Total newbie who needs help with step-by-step instructions?

Question

on how to compost. I have moved into a house with a compost bin so figure I should get composting. Is it as easy as just chucking in all my food scraps or is there more to it than that?

If there are different layers, could you please list them in order and give a possible time frame? Ta.

Everyone is saying to turn it. Is that before or after or during the layering process? How do you turn it? In the bin or do you have to take it out then turn then put back in? It sounds really complicated so far!

Answer 1

Start a Compost Pile
1. Set a commercial or homemade composter on the ground in an easily accessible place. For a simple and inexpensive open bin, make a circle about 3 or 4 feet in diameter out of 3-to-4-foot-high welded wire or plastic garden fencing.

2. Add ingredients. Place a 4 inch layer of stemmy plants, sticks, or other coarse material in the bottom of the bin. As they become available, add kitchen wastes, dead plants, grass clippings and chopped leaves to the bin. Add water as often as needed to keep the material moist but not soggy (like a wrung-out sponge).

3. Turning the pile is helpful but optional. If you choose to turn, lift off the composter or bin and set it next to the pile. Then use a pitchfork to move the pile back into the composter.

4. The compost is ready to use when you can no longer recognize the original ingredients. Until you use it in your garden, keep your finished compost covered to prevent rain from leaching out nutrients.

Good Compost Ingredients:
Leaves, hay and other dead plant material
Fruit and vegetable trimmings
Herbicide-free grass clippings
Manure from horses, cattle, goats, poultry and rabbits
Paper or cardboard, torn into strips or hand-sized pieces

Do NOT Add:
Meat scraps
Very fatty, sugary or salty foods
Chips or sawdust from treated wood
Clippings from herbicide-treated lawns
Manure from omnivorous animals (dogs, cats, humans, etc.)

Answer 2

Lot of different stages to composting.If you are a gardener you can layer over your plot in the winter then turn it over prior to spring.If you heap compost you need to keep it wet and turn it often adding yeast will help the anaerobic bacteria decompose faster.Heap composting will produce temperatures up to and beyond 120 degrees even during winter.That is dependent upon the size of the pile.Try to keep any weed seeds out of your compost.Certain material will break down faster then others,such as fescue grass clippings which provided nitrogen.Household items such as coffee grounds are acidic,while egg shells have calcium.You can also try stage composting,that is if you have certain requirements for different plants.Keep it totally organic no animal by products or pressure treated wood.Once you get into the grove it's fun.Yes there is a layer of compost then dirt/soil,about three to four layers each alternately.You will smell it when it's ready to turn.Keep adding two to three inches of dirt between layers.I'm a gardener so I don't heap compost I let mother nature do the work for me.

Answer 3

Sure, its actually easrier than you think. the first thing to do is build yourself a good bin that will hold your compost. then you can start by adding some manuer, some table scraps and dead planst and rotting products of just about any type, Continue to stir this daily and contiue adding to it. The most important part that many people forget is water! yes water is the essential ingrediant that statrts and contiues your compost pile decomposing. once it is very decomposed and is nice and dark, I reccomend diggin the compost in at least 18 inches into flower beds and other areas. it wil hel soften the soil and also add alot of useful nutrients that the plants will uptake in the zylem and phloem. There is yet one mor secret. Worms! yes, those nasty little slimy things are very useful. the worms will actuaslly speed up the Compostng process and they will also be benefical in the area where you add the compost. These little creatures eat and burrow making for a very aired soil that will have good draingae and take in lots of oxygen.
God Bless and good luk in your gardening.

Answer 4

I'm not good at it but tear up news paper as well & do layer it & use all scraps except like slim jim said no meat or fat or onion & because they say no onion ( as worms etc don't like it ) so I'm not sure about garlic. keep it wet & turn if you can being careful not to kill the glowworms or what ever those long snake type things are with little legs are lol they are cute & need to live!
I think it takes about 2 months if you do it right & yes needs to be in the sun to work quicker & secret i think is keeping it moist

Answer 5

As accepted advise proceed the trend you've been following as a lot as this aspect. shrink 4 sts on next and each and each and every following commerce round to eight sts . this suggests do dec st 4 situations on the subsequent round then paintings a million round without shaping. Repeat those 2 rounds till you've 8 sts left.

Answer 6

Layers of brown - Dried "stuff" leaves,straw, dead plants
and green - grass clippings and lettuce/food.
Do not put meat or any fat in...
You can buy accelerator to speed the process...
Keep it damp and turn frequently...
Will not do much in cold weather.....
Its good for the enviro - and great fertilizer!
Good Luck! Read more on the net....