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Forum Name: Green Living
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Compost is HOT 
BlueSky
posted Jun 28, 2007 9:37:41 PMTo All
I could barely contain my shock and awe last week when my brother asked me which compost bin he should buy from Gaiam.

We're not talking about a tree hugger. The only eco-action going on at his house is recycling and his occasional biking to work, both mostly because they're convenient. He didn't know what a carbon offset was before last week, and doesn't have one CFL in his house yet.

But his 13-year-old son had come home from Boy Scout camp and said, "Dad, we have to start composting."

My nephew had learned all about the common sense in putting organic materials in a place where they can turn into other useful organic materials -- vs. getting wrapped in plastic and sealed up in a landfill.

Working on this site, we have had so many environmental experts tell us that composting should be right up there with CFLs and hybrids on the Top 10 Ways to Save the Planet lists, and we've read a number of articles echoing that advice.

Besides, who can say no to a kid who's asking you to be more environmentally responsible? I think this power will be incredible to watch in the next few decades.

Edited by: BlueSky on Jun 28, 2007 9:45:07 PM
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Compost is HOT 
GranolaJoe
posted Jun 29, 2007 3:43:13 PMTo All
I'd like to get one of these Compost Buckets since I'm starting to cook a lot more these days and can't stand putting peels and veggie remains in the trash since it smells the place up.

The only thing is, I don't know what I'll do with the waste later, since I don't have a Garden!
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
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Compost is HOT 
BlueSky
posted Jun 29, 2007 3:49:44 PMTo All
Experienced composters and composting experts say you don't have to use the compost -- just let it decompose right back into the soil.
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Compost is HOT 
shantilight
posted Jun 30, 2007 10:04:02 AMTo All

Hi..first time posting...nice place!


Our family has been composting for years. We live in northern NJ...suburbs outside NYC..We have found that a black on the ground bin is wonderful it is placed in our yard to get almost full sun during the day so it  "cooks" also since it is on the ground it.lets the worms work the compost and allows them freedom to go in the ground when they want. This works well as far as our not-green neighbors are concerned.. having a bin allows for no odor from decomposing food stuffs and brown material (leaves, grass cuttings etc) plus no attracting our wild animal friends...there is an alternative to the bin composting it is more along the lines of biodynamic farming, there is a unique way of creating a compost site through layering the compost with other organic materials . I don't have alot of knowledge about that perhaps out on the web there is more   


Just a bit more, we never put oils, fish, chicken bones etc in the composter...egg shells, veggie scraps, coffee grounds all yummy stuff for the compost. Also we add some water to the bin on occasion.


 


hope this helps, happy composting!


b  


 
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Compost is HOT 
GranolaJoe
posted Jul 2, 2007 8:00:35 AMTo All
Hey shantilight it's great to have you here!

Sounds like you've got quite a lot of experience composting. Those are good tips to remember - especially the no bones one, as it makes a lot of sense
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
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Compost is HOT 
shantilight
posted Jul 2, 2007 6:20:02 PMTo All

Hey thanks for the greeting..glad to dig in!


 


have a great day,


b


 
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Compost is HOT 
Statuesqueone
posted Jul 6, 2007 1:50:34 PMTo All
Just started to compost a couple of weeks ago and am wondering how long it takes. Will the food stuffs start to break down pretty soon or do I have to help it out. I add water every Satuday, soak it pretty good. Is that what I'm suppose to do? Do I wait for the stuff to break down before I add more?

Thanks!
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Compost is HOT 
CLD
posted Jul 9, 2007 9:26:03 AMTo All
Compost can take several months to get to a usable state. Add water only when you notice it's drying out. And be sure to "turn" or mix it once a week to keep it aerated. Air and water will help with the heat generated to allow the beneficial bacterias to turn your green and brown waste into compost.

We've reduced our garbage output by at least 80% since we began composting. We also have no yard waste to put out any more. It's a wonderful thing!
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Compost is HOT 
Chris B.
posted Jul 13, 2007 2:09:09 PMTo All
I just got my composter.  I was worried though that i don't have enough "carbon" materials and too much "nitrogen" materials.  does the recipe really matter? 

and i have that same impatience too!  i keep looking in my bin to see if i have compost yet! LOL
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