Today I had the pleasure to attend a FREE class on COMPOST at North Haven Garden (www.nhg.com), in Dallas.
I have taken many classes in compost making, but this was really the best. The gentleman talked about vermicomposting and composting. He was a lot of fun and really answered a lot of my questions. The class was only one hour long. At the end of the class we received a FREE Sheppard composting bin offered by the city of Dallas. WOW !! I am so impress !!
I just wish I'd posted the note on DG about this class ... but nobody on the phone could tell me which kind of bin we were going to receive ... but stay in touch with NHG, they might do more classes of this kind.
FREE COMPOST BIN at NHG from the city of Dallas
When I was in line to get my FREE compost bin, I talked with a very nice lady.
She said that last year her tomatoes were huge.
This is what she used to grow them:
One large bag of dog food
One large bag of cat litter
One large bag of alfa alfa
##@@@$$$%%%!!!!... I though I was the odd one !!@#@###
Another lady said that she cannot grow vegetables in north Dallas because they have so many wild peakocks .... they eat everything ... even the pansies ...
I guess I am so lucky in my little corner of paradise here in Irving ....
Very interesting day !!!
The most important thing I learned about compost-----------quantity is more important than quality.
Sounds like it was a great experience. What nuggets did you learn? I think it's wonderful that you keep taking classes. You never know when you will get that info you need.
Lots of lots of new stuff about composting.
The city of Dallas has an excellent program to involve the citizens on recycling and composting.
Quote from drthor :
When I was in line to get my FREE compost bin, I talked with a very nice lady.
She said that last year her tomatoes were huge.
This is what she used to grow them:
One large bag of dog food
One large bag of cat litter
One large bag of alfa alfa
##@@@$$$%%%!!!!... I though I was the odd one !!@#@###
I've used dog food & Rabbit food (any old kind) have you ever read the label on the Rabbit food? That's why their turds are so good for your garden!
Most dog food has 85 percent corn in them, and the rest is vitamins and meat entrails!
~ Robin
yuk ! I don't have dogs. I know about rabbits.
I am trying to imagine the dog food bag as a container.I know that wouldn't work at my house. My dog will tear apart the bag looking for any crumbs. I guess she makes holes in the bottom. Did she first make the compost in there?
I've almost "outgrown" my tiny composter! hahaha... I love it & would have loved the FREE class... there is a class one can take to become a Master Composter!! On the 29th I was at Calloway's clinic to learn more on pruning! What a great opportunity Drthor!
Yes I was really pleased from the class at NHG.
Last year I took a 2 days class from the city of irving to become a "Master Composter".
The cost for $20, but they gave me the money back.
I received also a Sheppard's compost bin, a worm casting bin , lots of book. I met wonderful people.
The class for 8 hours long each day and I had so much fun !!
The bused us to a "land field" which I never seen before ... we also made hot compost the first saturday and checked the temperature a week later. We studied the compost we made under a microscope at the local college.
Yes, so much fun ...
The city of Irving does this class every year in february.
Until I started composting I never understood why people seemed so interested in it. But once I started I was hooked. Much like gardening, its really gratifying. Mine does amazing things for my garden.
The same here, I have been doing it for 40 years, never get tired of it, and always amazed at the benefits.
Josephine.
You never look at a banana peel quite same!
I have saved kitchen scraps for our compost off and on for many years. I say "off and on" because I'd get discouraged with fruit flies, etc., and difficulty taking off or putting back on a tight bucket lid and I'd just give up. I started using this dog food container this last year and now no problems with fruit flies or odor or anything because it has such a tight seal but opens with one hand and easy to carry out to the compost site.
They have a variety of sizes, I believe, at Petsmart (where we got ours several years ago for dog food) and DH saw them at our local ag store also.
http://www.petsmart.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=dog%20food%20containers&origkw=dog%20food%20containers&sr=1
Glenna
That looks very neat Glenna.
Quote from Dogs_N_Petunias :
I have saved kitchen scraps for our compost off and on for many years. I say "off and on" because I'd get discouraged with fruit flies, etc., and difficulty taking off or putting back on a tight bucket lid and I'd just give up. I started using this dog food container this last year and now no problems with fruit flies or odor or anything because it has such a tight seal but opens with one hand and easy to carry out to the compost site.
They have a variety of sizes, I believe, at Petsmart (where we got ours several years ago for dog food) and DH saw them at our local ag store also.
http://www.petsmart.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=dog%20food%20containers&origkw=dog%20food%20containers&sr=1
Glenna
What a great idea! Thanks
This message was edited Feb 3, 2011 8:56 AM
Alright another confesion. I cannot seem to make compost. I bought a black compost bin a few years back and the scraps just never did seem to break down correctly.
C
Contact the city of Irving: Fran Whitte
Ask her if she has space on the "Master Composting" class starting on February 12th. $20 refundable.
She normally accept 2-3 people outside the city of Irving.
You will learn really how to heat your compost pile ... you actually will built one saturday and go back the next one and see how much it already activated itself.
Trust me on this.
I definately need some hands on instruction.
C
newtonsthirdlaw,
here some pictures of us making compost at the "Irving master composter class"
Everybody had to get dirty ... truly hands on !!
one week later we had to examine the compost we made under the microscope
Thats a serious class and very scientific.
C
What did you see under the microscope?
microbial activity
I wondered if you saw something you recognized.
oh nooo everything was so small ....
O.K. just curious, I think it would be very interesting to look through the microscope.
I don't think you can see micropes with a dissecting microscope Josephine. Might be able to see small particles of plants etc. but bacteria are way too small for that scope.
C
Well, maybe some day I will get a chance to see the real thing, that would be neat.
I would invite you to my lab at school but its in Carrollton.
C
Thank you Cheryl, it is a little far, maybe some day we could do it as a group, who knows?
At first I had the slow to compost problem. Then I went online and followed found out how to get it to break down. When I did everything as suggested my compost pile was ready in less than two months.
Give me the link! LOL I have done better with sheet composting directly onto a bed but that is sort of messy. I want a traditional compost pile, just not sure how that will work or look like.
C
C,
I don't remember which sites I used? But here are a couple I just looked up.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/landscape/compost/
http://www.compost-info-guide.com/make_better_compost.htm
I will take a look. I had a black one from Cosco but it never worked and fell apart at the seems. It's still sitting there all a mess with non broken down yuk in it.
C
My little composter is almost full... I am going to have to do something this year or else I won't be able to aerate it well!! I know I'll have to get a second composter!
seems like you you can never have enough. I have 3 and think I will get another.