Comments on Achieve Simplicity: Three Tips That Have Kick-Started My Compost Pile

To me, seeing that "unsightly pile" says...

2009-07-14T23:41:03.415-07:00

To me, seeing that "unsightly pile" says I am doing something good for the Earth, good for my pocket book, and good for my garden. It is a pleasant reminder despite its appearance.

So I use an EarthMaker composting bin, and I have ...

2009-07-14T20:13:54.059-07:00

So I use an EarthMaker composting bin, and I have to tell you it has it's own set of frustrations. The biggest one being that the compost is "down in there". Adding new material and then mixing it up makes it difficult to ever have a nice looking usable product. I am beginning to think that even though a pile, to me, is fairly unsightly, it might be easier to contend with.

I am aiming more for speed than killing weed seeds...

2009-07-14T07:39:35.745-07:00

I am aiming more for speed than killing weed seeds. The only seeds that could make it into my pile are from the alfalfa hay I feed my rabbits. Everything in the pile comes from the rabbit barn.

That being said, I also like the heat for killing maggots, mold, and anything else that might be growing under those cages.

Thanks for your comment, Kith. I really appreciate it.

You are shooting for a Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of...

2009-07-13T20:13:47.610-07:00

You are shooting for a Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 25-30:1 in a properly constructed pile. That means twenty five times more brown than green.
You definitely want to keep your pile moist (like a wrung out sponge). This facilitates travel of microorganisms and cooling of the pile.
You will not have worms in a "hot" compost pile. Once your pile has become thermophilic (temps

Hey, thanks for stopping by and commenting. I thin...

2009-07-07T14:20:23.116-07:00

Hey, thanks for stopping by and commenting. I think you are completely right about not needing to water with the greens included, and if your pile is working without turning, that is great. I think the difference is that my pile is almost entirely dry material - waste hay and rabbit droppings. And, I put it on so fast that adding greens to it would be almost insignificant. I wish I didn't

I agree with the size of the pile,the bigger the b...

2009-07-07T11:18:28.614-07:00

I agree with the size of the pile,the bigger the better, but turning that regularly, - give me a break, don't turn people off composting because they think it's back breaking - my compost works great because I mix greens (fast rotting like grass, veg peelings and annual weeds) with browns prunings, shredded paper and pet bedding. - if you get the right mix about 50/50 you don't need