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I've noticed that my property on 3rd Ave. in HPP has a thin layer of soil over mostly lava. I'm wondering how I'm gonna make a compost pit?
To me there is nothing like a compost pit, and it's contents to help your plants grow. Has anybody else dealt with similar circumstances while making a compost pit?
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You don't make a compost PIT, you make a compost bin.... PC piope covered in chicken wire... can be rolled and turned easily!
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Can't seem to visualize PVC pipe covered in chicken wire and then rolled! Can someone help me out here, I'm sure it is just me! LOL
mella l
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bytheSEA
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I think it's the compost that gets rolled, not the PVC and chicken wire, although I suppose it might something else. Rolling and turning are the part of the composting process where the stuff gets mixed periodically to spread the organic process from the older to newer components. We made our compost bin by stacking rocks and making sure there was some ventilation between the rocks, which was not hard given our rock building skills. We made a basic quadrangle with one side only about half as high as the other three to allow easier turning and mixing. Works great.
Cheers,
Jerry
Edited by - JerryCarr on 06/14/2007 10:11:03
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There are two major ways waste can be turned to compost. Anaerobic processes work without the presence of oxygen. This is the process that takes place in cesspools and is responsible for the methane and sulfurous smells when you open the cover. Most of the decomposition is accomplished by anaerobic bacteria.
Aerobic decomposition works in the presence of oxygen and is aided by aerobic bacteria, molds, fungi and critters like earthworms. If you have ever seen how fast dry rot (a fungus) can turn structural wood to tofu, you know how much help they are to composting. A well operating aerobic compost pile is fast and produces almost no smell.
A pit will mostly work anaerobically unless you turn the pile frequently. A wire bin has more access to oxygen so requires less turning. I like a more sturdy setup so I use hollow concrete block on three sides and a two bin process. Start in one bin, and flip it over into the other bin periodically. Use the empty bin to add new material. There is a mortarless interlocking hollow block that is easy to construct and plenty strong for a composting facility.
Larry
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I made a compost bin from these plans:
http://www.ca.uky.edu/enri/pubs/enri311.pdf
You can download and print the pdf.
It works for either a garbage can or a 55 gallon drum. I made the drum one and it works great, and holds a lot more than I thought it would.
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Wow! We just made a round hole with rocks and put all our compost in -- about 8 weeks later we have soil.... We just plant right there in the puka. No turning, no nothing. We have about 3 started right now and the only thing we cant put in it is coconut husks... we have one just for that.
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what food products shouldn't going into a compost area? I mean do you avoid throwing coffee grounds etc.?
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quote:
what food products shouldn't going into a compost area? I mean do you avoid throwing coffee grounds etc.?
We dont put our coffee grounds in the compost but you could. We use the coffee grounds and create a barrier against slugs around our plants.
