On 5/26/2014 3:10 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 4:39 AM, dsi1 wrote:
>
>>> Not only
>>> are they good to eat, the shells are good for the garden soil.
>>>
>>
>> I eat a lot of eggs too. Probably more than most folks. A typical
>> breakfast would be a fried egg on an English muffin or toast. What I
>> have decided to do is avoid eating stuff that you're supposed to eat for
>> breakfast at breakfast. Eggs are a logical choice to ditch.
>>
>> I don't toss egg shells outside. Do the shells dissolve? That's pretty
>> strange.
>
>
> Break up the shells and rake them into the dirt. Yes, they decompose.
> There are a lot of natural soil amendments Coffee grounds, banana peels
> and fish heads help fertilize too.

I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know nothing
about growing plants. I admire people that do.

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/26/2014 3:10 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On 5/26/2014 4:39 AM, dsi1 wrote:
>>
>>>> Not only
>>>> are they good to eat, the shells are good for the garden soil.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I eat a lot of eggs too. Probably more than most folks. A typical
>>> breakfast would be a fried egg on an English muffin or toast. What I
>>> have decided to do is avoid eating stuff that you're supposed to eat for
>>> breakfast at breakfast. Eggs are a logical choice to ditch.
>>>
>>> I don't toss egg shells outside. Do the shells dissolve? That's pretty
>>> strange.
>>
>>
>> Break up the shells and rake them into the dirt. Yes, they decompose.
>> There are a lot of natural soil amendments Coffee grounds, banana peels
>> and fish heads help fertilize too.
>
> I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
> love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know nothing
> about growing plants. I admire people that do.

When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all the
rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay there for a
couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them into the soil
around the plants as they are!

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>
> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
> into the soil around the plants as they are!
>

Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
compost pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
>> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
>> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
>> into the soil around the plants as they are!
>>
>
> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a compost
> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.

) It works

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/26/2014 2:18 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
>> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
>> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
>> into the soil around the plants as they are!
>>
>
> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
> compost pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.

Some conditions enhance the decomposition process, such as sunlight,
rain, bugs & worms, the compost being turned every few days.

Becca

On 5/26/2014 2:27 PM, dsi1 wrote:

>
> I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
> love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know nothing
> about growing plants. I admire people that do.

Coffee grounds add acid, especially helpful near a foundation as the
concrete tends to sweeten the soil.

"Ophelia" wrote:
> "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:P
>> dsi1 wrote:
>>
>>>> Not only are they good to eat, the shells are good for the garden soil.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I eat a lot of eggs too. Probably more than most folks. A typical
>>> breakfast would be a fried egg on an English muffin or toast. What I
>>> have decided to do is avoid eating stuff that you're supposed to eat for
>>> breakfast at breakfast. Eggs are a logical choice to ditch.
>>>
>>> I don't toss egg shells outside. Do the shells dissolve? That's pretty
>>> strange.
>>
>> Break up the shells and rake them into the dirt. Yes, they decompose.
>> There are a lot of natural soil amendments Coffee grounds, banana peels
>> and fish heads help fertilize too.
>
>I have read that they do decompose but they must take a very long time. I
>emptied a compost bin last week which had been working away for a couple of
>years and the shells were still whole The coffee grounds, peels etc all
>work well for me.

Yes, egg shells decompose but they amend soil about the same as a bit
of sheetrock and sheet rock decomposes much faster. I don't add
eggshells to my composter because unless you rinse them they contain
protein and protein is not recommended for composting. I add coffee
grounds, tea leaves, and all vegetable parings. I have several
separate compost piles at the edge of the woods for brush, tree limbs,
and sawn tree trunks... those make good critter homes in the
meanwhile. Dinner tonight is a potato omelet, three large spuds diced
(about 2 lbs) and a dozen eggs... will be plenty for two, for two
meals. Potatoes are all well browned in the 12" pan and eggs are all
beaten and in the fridge, everything all ready to go... I enjoy cold
potato omelet for dinner the next day. I spent much of today working
outdoors with manual grass shears trimming around all my trees, etc.,
got a good workout. My grass shears are some 60 years old, cast iron
frames with good tool steel blades, they cut like a dream, not like
today's chintzy modern crap. Only problem was the pollen was
outrageous today, so now I'm suffering... a hot steamy shower helped
some, the congestion will pass soon... I should have worn one of the
paper masks I use when I mow, I have plenty... these work great for
dusty jobs:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

