Greasemonkey's Compost Pile

[MustangStudFarm]

shit, that's a damn good idea, every year I collect a fuckton of leaves and this year i'm gonna go nuts, so maybe I need to get a couple of those..
and you are damn right, 30 bucks is a good deal.

Hey, that pic of the Geobin does not do justice! It holds 216 gallons, but it comes rolled up and you might need a 2nd person to hold it still while you put the fasteners on because it keeps trying to roll back up. I will try to set mine up today. Maybe I will be able to give it a real review lol...

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Hey, that pic of the Geobin does not do justice! It holds 216 gallons, but it comes rolled up and you might need a 2nd person to hold it still while you put the fasteners on because it keeps trying to roll back up. I will try to set mine up today. Maybe I will be able to give it a real review lol...

you know what would be bad-ass?
if you could roll It instead of having to turn it by hand.
like a big cylindrical compost tube, you could roll it instead of dealing with having to rake it

 

[MustangStudFarm]

Here is that snake that I found last night! I know he is not very big, but does a copper-head really need to be big???

 

[MustangStudFarm]

you know what would be bad-ass?
if you could roll It instead of having to turn it by hand.
like a big cylindrical compost tube, you could roll it instead of dealing with having to rake it

Cant turn this one! Hell, I was trying to get it set up when I came across this damn snake. I was about to pick up the pallet that he is on, he was under a tarp.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Here is that snake that I found last night! I know he is not very big, but does a copper-head really need to be big???

View attachment 3736352

that's a beautiful snake
too bad they are deadly venomous..
I wonder if he was there to get the warmth?
is it hot? cold? stormy? tornados?
you guys and your weirdass Oklahoma weather

 

[MustangStudFarm]

that's a beautiful snake
too bad they are deadly venomous..
I wonder if he was there to get the warmth?
is it hot? cold? stormy? tornados?
you guys and your weirdass Oklahoma weather

I think that it is more about the mice that I have been finding in my worm bin. I lifted the cardboard cover and found a mouse eating some corn on the cob, that was last week.

I have cats that catch a lot mice, but the snakes chase off the cats. I noticed that my cats go into the wood line a lot less within the last couple of weeks. Fuck, probably the wrong time to go collecting leaves!!!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I think that it is more about the mice that I have been finding in my worm bin. I lifted the cardboard cover and found a mouse eating some corn on the cob, that was last week.

I have cats that catch a lot mice, but the snakes chase off the cats. I noticed that my cats go into the wood line a lot less within the last couple of weeks. Fuck, probably the wrong time to go collecting leaves!!!

oh hell yea
mice and snakes go hand in hand.
I caught a four foot californai king snake a couple weeks ago, cuz my neighbor is feeding the birds birdseed
which means he is feeding the chipmunks, squirrels, rats, and mice..

 

[Kind Sir]

1. I have a couple tarps, should I compost ontop of one? I dont have much else to put under the pile (I saw greasemonkey used an old rug under his.)

2. Whats your guys take on shredding weeds and using them in the pile?

Plan was to just layer everything mix it up some, wet it/cover it and turn it here and then.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

1. I have a couple tarps, should I compost ontop of one? I dont have much else to put under the pile (I saw greasemonkey used an old rug under his.)

2. Whats your guys take on shredding weeds and using them in the pile?

Plan was to just layer everything mix it up some, wet it/cover it and turn it here and then.

I am sure that most green plants would work, I used a bush that was in front of my house. The compost should heat up enough to kill any seeds, so no harm in using weeds!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

1. I have a couple tarps, should I compost ontop of one? I dont have much else to put under the pile (I saw greasemonkey used an old rug under his.)

