Live Self Sufficient » composting

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Troubleshooting your compost pile

Kevin Quinlan — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:38:49 +0000

You can check on your compost bin every single day and still have problems with your pile. Careful monitoring will allow you to catch these problems early, but you will still have to troubleshoot them to get your compost bin back into shape.

Flies

If you see a large number of flies buzzing around your compost bin, chances are your balance is off. In many cases, this is a case where you compost pile has too many green ingredients and not enough brown ones. If you dispose of a large number of fruits in your compost bin, you may see fruit flies attracted to the area.

If you look inside of your bin and it appears to be very moist, go ahead and add some brown ingredients and give it a good stir. The carbon filled brown ingredients will help to eliminate some of the moisture and your fly problem will quickly dissipate.

Rodents

Unfortunately, rodents can become a nuisance if your compost bin is full of discarded meat scraps. One way to prevent these creatures from disturbing your compost pile is to purchase a rodent-resistant compost bin. If you would prefer to stick with your current compost bin, simply add a layer of brown overtop any meats that you add.

Ants

Too many brown ingredients and not enough moisture can lead to a serious ant infestation. If you see ants crawling all over your bin, get those green ingredients in there quickly!

Stink

Oddly enough, a well balanced compost bin does not smell bad. If you happen to notice an unpleasant smell coming from your bin, take action. The first thing to try is giving your compost pile a good stirring. If this does not solve the problem, add additional green or brown ingredients to change the consistency of your compost.

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Composting essentials

Kevin Quinlan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:36:04 +0000

If you could simply throw your wastes into your compost bin and they magically turned into rich fertilizer overnight, more people would consider putting one of these bins in their backyard. While composting is not difficult, there are a few tips that you can take advantage of to improve the contents of your compost pile!

As we have already discussed, the recommended mixture of greens to browns is 2:1. In order to start composting these two materials, you will have to regularly “stir” the contents of your compost bin. This will introduce oxygen into the mixture which will then speed up the composting process.

Many people like to add a layer of compost between fresh layers of greens and browns. This will introduce the new ingredients to the microbes that are necessary during the composting process.

Food scraps will add a significant amount of moisture to your compost bin. This can throw off the delicate balance of your compost pile and create unpleasant situations. In order to maintain the balance, always remember to add a layer of brown ingredients over top of the food scraps!

Remember to check your compost bin on a regular basis. If you add stuff to your bin daily, this will be easy. Regularly monitoring your compost bin will help you catch problems early on.

Tips:

Stir your compost bin regularly
Add layers of compost between new green and brown ingredients
Cover food scraps with brown ingredients
Regularly monitor your compost bin

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Greens and Browns

Kevin Quinlan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:33:03 +0000

Newbie composters will need to quickly familiarize themselves with two terms: greens and browns. These two items are the fundamental ingredients of your compost pile. The sooner you understand the difference between these two ingredients, the better off your compost pile will be!

Greens

Your green ingredients are going to include the materials that are rich with moisture. These ingredients typically supply a high amount of nitrogen to your compost bin and will act as the activator

Examples: fresh lawn clipping, cantaloupe rinds, coffee grinds, and egg shells

Browns

Brown ingredients are the materials you add to your bin that are dry. These materials are typically high in carbon.

Examples: dried leaves, sticks, newspaper, and pine needles

Creating balance between your greens and browns

Every compost bin is different from the next. Creating balance between your green and brown ingredients will take a bit of work, but over time this task will become much easier. A general rule of thumb suggests that your green ingredients should outnumber your brown ingredients in a 2:1 ratio. This is just a starting point and you will need to tweak your compost to account for the specific materials you are adding!

Other important ingredients

So now that you understand the difference between greens and browns, you should also understand the importance of air and water to your compost bin. Proper air circulation in your compost bin will allow your ingredients to break down faster. Adding water to your compost bin will create the essential moisture your ingredients need to compost.

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Compost bin placement

Kevin Quinlan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:32:27 +0000

The placement of your compost bin is important. Before you decide where to place your compost bin, there are a few things you might want to consider. Proper placement of your bin will improve your chances with this unique waste disposal method.

Conditions

For the best results, it is a good idea to place your bin in a partial sun/shade location. You do not want your compost bin to become overly hot or overly cold. Your compost bin should also have access to good air circulation and a water source.

Aesthetics

So for large compost bins, you might want to try to camouflage them so they do not become a big eye sore in your yard. This is easy enough to do with the help of a bit of screening or fencing material. If you really want to blend your compost bin into the surroundings of your hard, plant a few large hedges around it!

If you like to entertain outdoors, it is also a good idea to place your compost bin in a remote section of your yard. If the balance of your compost bin is off and it becomes stinky, you won’t enjoy hanging out in your hard so much if it is located nearby!

Function

Depending on how you use your compost bin, you might want to make sure you have convenient access to it. If you want to get rid of a lot of household wastes, such as food, you probably will want to place your compost bin in easy access of your home. This way you can avoid walking back and forth to your bin every time you need to dispose of something. This will also help you avoid the temptation of throwing things directly into your trash can!