On Mon, 26 May 2014 21:03:18 +0100, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
>"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
>> On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>>
>>> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
>>> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
>>> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
>>> into the soil around the plants as they are!
>>>
>>
>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a compost
>> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.
>
>) It works

Takes about a hundred years to produce one inch of top soil on a
forest floor.

On 5/26/2014 10:03 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a compost
>> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.
>
> ) It works
>
I don't have a green thumb but getting things to rot, I can do.

On 5/26/2014 10:12 AM, Ema Nymton wrote:
>
> Some conditions enhance the decomposition process, such as sunlight,
> rain, bugs & worms, the compost being turned every few days.
>
> Becca

Sounds great. We have lots of sun, rain, and bugs here. I don't think my
neighbors in our condo would be very enthusiastic.

On 5/26/2014 10:18 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 2:27 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>
>>
>> I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
>> love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know nothing
>> about growing plants. I admire people that do.
>
> Coffee grounds add acid, especially helpful near a foundation as the
> concrete tends to sweeten the soil.

That's a radical thought - concrete as a sweetener. :-)

On 5/26/2014 4:12 PM, Ema Nymton wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 2:18 PM, dsi1 wrote:

>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
>> compost pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a
>> grasp of.
>
> Some conditions enhance the decomposition process, such as sunlight,
> rain, bugs & worms, the compost being turned every few days.

I'm really not good about doing that, but I do usually wind up with
plenty of black gold. I know it would go a lot faster if I did.

Last fall, I bought a bunch of pavers and lined the bottom of
my compost. I did it because roots were growing into it and it
was a hassle to clean it out.

My reward ... nothing at all happened to the leaves, etc I put in
there last fall. Nada. Bummer. Got rid of the pavers.

nancy

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...

> I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
> love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know nothing
> about growing plants. I admire people that do.

There was an article in the paper a few years ago that said when you are
planting tomatoes, place a cheap dead fish in the hole cover completely with
soil, then plant the tomato as you normally would. He said you never have to
fertilize them while they're growing. I did try it one year since dh fishes
a lot, but can't say that the tomatoes were bigger or better. I had my first
zucchini from the garden today. I enjoy growing things, but haven't been
very adventurous with it at all.

Cheri

On 5/26/2014 3:53 PM, Cheri wrote:
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> I think I'll bury a raw egg and see what happens. I think plants would
>> love fish heads, not so much coffee grounds though. OTOH, I know
>> nothing about growing plants. I admire people that do.
>
> There was an article in the paper a few years ago that said when you are
> planting tomatoes, place a cheap dead fish in the hole cover completely
> with soil, then plant the tomato as you normally would. He said you
> never have to fertilize them while they're growing. I did try it one
> year since dh fishes a lot, but can't say that the tomatoes were bigger
> or better. I had my first zucchini from the garden today. I enjoy
> growing things, but haven't been very adventurous with it at all.
>
> Cheri

This is something that I learned in school when I was a wee lad. The
teacher said that the indians taught this to the pilgrims in America way
back when, before the indian and white man found out that they didn't
really care for each other's company. It sounded pretty goofy to me back
then but I suppose it could work if you use a fish of sufficient size.

Good luck with the things you grow - excepting of course, things that
might grow on your body.

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/26/2014 10:03 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
>>> compost
>>> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.
>>
>> ) It works
>>
> I don't have a green thumb but getting things to rot, I can do.

Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground immediately,
find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden and create a
heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it and eventually
(not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your plants)

I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep turning
it and there is no smell.