2. Whats your guys take on shredding weeds and using them in the pile?

Plan was to just layer everything mix it up some, wet it/cover it and turn it here and then.

shredded weeds will work similar to grass clippings, although in my exp, it's best to shred them, or run them through a mulcher/lawnmower first
in fact EVERYTHING is faster if shredded first, the only drawback is it seems to get a lil more clumped over time, which would led to anaerobic conditions.
I used a rug simply to keep my redwood tree roots from stealing the compost (which it did anyways, I lost about 40% of my compost to the roots, which grew right through and shredded that carpet)
the BEST thing to compost on is cement, or plastic
everything else will compost rather quickly, remember we are breeding composting critters, so nothing can withstand that, minus rock or plastic

 

[shaft09]

Anyone know what the pictured plant is and if it is good for anything?

 

[Rasta Roy]

I just harvested my first big batch of compost...just had a couple questions for ya good sir!

1. How do you store it?
2. Does it need to retain it's moisture to retain it's benefits?
3. Do you do anything to purge it of the bugs before use or do you just go for it?

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I just harvested my first big batch of compost...just had a couple questions for ya good sir!

1. How do you store it?
2. Does it need to retain it's moisture to retain it's benefits?
3. Do you do anything to purge it of the bugs before use or do you just go for it?

Here is about 300gallons. The lids seemed to keep the moisture. I stacked mine outside of my garage and I saw milipedes coming out, but they are composters and nothing else. Maybe just store it outside in the shade?

 

[Rasta Roy]

Here is about 300gallons. The lids seemed to keep the moisture. I stacked mine outside of my garage and I saw milipedes coming out, but they are composters and nothing else. Maybe just store it outside in the shade?
View attachment 3748745 View attachment 3748746

I don't mind the milipedes, it's always those damn gnats! I know if the compost dries up they'll disappear but I'm concerned I lose microbiology in that situation.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I found more night crawlers and grub worms than anything else? I didnt notice any gnats, but I am sure it has a lot to do with location. I dont see many others with black soldier flies in their worm bin like I do???

 

[Rasta Roy]

I found more night crawlers and grub worms than anything else? I didnt notice any gnats, but I am sure it has a lot to do with location. I dont see many others with black soldier flies in their worm bin like I do???

I did mine in rotating bins, so no worms unfortunately. But I just got a 2 and a half acre lot in South Lansing, Michigan to set up my compost business! I'm clearing the lot out tomorrow ill have to post some pictures.

 

[calliandra]

Anyone know what the pictured plant is and if it is good for anything?View attachment 3748545

Looks like some brassica (=family of the cabbages and broccoli etc) to me - no idea what exactly it is tho

 

[calliandra]

I don't mind the milipedes, it's always those damn gnats! I know if the compost dries up they'll disappear but I'm concerned I lose microbiology in that situation.

The way I understand it at the moment, if compost dries, the microbiology actually goes dormant, as opposed to dying off entirely. So when the environmental conditions become more favorable again, they reactivate themselves. Apparently, that's happening all the time - just a tiensy bit of change (in moisture, ph, temps, exudates...whatever), and a whole set of microorganisms will go to sleep whilst another goes active.

 

[Rasta Roy]

The way I understand it at the moment, if compost dries, the microbiology actually goes dormant, as opposed to dying off entirely. So when the environmental conditions become more favorable again, they reactivate themselves. Apparently, that's happening all the time - just a tiensy bit of change (in moisture, ph, temps, exudates...whatever), and a whole set of microorganisms will go to sleep whilst another goes active.

That's what's up! Thanks for the info

 

[greasemonkeymann]

That's what's up! Thanks for the info

best thing for me man, was a bigass smartpot, and then cover the top with two layers of cardboard.
the cardboard will keep the gnats out. and keep the compost nice and moist without being anaerobic
or in my case?
the cardboard keeps the worm-eatin foxes, raccoons, possums, blue jays, squirrels, etc...
those fuckers LOVE the worms, and they've figured out that my plants are FULL of them...
my neighbors plants don't get bothered at all, and each damn day I wake up to all these handful-sized gopher type hole in my containers.
little fuckers.