Some simple questions on starting a compost pile

OMG - Ms. Z, I think you've spent too much time hangin' in the compost pile!

Zany, thanks for the laugh!

;~} The worms crawled in and they won't come out they are all stoned now and I heard one pout...He said he came too late for the fun instead of wiggling he should have run!

We just got back from hauling 12 of the big 42 gal cans of redwood needles and 14 of fresh cut grass and layered them in with manure and some alfalfa pellets. I got them watered in well and that will be all I do to it this week. By next weekend I will probably turn the whole thing and add that much more. What little er... hemp... was in that potting mix is well buried and turning to worm food fast. ;~P But all that work gave me the munchies so I'm gonna shower and let my beloved take me out for an early dinner.

Zany, you sure are, well.......zany!!!!! Love the poem. Did you come up with that all on your own?

Naw, one of the stoned worms helped!

Just read this to my DH and he is laughing pretty good!! LOL You're just too funny. Love your poems. You should try to get them published in Rolling Stones magazine. :)

oh yea! that's what the worms like to read!

I bet they eat it right up!!

sjweld, did your search in your DS's room yield you and happy food for the worms? LOL I hope not but the thought of a teenager finding out his Mom or Dad put his stash in the compost with manure and kitchen scraps makes me grin! It sounds like a great scene for a sit-com.

Actually good news!! My latest search netted me zilch. I hope that is because he is "out" of that stage and not that he has gotten better at hiding it! His last two tests were also negative so I am hopeful. : )

Yahoo! That is always good news for a parent! Better unhappy worms than a too mellow son!

I'll second that one!! My worms will just have to find some other way to be happy I guess.

more coffee...

That is the other call I will make when I muster up my courage. I will call the local coffee shop and ask about their coffee grounds!!

That is something I keep meaning to do and just haven't gotten around to yet. We have several coffee places here and I need to go see about getting something set up to collect coffee grounds but not being a coffee drinker I never remember when I am out and about. But they are getting plenty of tea bags since I am an iced tea addict and go through about 3 gal. a week of very strong tea (I use 2 of the 1 gal, tea bags for every gal. of tea)

I have a stack of newspapers to shred up and use so the worms will have something to read. I may have to use the comics and leave the rest out though so they don't get too upset by the news reports. We have two local papers. One is slanted to the right and the other to the left. Maybe if I mix it 50/50 it will balance out and they won't get into too many political arguments...I want dirt but I'm afraid they might start slinging and sour the pile.

comics & coffee.

Comics are the only part of the paper worth reading anyway since Ann Landers passed away! And lots of coffee to go with it should make for some happy worms.

"Ozark, happy hunting!" - Zanymuse
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Thanks. I got a 10-point buck on opening morning. He chased a doe right past my stand - proving once again that chasing women often gets guys in trouble. lol

My wife and I worked up the meat and filled our freezer with steaks, chops, tenderloin, backstrap, 45 lbs. of hamburger, and 12 lbs. of breakfast sausage.

The freezer was already almost full with fish filets from my fishing trips and this summer's green beans, zucchini, corn on the cob, tomato sauce, peppers, and sliced green tomatoes. I've got about 12 jars of refrigerator pickles in the 'fridge from our 'cukes, too. Oh, and I'm using the cool weather to cold-lager 10 gallons of good German-style homebrewed beer in my garage.

It all kind of goes together - this getting your food from the land instead of the supermarket.

Ozark, awesome!! Good for you.

Gee, Ozark, I wish you lived closer, I'd certain invite myself for lunch, LOL. Great stuff!

UGH!! I am so SLOW sometimes!! You know how I said I should call the coffee shop downtown about their grounds? Do you know how many times the past couple of months my DS has called after school and said he was going to be a little late cause he was dropping his friend off at the Deli Bean (coffee shop) cause, "You know, his parents own the Deli Bean?" I don't have to muster my courage to call!! I just have to ask my DS to check into it for me.

sjweld, while your son is procuring those coffee grounds for you, have him stop by and ask about that manure too ;~)


Ozark, You are truly living off the fat of the land! Use a tiny bit of that German Lager to make some beer bread and beer batter pancakes and you might not need to go near a grocery store all winter!

I just went out and checked the temp on the compost pile since it rained pretty heavy last night and it is now up to 158 degrees just 6 inches into the pile! I won't be able to add any more until next weekend and the pile is not deep enough yet to maintain the heat for too long but hopefully it will keep hot until then anyway.

"you might not need to go near a grocery store all winter!"
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Hah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?

Our California daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids are visiting this week for Thanksgiving - and my wife and I spent $212 at the grocery store yesterday.

Still, the fish and game and garden veggies help a lot - and we enjoy the home-grown quality.

I got a compost thermometer from Santa!!

sjweld, congratulations! Santa knew what was really important toyou ;~)

I never would have bought one for myself but that is just the kind of stuff Santa likes to get!! He is such an intuative guy (could it have been the email I sent him w/the picture of one???)

Yes, Santa does like those letters that take the guessing out of things
and makes it easier to know he is bringing just the right thing and pictures are better still! Now go sit on Santa's lap and tell him just how thankful you are.

lol-Santa is sleeping after a long night of working!! LOL

Too bad ;~) maybe you can make it up to him with breakfast in bed in the morning... have the elves fix it and join him!

Santa brought me new gardening shears and a nice fat gift certificate to the local big box store! WOOHOO!

Isn't Santa awesome!! ; )
Zany, Santa was properly thanked.

It sounds like Santa knew how to make doccat5 very happy also :~0

He knows what a composting, worm luvin' gardener wants.

Santa must be a gardener at heart! Hard to garden at the north pole I would imagine!!

Santa probably has a green house, lucky guy!

Hey I know he does cause he brought me a portable one ..He sure loves his gardeners LOL

I just read this whole thing and I've gotta say.. it was a blast! Thank you for the laughs!

The only thing I wanna say is..
Sjweld... I worked with horses all my young life, gardeners with shovels, buckets and garbage cans don't have to ask.. they are expected and very welcomed. If you just say your a gardener, the rest will fall in place. Anyone who has farm animals is more than happy to see a gardener come in! You will be doing him a favor, regardless of how small, it will be appreciated.

ZZsBabiez, Welcome to the wonderful world of worms and rotten things.

Dig in ... (bad pun)
If ya can't stand the heat ... stay out of the compost heap ... ( bad joke)
and what do you get when you cross a brown pile with a green pile? (Answer: A really bad dirty joke.)

This is the only forum on DG where dirty talk is not only allowed but encouraged. So if you land in a pile of manure in here, have no fear, one of us will be right behind you asking if we can have it for our compost pile ;~)

Amen to all of that Zany! Btw, I'm doing a quick hijack on this thread. Please check out the following thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/798958/. Are looking for mentors for newbie gardeners and it's slim pickin in some areas. If you can help, please do so. :)

I vow to get that manure in the spring!! I can and I will do it!!! LOL

Welcome to ya ZZ!!

ROFLMAO Zany

true ZZ at one time I lived on a horse farm back in Illinois and there was always plenty of to share.
now living in Texas I have to see where I can ask someone to unload some extra. I have no truck and not sure my car would smell good after a trunk load LOL, but I do know there is a man across form the place I work that has cows so I am going ot ask the owner if he thinks I could talk to the man and see about getting some in a bucket or bag.