Gardening & Landscaping
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Composting....where am I going wrong?!
Ok so I am experimenting with composting in my classroom with high school students. We are making cold frame gardens and also a barrel compost bin. Right now they are charting a pop bottle compost, to show just how easy it is. Well, I've never composted before, but when should that small of a container start to make a rich soil? Any stories on composting are welcome!
Re: Composting....where am I going wrong?!
My Chart My Nest Bio
we have a thermal composter (from Neudorf) and can get dirt in about six weeks in the summmer when temperatures are up there, and other times of year about six months. In the winter the composting virtually stops. Our compost has contact with the ground so there are lots of earth worms crawling around in it, which really helps, too. There is a powder with micro organisms that you can buy to mix in to help speed up the process as well. The most crucial thing that I?ve found is to make sure that the compost gets turned regularly, and that it doesn?t get too wet.
What a great project to do with students!
That is probably too small to get good heat going. 3x3 feet and 5x5 feet are supposed to be the most effective dimensions. That said, obviously compsting still works at other sizes.
Other possibilities:
proper mix or greens and browns?
ventilation holes (too many or not enough)?
enough (but not too much) moisture?
small enough chunks for your mini-enviornment?
I've never heard of "pop bottle compost"- how large is the container?
The #1 issue with most commercially sold compost containers is the fact that the material is completely contained and doesn't ever contact the ground. Ideally, the organic matter you are trying to compost should be in direct contact with soil surface.
Without bugs, earthworms, chipmunks, and other critters moving in and out freely, the material takes a VERY long time to break down. It's not a matter of getting the material super hot- that kills some of the organisms that are breaking down the material for you.
You want to keep the compost heap in the elements- sun, rain, air, and all the little organisms that visit or live in it. THAT is what breaks the material down. Plastic bins keep these thing out and greatly hamper the process.