Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old October 3, 2012   #1
Lowlander
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland
Posts: 76
Default Compost Question

we have a large area that over the past 4 years we have thrown all sorts of plant matter, bad fruit/veg etc into, and it is now full. What do we have to do to use this debris as a compost??

we have never turned it as we should have, but this is an afterthought. Can we use this material as compost or should we discard it and manufacture a true compost bin?
Lowlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 3, 2012   #2
Texas Blues
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Republic of Texas
Posts: 35
Default

Sounds like good stuff to me. I'd turn it and beat it up a little bit, sorting out the less decayed matter and use it as is. Bins are nice and aesthetically pleasing but not really necessary. I use a bin mainly for my kitchen scraps which I find handy for that.
Texas Blues is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 3, 2012   #3
Redbaron
Tomatovillian™
 
Redbaron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
Default

If you ever get a batch of compost that doesn't kick off (get hot enough to kill pathogens) how it is supposed to do (for whatever reason) their is one fail safe that always works.

Dig a hole or a trench and bury it.

Generally you don't want to do what you did, because it can sometimes become a breeding ground for plant diseases and fungus. But buried it will be food for worms. And next year whatever you grow on that spot will grow awesome.

Traditionally kitchen scraps went to feed chickens or sometimes even hogs, but not so many people raise chickens any more, so think of yourself as a worm farmer and feed your worms.
__________________
Scott

AKA The Redbaron

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system."
Bill Mollison
co-founder of permaculture
Redbaron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 3, 2012   #4
Lowlander
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland
Posts: 76
Default

What if I till all that debris into the soil with the tiller,...and let it overwinter?? I was worried that all the plants/weeds and fruit/veg that got thrown in there would sprout if it was used in the soil. Is that possible?? It still looks like a large bin of plants/grass/weeds/etc,..it doesn't look like dark soil or like compost would.

I am thinking of fabricating compost bins from 55gal metal drums and painting them black.
Lowlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 3, 2012   #5
Redbaron
Tomatovillian™
 
Redbaron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
Default

Yeah I wouldn't do that. For the exact reason you said. Depending on what is in the compost, seeds pests pathogens etc will still be at the surface or at planting depth after tilling. That's why I said bury it.

It is fine to do that with properly done compost. But properly done compost has gotten hot and sterilised pathogens and should only contain good bacteria and fungus mixed in with the decayed plant material.

If you are going to make a compost bin I believe there are good plans for a tumbler variety in the build it yourself section.

PS It is often possible to make use of compost that never kicked off right by simply aerating it. No matter what you do plant material will decay. You can't stop it from making good compost eventually. Dead things decay. But often the reason compost doesn't seem to have done right is it ferments anaerobically instead of aerobically. (not enough oxygen) and a simple fix for that is simply to aerate it by turning it and breaking up the compaction, many times that alone will "kick it"
__________________
Scott

AKA The Redbaron

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system."
Bill Mollison
co-founder of permaculture
Redbaron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 3, 2012   #6
Lowlander
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland
Posts: 76
Default

thanks
Lowlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 4, 2012   #7
kurt
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl.
Posts: 2,488
Default

When you say "bad" fruit.If you had some serious diseases and you threw them in the pile keep in mind some pathogens can over winter in really cold weather and some extreme heats.I am thinking in tomato growing if that is the case.Some literature says not to plant in same soil for some diseases for up to 3-4 years.Some pathogens can emerge for longer.If you didn't throw in diseased fruit or cuttings and end of season plant material you should have no problem.
__________________
KURT
kurt is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:46 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★