Is your compost calling?
Posted on July 23rd, 2008 – 8:15 AMBy Connie Nelson
I have to admit it: I’m very proud of myself. After weeks of putting it off, I finally emptied my compost tumbler.
I used the compost to sidedress the poor plants in the boulevard. (It’s the only kindness they get. I don’t feed them and I rarely water. Surprisingly, they do alright.)
Now, I’m not going to brag about my compost. (Though it did have a lovely dark, crumbly texture.) And I won’t go on and on about the how cool composting is. (Even though turning yard waste and kitchen scraps into a rich, organic soil improver seems like a modern miracle to me.)
Instead, I’m going to whine about how it seems like such a hassle to actually use the darn stuff. I can turn the compost. No problem. I can keep it moist. But it takes me forever to dig the darn stuff out of the composter and get it in the garden where it can do some good.
Do you get right on it when your compost is ready? When your compost is calling, do you answer on the first ring? Or do you take your own sweet time to do something with the stuff?
10 Responses to "Is your compost calling?"
Connie - you are a paragon of composting, compared to me. I have a bin. I toss all my vegetable waste from the kitchen (including the coffee filters) into it. I toss weeds, tree triming pieces, leaves - you name it. That, unfortunately, is all I’ve done so far. In 10 years of gardening here, I think it got turned once. I’m sure there’s a lovely pile of black gold down there, but the prospect of digging down to it stops me cold. My back muscles protest et the idea! Does anyone else have this problem? Guess I need to hire a young back!!!
10 years? Wow. That must be some kind of record!
As much as I’d like to be, I’m no paragon of compost. For years I used my compost bin as a long-term storage container. It’s only in the past few years that I’ve actually started using my compost. It is a hassle to dig out, but now I try to do it at least a couple times a year. If you have the kind of composter that has a little door on the side, it’s a lot easier . . .
I was such a goof off when it came to turn the compost it just sat there. Then I would carp when I had to dig down to get the good stuff at the bottom. The husband got tired of hearing about it and we bought the big compost bin tumbler that I can just dump on the screen to sift out the chunks. And I still goof off and down turn IT every day as I should.
Deb,
My husband built me a compost tumbler. It works so much faster than a regular composter. It’s a bit easier to empty, too, but it seems like I have to do it more often. Ugh!
debw and Connie,
Do either of your husbands have nice, single, straight brothers that would like to marry me and build/buy me a big compost tumbler as well?
Hey Danika,
My brother-in-law is nice and straight, but very married. However, I’m working on convincing my hubby to build me a new generations of tumblers. If he does, I’d have one I could give you.
I’ll start nagging now!
I am afraid my other half is one a kind, being an only child. Maybe we could get him to go into production with Connie’s other half making new generations of composters :).
Don’t hold your breath.
When is the best time to apply compost? Spring or Fall?
I have a barrel composter, and a bin, and one of those black compost bins where I keep the good stuff. I use the good stuff for all plantings, but I don’t use enough of it for augmenting the beds like I should or could. The latice work bin is where everything gets dumped and I rarely turn that. Compost even for a fussbudget like me, it really takes care of itself. The dump has potato plants growing like crazy.
Well, I hate to admit that I do not compost. Not because I don’t want to. It’s been nagging at me for some time - mostly because we use fresh produce in our house nearly every day (we don’t use boxed meals), and I end up with more fresh food scraps than I know what to do with. I’m in a small townhome, so I know that my options are limited. And even if I didn’t use it myself, I’d sure love to be able to make compost (to give away?) as opposed to throwing more stuff into the landfills. Are there any solutions for someone who has limited space? I do have a small deck on which I could store a small compost bin, but I’m not even sure where to start.
Greengirls Jaime Chismar, Connie Nelson, and Robyn Dochterman are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
You can also send your questions, ideas, tips and tricks to greengirls@startribune.com.
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