Learn How to Create A Successful Compost Pile

Kevin Quinlan — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:28:01 +0000

Composting is an essential part of the self sufficient lifestyle. Learning how to master this unique method of waste disposable will prove to be an invaluable skill. Read through Live Self Sufficient’s Composting Guide to learn more about its benefits, as well as useful information that will help you get started!

An introduction to composting

Choosing the best composting bin

Compost bin placement

Understanding the differences between green and brown composting ingredients

Essential information about composting

Troubleshooting your compost pile

Composting Guide: Choosing the best compost bin

Kevin Quinlan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:09:57 +0000

Okay so now you are thinking about starting your compost pile. Hopefully you are excited because composting can be an entertaining process. The first thing that you need to do is choose which compost bin you want to use. There are several different things you should consider so take your time and develop a list of requirements.

Amount

One of the things you will need to consider is the amount of composting you want to do. If you just want to get rid of some yard scraps and some household goods, then you can probably utilize a small compost bin without much issue.

Most homesteaders will want to create a lot of compost to use in their sizable gardens. If you intend to compost as much garbage as you can, you definitely want to invest in a large compost bin. In some situations, it might even be wise to invest in multiple bins if you want to create compost cycles.

Materials

The next thing you need to consider is the type of materials that you want to compost. The main concern here is if you are going to compost foods such as meats and fruits. Composting these types of materials can lure certain rodents to your compost bin. Have no fear. They make bins to accommodate these issues. Rodent-resistant bins are fairly closed off so that these creatures can’t make a mess of your compost pile.

Budget

Compost bins can vary substantially in their design and function. With these different variations, you can expect the cost of a compost bin to gradually increase. If you really want to save money in the composting process, you can forgo purchasing a bin altogether. This type of composting can be difficult and is better suited for individuals who are disposing of lawn wastes.

I’ve already talked about the different styles of compost bins so I won’t go into details here. This list is more to get you thinking about what you should consider when picking your compost bin!

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Introduction

Kevin Quinlan — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:04:30 +0000

Composting is not glamorous, but it is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle. Homesteaders that can create a successful compost pile will reap the rewards and live a successful self sufficient lifestyle.

Why is composting so important?

If you are wondering how a compost pile will benefit you self sufficient lifestyle – the answer is simple. Nutrient rich compost is an invaluable fertilizer that you can use in your garden. If your self sufficient home sits on poor soil, compost can help to enrich it. The important thing to remember is that the success of your garden will greatly impact your self sufficient lifestyle.

If you can’t get anything to grow in your garden, you are going to spend a lot of your time miserable. If you can create a lush garden that is just dripping with fruits and vegetables, your self sufficient lifestyle will be so much easier!

Advantages

Creating a successful compost pile is easy. It will take just a bit of your time to get your pile started, and then regular monitoring to keep it going. Aside from creating incredible fertilizer for your garden, a compost pile is a great way to get rid of your wastes. If you are interested in leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle, this advantage should greatly influence your decision to being a compost pile!

Disadvantages

If your compost pile is not properly maintained, it can become stinky and attract several different types of undesirable creatures. Keep reading this series to learn more about how to overcome these disadvantages, and the type of creatures you just might encounter!

How to make your own compost to help keep your garden soil healthy and fertile

Kevin Quinlan — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:00:25 +0000

The reasons to create your own compost are various. From reducing landfills, saving money and providing nutrients to your garden are just a few reasons why you should start your own compost this year and help the environment and your wallet out. There are really no reasons why you shouldn’t do it actually. You need to throw this stuff out or do something with it, so why not put it to work in a positive way?

To create your own open air compost outside you will need the following materials. Wood, hammer, nails and of course, a shovel. The exact measurements of the wood depend on how much room you want to take up with it. If you have a large garden, create a large compost, etc.

Build your compost early in the spring and select a location that is level, well drained and is somewhat private. It also should be a location that is not in direct sun (you don’t want it too hot) but not cool areas either (you don’t want it not warm). To build, create your box with wood and nails being sure to leave room for the compost to breath at the various heights that you build it. That is all it takes. It is a simple box to keep your compost in one location and allowing it to break down in a secluded location.

Once built, start throwing in your food scraps, paper materials and yard trimmings. A good rule of thumb is for every 2 brown items you put in (carbon) be sure to put in one green item (nitrogen) to ensure your compost has a healthy mixture of nutrients.

As you add items to your compost something’s to keep in mind is that you want to moisten any dry material you add to the pile. Also use your shovel to occasionally turn over the compost; you should also use your shovel to bury fruit, vegetables and other food a few inches below the surface. You want to keep the compost wet, if it gets too dry it will slow the process.

After a few weeks to a month you can begin to use your compost pile (take from the bottom first) as a soil add in, mulch, or a potting mixture.