   2:48 PM  
   Marc, as long as no one got hurt, I have to say that's the funniest thing I've heard all day! It's a good thing that your fence was there to stop it.
   
   I've been meaning to get a compost tumbler but now I know not to put it at the top of a hill. Good tip, thanks. :)
   Anonymous said...
   2:53 AM  
   lol good story marc - although you might not be laughing :)
   
   I tend to like to build my compost inlayers because I feel it lets the worms work better.
   
   I might mix a little if I have a bit of stuborn or woody vegetation that isn't responding so as to get the moisture and warmth on the top of it.
   Marc said...
   5:04 PM  
   Hey Anthony, I saw your posts on Garden Voices. Pretty Cool! How do you get to be included in Garden Voices?
   Ottawa Gardener said...
   10:18 PM  
   Fun. I had almost exactly the same post: http://ottawahortiphilia.blogspot.com/2007/01/composting-in-winter.html
   
   If you wanted to compare winter compost scenes...
   Anthony said...
   10:26 AM  
   Phil, I agree that layers are the way to go. But I never have enough greens and browns at the same time though. Tons of leaves in the fall and lots of grass clippings in the summer.
   
   Marc, there's a link to submit your blog to be added to Garden Voices right under the listing of the contributing blogs. You should add yours.
   
   Ottawa, that's too funny that the pictures are so similar. I guess great minds think alike and have compost that looks the same too. :)
   Ottawa Gardener said...
   8:29 PM  
   Let's hope that we both get heaps of compost at the end of it too!
   
   Ah spring...
   P~ said...
   12:46 PM  
   Year before last I tried to get a compost pile started a little too late in the year and it never really got cooking enough. Broke down a lot of the stuff but it had pumpkin seeds in it that didn't. The next spring I turned and tilled the whole lot into the ground below it. about two weeks later I found that I had dozens of "wild" pumpkin sprouts all over the area. Was the best pupmkin harvest I've had!
   P~
   Cailin said...
   8:04 PM  
   I'm new to composting. My fiance made me a barrel composter that we turn over to mix. We have it full of stuff, but it's a little soggy. I'm assuming we need to add more leaves? It's been frozen for a couple of weeks, but we're expecting some warm weather for at least a week. When can I expect to have some good soil? We started it in September. Thanks for helpful suggestions!
   Anthony said...
   8:14 PM  
   Hi Cailin,
   Part of composting is all the microbial activity that helps break down the raw materials in your compost bin. Unfortunately they are pretty much dormant through out the winter.
   
   There's a lot of factors that determine how quickly your compost will be ready but with a barrel composter, once the freezing temps are done, you'll probably have finished compost in about two months. Good luck!

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