got a composter this weekend!

pfal6

So all I know what to do is to throw our veggie and compost friendly scraps in it. I know we have to eventually mix it. But are there any other real simple basics I should know? Grass clippings are good so it's not all food right?

kass11

You need about 75% carbon/25% nitrogen.  Grass clippings and food are all sources of nitrogen.  I just got mine a couple weeks ago and I really wish that I would have saved my leaves from the fall because now I'm scrounging up leaves from the neighbors, my inlaws, under my bushes, etc!

 

Durve2008

Here is some good information on composting:

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/homecompost/ 

akg0053

I have also been told to watch out for grass clippings with weeds in it because sometimes the weed seeds survive the composting process and will grow in your compost. 

Prulove

Hi folks--longtime lurker--new member. I love this board and all the helpful info. Hopefully, I will add something positive to the discussion as well.

Adding grass clippings with weed seeds in it to your compost is not a problem. If the compost mixture is correct, the heat generated by the decomposition process will kill any weed seeds. Be careful about adding diseased plants to the compost, though. The composting process does not kill all plant disease organisms.

Hope this helps. 

SuperGreen

Prulove:

Adding grass clippings with weed seeds in it to your compost is not a problem. If the compost mixture is correct, the heat generated by the decomposition process will kill any weed seeds.

This isn't necessarily true.  A very hot compost system will *usually* kill weed seeds, however most backyard composters don't get hot enough to kill weed seeds.  And really, why take the risk?  You're taking the time to make compost to feed your garden organically, why would you want to take the risk of putting weed seeds into your garden along with your compost?  I don't compost weeds or any diseased plants, I put them on the curb as yard waste.  I do compost spent flowers (like deadheading) and leaves.  I can't compost our grass b/c our dog poops in it.  Feces of omnivores (humans, dogs, cats) cannot be composed b/c they could carry disease or parasites.

In addition to kitchen scraps, eggshells, coffee grinds (filter and all), and tea leaves are great for compost.  Plants need calcium to fruit, especially tomatoes, and the eggshells work great for that.  I crush them and put them directly around our tomatoes, actually.

ETA:  Watering and mixing it will help it break down faster.  I mix ours once a week or so, and water about that often too.  If you have fruit flies the compost is too wet, if you have ants it's too dry.  You don't want the compost to be wet, more like a wrung-out sponge.

Prulove

In all my years of gardening organically, and composting, weeds have never been a problem. If I do get the occasional weed, it is rare, and I just yank it out and throw it in the compost.

I did once have a problem with weeds, but it was due to the fact that I put horse manure on the garden before it had sufficiently rotted down, and the weed seeds were still alive. 

akg0053

Prulove- My friend's family are really green people. They have been composting since before I was born, and have well taken care of, healthy compost piles.

They had a really bad weed issue in their properly taken care of, well-mixed, and correctly temp. compost pile a few summers ago because one of the kids mowing the lawn accidentally put weed seeds in the compost and they grew. The temperatures didn't kill them. It seems like you've been lucky, but the general advice is not to compost weeds or their seeds.