Composting

goReptiles

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Do any of you compost? I used to at my mom's but I'm wanting to start one at my house. What's the best composting bin? I used to just have a corner I dumped stuff in and occasionally turned
 

jaizei

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What are you composting?

I like using worms and black soldier fly larvae more than traditional composting and they're complimentary.
 

lynnedit

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jaizei said:
What are you composting?

I like using worms and black soldier fly larvae more than traditional composting and they're complimentary.

What set up do you use? I have heard you can use black soldier fly larvae and earthworms or red wrigglers in the same compost area. The BSF larvae are high in calcium for chickens and reptiles.
I'd be interested what you are using!
 

mike taylor

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You can buy a cheap composting ben at the Home Depot . On a smaller scale you can use the totes from Wal-Mart .
 

jaizei

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I don't keep them in the same areas. I like the BSFL because they handle the kitchen wastes that you aren't supposed to give to worms. There are a lot of DIY composters that work the same but I bought this one a few years ago. It works well. The worms are just in a bin made from CMU covered by a piece of plywood
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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I have 5 com posters made out of plastic 55 gallon drums . With all the ID stealing I shread paper to compost credit card paper and checks . When I clean my pond I put the water from my filter in the composters . When I clean the tort pens tort xxxx up I put that in the composters . But I don't put in the cactus pads cause the pads deconpost but the thorns stay forever .
 

lynnedit

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I've seen the Biopod on another site for the BSFL, so glad to know you like it.

I've just made a red wriggler bin from stacked totes. Not sure if I like it yet....

I'll remember not to add cactus pads! :O
 

turtlegirl13

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My aunt had one. She build a wood bin with sheet metal in the inside of the bin and of course a lid. Worked great for her! :)
 

Kameo37

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I've got the barrel type that you can spin. It's off of the ground and enclosed so no critters of mine can get into it.
 

Jacqui

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Okay folks where are all the pictures of what you are using?? :D I just have been lazy and tossed mine in a spot near my garden's fence. I think about raising some worms and stuff, but have not gotten off my lazy butt and gotten started, so let's see some of these ideas that your using please.
 

goReptiles

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Pictures please.

I want to compost kitchen scraps, papers, cardboard, leaves, grass clippings etc

I saw a garbage bin with holes in it. Would that work? I have one we don't use. I could drill holes in it. I was thinking throw in old tortoise peat moss, leaves and some worms to start off. Would that work?

I was searching around but I couldn't tell how to get the dirt and stuff out without losing the worms. Do you just start over each time with a new batch of worms? I don't know if i'd actually use the compost, but I know it would need to be emptied once full.

Or would just building a wood bin with a lid in the corner of the yard work for what I need? I really just want to stop trashing scraps that can be composted.
 

jaizei

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A garbage bin could work, it would depend on where you plan on keeping it. Outside? Here (Texas) I wouldn't use a garbage bin because it would end up getting too hot. If you can keep it somewhere cool (I think higher end of the optimum temperature is in the 70s), it would be okay.

There's a few options for moving the worms from finished product to the new batch. 1) worms migrate themselves 2) pick them out by hand 3)start the new batch with new worms (or seed with a small amount of finished compost containing worms/eggs)

With worms, I've done both the 'worm factory' and the DIY version with stacked totes (same concept - worms migrate upwards leaving finished, mostly wormless vermicast in the lower tray) but didn't like either. Now I just have a 4x8 bin in the back corner of my yard. Start putting the materials on one side and work towards the other.
 

goReptiles

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Do you have a picture of what you use?

I looked at the worm bins but they seemed to do better if housed inside. I want something outside. Depending on what I decided, I have a shaded porch that I could put it. Otherwise, I may use a back corner of the yard.

I'm not set on worms. I'm open to suggestions.
 

jaizei

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I do not have pictures but I found this online which is a close enough approximation. It is literally just cinder blocks with a piece of plywood covering it. I do not have dirt piled along the exterior so it looks neater. The main benefit to the worms vs traditional is the speed and I think they handle paper better.

There are also the compost tumblers that Kameo referenced which are interesting in their own way. They're neater than a regular pile, usually somewhat mobile, and make it easy to turn the compost.
 

Cute_Obi

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I love this thread! I've been on youtube this whole weekend watching "how to compost" videos. I want to start composting this year. However I do have one question for all of you: I want to purchase one of those compost drums that you can spin. Do I need worms in my compost bin to breakdown all the raw materials? All the videos I've watched never mentioned adding worms into the bins. I'm asking because I hate anything and everthing worm related. Please help :)
 

jaizei

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The tumblers usually do not have worms in them.
 

goReptiles

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When I was looking yesterday I saw one with cinder blocks. The site said it wasn't so stable. I'm starting to think that I may just get some lumber and build a basic box. Problem is convincing my bf of that.

I've read a lot of the tumblers are flimsy. One site says a particular one is top of the line, where another has major complaints. Much like shopping for anything else.
 

jaizei

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I haven't used any of the tumblers you can buy, I made one similar to this like 5 years ago. The plastic barrels are pretty heavy duty and are usually fairly cheap used.
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Remember before you put worms in your composters it gets temptures in the center around 180 degrees it kills seeds bacteria it can kill toxins in plants


Sorry seeds and bacteria
 

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