1st timer compost -please help

[Phedrosbenny]

It's great your making your own soil may I make a suggestion for your future soil . Soil like you to add things like potato peels, egg shells, all your veg waste, grass clippings, lime will break it down faster and it takes one year. It's called black gold.. peace out Headband707

So if I make a sort of tea with lime and pour it in my compost bin it will break down quicker?

 

[fonzee]

You can compost in a 5 gal bucket.
You will need 50% of the volume to contain dry leaves or other carbon stuff and add more stuff when the volume decreases.
It WILL heat up, but not as much as a conventional pile.
You will need to turn it at least weekly.

When it stops heating up after you turn it you should throw worms in it to finish the job - otherwise it would take quite a while to be fully ready.

 

[Phedrosbenny]

I compost in a 5 gallon bucket.It is mostly leaves and other organic vegtable matter.I have about 3 quarterst of the 5 gallon bucket thats full of already composted leaves.I add clippings and such to it as I get them .It seems to compost rather quickly.Im guessing its because im doing a small amount at a time.

 

[Weird Jimmy]

I just built 3 3'x3' pens in my backyard this weekend. This will be my first attempt at composting as well...

 

[headband 707]

So if I make a sort of tea with lime and pour it in my compost bin it will break down quicker?

Yes you can but you just need to sprinkle it in there it's a podwer(lime). Use gloves it's very corrosive, put green grass and dry grass ,Green Grass is Nitrogen and dry or brown grass is Carbon or anything brown then you need to add air and turn it.. I hope that helps peace out Headband707

 

[aeviaanah]

I mixed the following, roughly...

3 parts peat moss
1.5 parts fox farm ocean forest
1 part perlite
1 part earth worm castings
10 tbsp of age old grow powder
4 oz geohumus

I wet this mix down with dechlorinated water with a bit of FF big bloom. This mix should be a bit hot for seedlings but this is for a well rooted late veg plant. I have dolomite lime coming in the mail. Ill add some before transplant.

How much dolomite lime should i add to this?

 

[headband 707]

I mixed the following, roughly...

3 parts peat moss
1.5 parts fox farm ocean forest
1 part perlite
1 part earth worm castings
10 tbsp of age old grow powder
4 oz geohumus

I wet this mix down with dechlorinated water with a bit of FF big bloom. This mix should be a bit hot for seedlings but this is for a well rooted late veg plant. I have dolomite lime coming in the mail. Ill add some before transplant.

How much dolomite lime should i add to this?

You need to water your soil and see what type of ph comes out of it and then adjust accordingly.. It also depends on the type of lime you get as there are different types of lime time released ect. peace out Headband707

 

[CT Guy]

My understanding (and granted I've never tried it in 5 gal) is that you need a critical mass to thermal compost, with 3' X 3' being the accepted minimum. I wouldn't think you would get good oxygen exchange inside of a bucket, and the material would struggle to reach the necessary 131 F.

If the material is composted properly, I don't believe it would be a problem to bring it indoors. I use a fungal compost in my soil mix for my indoor houseplants and haven't noticed any increase in insect activity in my house. I get more gnats and such from my Aerogarden in my kitchen. Of course, if the material is not fully composted, you could be bringing weed seeds and pathogens into your soil mix.

For help on your C:N ratios (greens:browns), google "compost calculator"

 

[Phedrosbenny]

For help on your C:N ratios (greens:browns), google "compost calculator"

Thank you.Good info.

 

[aeviaanah]

I got pulverized dolomite lime with no directions. Any idea of how much i should add?

 

[headband 707]

I got pulverized dolomite lime with no directions. Any idea of how much i should add?

Go easy on it add only one teaspoon and mix it up with shovel always go easy with lime. peace out Headband707