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/26/2014 4:12 PM, Ema Nymton wrote:
>> On 5/26/2014 2:18 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>
>>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
>>> compost pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a
>>> grasp of.
>>
>> Some conditions enhance the decomposition process, such as sunlight,
>> rain, bugs & worms, the compost being turned every few days.
>
> I'm really not good about doing that, but I do usually wind up with
> plenty of black gold. I know it would go a lot faster if I did.
>
> Last fall, I bought a bunch of pavers and lined the bottom of
> my compost. I did it because roots were growing into it and it
> was a hassle to clean it out.
>
> My reward ... nothing at all happened to the leaves, etc I put in
> there last fall. Nada. Bummer. Got rid of the pavers.

My bins are bottomless and I get worms coming up into it from the soil.
Have you tried a compost accelerator? That might kill those roots.




--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>
>
> Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
> immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
> and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
> and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
> plants)
>
> I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
> turning it and there is no smell.
>
>

I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
it stinks.

In article >, lid
says...
>
> On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
> >
> >
> > Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
> > immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
> > and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
> > and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
> > plants)
> >
> > I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
> > turning it and there is no smell.
> >
> >
>
> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
> it stinks.

Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.

Janet UK

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>> immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
>> and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
>> and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
>> plants)
>>
>> I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>> turning it and there is no smell.
>>
>>
>
> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
> it stinks.

Yers, I have smelled some which is why I don't like them. Although my
uncle had them and they didn't smell of anything. I guess it depends how
you look after them.

I use a compost accelerator in my bins. I just sprinkle some on
occasionally.

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/27/2014 7:21 AM, Janet wrote:
> In article >, lid
> says...
>>
>> On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>>> immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
>>> and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
>>> and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
>>> plants)
>>>
>>> I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>>> turning it and there is no smell.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
>> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
>> it stinks.
>
> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>
> Janet UK
>

I'll have to ask my step-mom about this. She's from Sweden so it's
probably a lot easier getting stuff to rot over here than there.

On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:

> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>
> Janet UK
>

British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
they are both islands.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
news
> On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
>
>> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
>> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>>
>> Janet UK
>>
>
> British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
> they are both islands.

You are forgetting that are up here we are on the same latitude as
Moscow)

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/27/2014 7:45 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
>
>> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
>> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>>
>> Janet UK
>>
>
> British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
> they are both islands.

We're the real islands. They're just pretending to be islands.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 11:08:47 +0100, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
>"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
>> On 5/26/2014 4:12 PM, Ema Nymton wrote:
>>> On 5/26/2014 2:18 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>>
>>>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a
>>>> compost pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a
>>>> grasp of.
>>>
>>> Some conditions enhance the decomposition process, such as sunlight,
>>> rain, bugs & worms, the compost being turned every few days.
>>
>> I'm really not good about doing that, but I do usually wind up with
>> plenty of black gold. I know it would go a lot faster if I did.
>>
>> Last fall, I bought a bunch of pavers and lined the bottom of
>> my compost. I did it because roots were growing into it and it
>> was a hassle to clean it out.
>>
>> My reward ... nothing at all happened to the leaves, etc I put in
>> there last fall. Nada. Bummer. Got rid of the pavers.
>
>My bins are bottomless and I get worms coming up into it from the soil.
>Have you tried a compost accelerator? That might kill those roots.

Unless the organic material has contact with the ground it won't be
composted. Those above ground tumbler thingies cannot produce
compost, at best the organic material will ferment/rot... adding those
accelelerators may speed up fermentation but they will not compost..
fermentation and composting are not synonymous. Worms don't compost
either, not directly, worms feed on microbes and then deposit them
with their castings, it's the microbes that turn organic matter into
compost, not the worms... the worms merely speed up the process by
disbursing microbes and causing aeration via their tunneling. By
weight there are more earthworms on this planet than all other living
creatures combined... you can thank Charles Darwin for that bit of
trivia. Btw, compost is not soil, compost is an amendment that must
be mixed with minerals (sand, clay, etc.) to create soil... using pure
compost as a growing medium it will quickly dissolve and wash away.
Potting soil is mixture of compost and uncomposted organic materials.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 07:10:32 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:

>On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>> immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
>> and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
>> and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
>> plants)
>>
>> I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>> turning it and there is no smell.
>>
>>
>
>I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
>step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
>it stinks.

