I just started a compost pile about two weeks ago, but after some additional reading online, think I may have made some mistakes (*sigh*). I live in the city, and wanted to go as active (fast) as possible, so I am using a home-made composting bin (a basic plastic trash can that I drilled a bunch of holes in on the sides), as opposed to a free-standing "pile." I've had some difficulty getting the thing to heat up sufficiently, which tells me (I think) that I might not have the right mix of N/C, air, water, etc... here's a few questions, maybe some of you more experienced composters (this is my first attempt!) can advise...
• I live in a very piney wooded area (right next to the Univ. of Houston campus, between Wheeler & N. MacGregor), so I've got pine needles out the wazoo all over the place! So naturally, I added quite a bit of brown needles (you can scoop them up in huge handfulls all over the yard/driveway!) to the compost mix (as "brown" layers). After the fact, though, I read online that 1) these needles decompose very slowly unless shredded first (can't afford to buy a shredder right now, I'm a poor grad student!), and 2) they can cause the pile to become too acidic, which can also slow down the decomposition. Also, my soil is on the acidic side anyway (ph 6), so I wouldn't want to add compost to it that would make it even MORE acidic than it already is... the pile is pretty well mixed together at this point, so picking out the pine needles would be an arduous task - is there something I can add to it decrease the acidity, or is that unnecessary?
• I can't decide whether I should be leaving the lid on the garbage can on or off... there are holes drilled all over the sides, but I'm not sure if that provides sufficient aeration. But when I've left the lid off, it seems like the pile dries out quickly, and doesn't hold as much heat... any thoughts?
• kitchen scraps/veggie leavings: I thought it was okay just to toss kitchen scraps into the pile, but I've read that this will attract pests (not good!). I've started throwing these scraps into a seperate enclosed "bin," but how long should I let that stuff decompose seperately before it's safe to add to the main pile?
• Kudzu-like (not sure if it's kudzu, or something else very similar) viney weed that I'm fighting - okay to add to the compost pile, or should I avoid it (too much risk of seeding/propagating)? What about spanish moss (another thing there is a ton of around here)?
Thank you all!!
Composting questions...
You do have a lot of questions, and I don't know if I can touch on all of it. I have been composting for about 30 years and this is what I do.
http://www.texasstar.org/index.php?pg=composting
I think that if you are afraid of the seeds from that vine surviving you can bury them in the center of the pile, or just don't use them if it makes you feel better.
You might want to make some holes on the bottom of the can too, to let the juices drain, and set it on bare soil.
Josephine.
Since I live in the hill country where acid soil is merely a dream, I don't have much exprience with soil being too acid, but I've read that adding lime or wood ashes can help with that problem. I wish I could come down there are harvest some of your pine needles. It would be a welcome addition to my compost pile.
As far as attracting pests to your compost pile, it hasn't been a problem for us and we live on the edge of town where there are plenty of pests.:)
When I have something I want to add to the compost that I don't want to find growing in it later, I just leave it in a bucket to dry up and then add it to the compost.
Are you adding any kind of accelerator to your compost? I have used Agrispon but there are probably many out there and they are very easy to use.
Good luck, Mary Lee