If it stinks it's not producing compost so much as it's fermenting.
The aroma of a properly functioning composter is the same as the deep
woods aroma of a virgin forest.

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 5/27/2014 7:45 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
>>
>>> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
>>> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>>>
>>> Janet UK
>>>
>>
>> British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
>> they are both islands.
>
> We're the real islands. They're just pretending to be islands.

Oi! Flippin' cheek)

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/26/2014 3:47 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Mon, 26 May 2014 21:03:18 +0100, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>>>
>>>> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
>>>> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
>>>> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
>>>> into the soil around the plants as they are!
>>>>
>>>
>>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a compost
>>> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.
>>
>> ) It works
>
> Takes about a hundred years to produce one inch of top soil on a
> forest floor.
>

You're off by a factor of at least ten. Soil accumulates a lot faster
than most people realize.

Janet wrote:
>dsi1 says...
>> Ophelia wrote:
>> >
>> > Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>> > immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
>> > and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
>> > and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
>> > plants)
>> >
>> > I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>> > turning it and there is no smell.
>>
>> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
>> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
>> it stinks.
>
> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
>the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.

Composting relies on microbes and moisture, temperature/climate are
what activate the microbes and control their rate of activity. The
only difference of those two regions is Hawaii has a longer period for
composting to occur. However too much water and excessive warmth will
slow microbe activity which in turn slows composting and fosters
fermentation... it's the fermentation that stinks, composting produces
a sweetish pleasant aroma... perfume companies bottle that scent and
sell it for big bucks. Composting in Scotland can be just as
successful as in Hawaii... mainly depends on the skill of those
managing the composting.

"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> Janet wrote:
>>dsi1 says...
>>> Ophelia wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>>> > immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your
>>> > garden
>>> > and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto
>>> > it
>>> > and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed
>>> > your
>>> > plants)
>>> >
>>> > I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>>> > turning it and there is no smell.
>>>
>>> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
>>> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
>>> it stinks.
>>
>> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
>>the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>
> Composting relies on microbes and moisture, temperature/climate are
> what activate the microbes and control their rate of activity. The
> only difference of those two regions is Hawaii has a longer period for
> composting to occur. However too much water and excessive warmth will
> slow microbe activity which in turn slows composting and fosters
> fermentation... it's the fermentation that stinks, composting produces
> a sweetish pleasant aroma... perfume companies bottle that scent and
> sell it for big bucks. Composting in Scotland can be just as
> successful as in Hawaii... mainly depends on the skill of those
> managing the composting.

Exactly!

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 5/27/2014 6:08 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>
>
> "Nancy Young" > wrote

>> Last fall, I bought a bunch of pavers and lined the bottom of
>> my compost. I did it because roots were growing into it and it
>> was a hassle to clean it out.
>>
>> My reward ... nothing at all happened to the leaves, etc I put in
>> there last fall. Nada. Bummer. Got rid of the pavers.
>
> My bins are bottomless and I get worms coming up into it from the soil.

I think that's where I lost out.

> Have you tried a compost accelerator? That might kill those roots.

I do buy compost 'heat' once in a while. Think I need to get
some more.

nancy

On 5/27/2014 1:10 PM, dsi1 wrote:

> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
> it stinks.

If my compost pile stinks, I know I need to turn it over so
it isn't just sitting there, rotting. Tell your dad get out
there with a pitchfork or something.

nancy

On Tue, 27 May 2014 15:06:14 -0400, Nancy Young
> wrote:

> I do buy compost 'heat' once in a while. Think I need to get
> some more.

I found a recipe for compost accelerator on the internet, if you want
to try making it yourself. Seems simple enough.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 07:10:32 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:

> On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
> >
> >
> > Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
> > immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your garden
> > and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
> > and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed your
> > plants)
> >
> > I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
> > turning it and there is no smell.
> >
> >
>
> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
> it stinks.

My son and son in law have open compost piles and they don't stink.
No idea what they do to achieve that. Not sure if they put cooked
vegetables or just raw trimmings, but I do know it's kitchen scraps as
well as garden trash. I think SIL turns his, son doesn't and
sometimes has volunteer plants. Last year's compost crop was
tomatoes, squash and pumpkins for Halloween.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 18:21:39 +0100, Janet > wrote:

> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.

That's true. My son and SIL live less than an hour away, but it might
as well be another state.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 18:48:41 +0100, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
> news
> > On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
> >
> >> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
> >> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
> >>
> >> Janet UK
> >>
> >
> > British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
> > they are both islands.
>
> You are forgetting that are up here we are on the same latitude as
> Moscow)

True, you're farther to the North and not as tropical - but at least
you have the Gulf Stream to warm things up. Think of how much colder
it would be without that!


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On Tue, 27 May 2014 13:45:08 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
>
> > Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate and
> > the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
> >
> > Janet UK
> >
>
> British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
> they are both islands.

Using that logic, Greenland and Iceland should be tropical too!


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On 5/27/2014 8:07 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> If it stinks it's not producing compost so much as it's fermenting.
> The aroma of a properly functioning composter is the same as the deep
> woods aroma of a virgin forest.
>
I did not know there was a difference between rotting and fermenting.
Rotting definitely seems to be the route to go.

On Tue, 27 May 2014 13:17:12 -0500, Moe DeLoughan >
wrote:

> On 5/26/2014 3:47 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> > On Mon, 26 May 2014 21:03:18 +0100, "Ophelia"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "dsi1" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>> On 5/26/2014 8:31 AM, Ophelia wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> When I use coffee grounds etc in my compost, the go into a bin with all
> >>>> the rest of the grass, weeds, veg leaves, peelings etc and they stay
> >>>> there for a couple of years until they all break down. I don't put them
> >>>> into the soil around the plants as they are!
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Decomposition is a pretty amazing process. You throw stuff into a compost
> >>> pile and it turns to soil. That's a hard concept to get a grasp of.
> >>
> >> ) It works
> >
> > Takes about a hundred years to produce one inch of top soil on a
> > forest floor.
> >
>
> You're off by a factor of at least ten. Soil accumulates a lot faster
> than most people realize.

I lived on forested land when I was a kid. The leaves we raked from
the yard went into the forest part in huge piles that were untouched
after that. You couldn't find those piles the following summer, so
decomposition was happening quickly back there.


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Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 27 May 2014 18:48:41 +0100, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
>> news
>> > On 5/27/2014 1:21 PM, Janet wrote:
>> >
>> >> Bear in mind that decomposition relies on temperature and climate
>> >> and
>> >> the climate in Scotland is nothing like Hawaii.
>> >>
>> >> Janet UK
>> >>
>> >
>> > British Isles and Hawaiian Islands. Should be identical climate since
>> > they are both islands.
>>
>> You are forgetting that are up here we are on the same latitude as
>> Moscow)
>
> True, you're farther to the North and not as tropical - but at least
> you have the Gulf Stream to warm things up. Think of how much colder
> it would be without that!

Oh believe me .. I do!!! ))


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"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 27 May 2014 07:10:32 -1000, dsi1
> > wrote:
>
>> On 5/27/2014 12:04 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> > Ace!! So, don't put your coffee grounds et al into the ground
>> > immediately, find a bottomless bin or section off a piece of your
>> > garden
>> > and create a heap. Throw all your peelings, coffee grounds etc onto it
>> > and eventually (not next week) you will have lovely compost to feed
>> > your
>> > plants)
>> >
>> > I prefer bins because it keeps it out of sight, I don't have to keep
>> > turning it and there is no smell.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> I will keep this in mind for when I get a garden. I'll have to ask my
>> step-mom about this. My dad told me that she had a compost pile. He said
>> it stinks.
>
> My son and son in law have open compost piles and they don't stink.
> No idea what they do to achieve that. Not sure if they put cooked
> vegetables or just raw trimmings, but I do know it's kitchen scraps as
> well as garden trash. I think SIL turns his, son doesn't and
> sometimes has volunteer plants. Last year's compost crop was
> tomatoes, squash and pumpkins for Halloween.

)
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