My Humble compost pile

I forgot to mention that the monstrosity on the right in the first pic was my old compost bin in the stages of dismantlement. I'm afraid the wood had composted itself and could not be reused for the new one. (I made yards and yards of compost in that monstrosity.)

Carol, I know people who would pay money to come see eagles in your chicken run. Thank you for the pictures. C

He is just beautiful! We have a mated pair at the local water reservoir, so I see one occasionally. We think there from Caledon Park, as they have a eagle preservation program on going there. I was dumbfounded on how big these guys really are. The pictures don't get that across.

Cathy4, you're welcome, yep we've got 'em all over. Two nest within sight of me right now and I live next to Salmon Creek, so Eagles eat salmon and the salmon run is pretty much over and their bodies are littering the sides of the crick and the more eagles, seagulls, magpies, blue jays and other carrion eaters, the better. Gotta be careful of bears, though, they are stocking up on fat for the winter, too.
Carol

Carol, I was just looking on the map to see where Seward is in relation to where we were last summer on a cruise. We didn't get anywhere near you, so we will have to find another way to get people in to see you and the eagles. Driving from St. Louis is a bit far, is there a train? haha, I'm not coming in the winter! I would so love to see more of Alaska. Cathy

Cathy, other than driving the Alascan Hiway through Canada, the only other options are flying or taking a cruise ship. We have cruise ships twice a week here in Seward from May/June to Aug/Sept. Did you cruise only Southeastern? (Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Haines) that area?

Haha Carol, wait until I tell my husband we have to take another cruise to Alaska. We did the SE, I didn't even know they had some that went beyond that. In a year or two, I'll look you up, lol.

Cathy 4, I'll try to be here, you must not have seen my thread on the Parking Lot Forum.

My pile is really heating up! I went to add kitchen scraps and dug a hole and steam escaped. I don't have a themometer, but I layed my hand on it and it was warm to the touch. The coffee grounds have jumped strarted things, I believe.

Dean

It is amazing, Dean, what can get a pile cooking. I have been piling up the leaves for mulch next year, and we have had such a bumper year i decided to put quite a bit of it through the shredder with some new (green) branches we took off the hedge. I checked the non-shredded pile to see if there was any activity there (it is such a huge pile this year, and we have really stomped it tight I thought just maybe) - but cool and fresh as can be. then stuck my hand into the shredded material and pulled it out quick - piping piping hot! Pretty exciting stuff.

Keep it going chappie - the more the hotter.

Laurie,
Yes, exciting it is! Now, I need to get some more browns for my pile. I have a source for shredded paper, so I told them to start saving for me. I wish I had more leaves, but I raked most of them up already.

I have a shredder at my parents house, that has been out of commmision for a number of years. I'll have to get it and get it checked out. The only thing is I don't have a truck. So I'll have to talk someone in to getting it for me. I also have quite a few branches on the trees, around the house that need to be pruned. More material for the compost pile.

Dean

This message was edited Nov 28, 2007 5:16 PM

Dean, I don't have a truck either and virtually everything in my compost pile has to be carried in by car and then lugged through the apartment to get it to the yard! My poor aching back is killing me and my knees are sore but The back of the car is loaded with another 6 bags of browns today and will get another 6-7 of grass clippings squeezed in there tomorrow :~)

My neighbors in the apartments have both put rock down with a couple of little plastic planters of annuals and think I am completely insane making a huge compost pile in that little patio size yard. But I bet they sing a different tune when I finally get it planted and blooming in all that lovely black compost.

Zanymuse,

I know what you mean! I can hardly contain myself! I hope your legs and back are better soon.

I probally have a bigger yard than you. I want to expand my compost pile. What do you think? Where do you get all your browns at? I want to keep adding.

Dean,
You need to find some manure. Are there any livestock owners nearby?

No none that I know of! I was thinking of buying a couple of bags of manure. Not the same I know.

I am lucky on the greens and the browns. They pile all the redwood needles they pick up with the lawnmower at the little company owned park in a nice pile every time the wind blows. The pile was about 12 ft wide X 18 Ft.deep and about 9 ft. tall. It is now down to about half that :~) and it just keeps shrinking every day... Well,I have to take the pooch to run at the park don't I... and while we are there... LOL by the timeI get to work I have to spend 20 minutes cleaning myself up.

The nice part is that they chop it up with the mulching mower before dumping it on the pile and it contains virtually no weeds. And then for greens the nice town gardeners have to bag all that wonderful hot grass clippings anyway and my car is parked a lot closer than their waste dump... so convincing them to load them into the car for me is not that hard to do. They have it down to a science and can pack the back of my hundai Santa Fe with 6 bags. 2 more will fit in the rear passenger seat and still leave a spot for the pooch.

And all this for a tiny yard that measures about 15 ft by 26 ft. approx. ( I have a picture with the measurements around somewhere.

i think this might be a dumb question but when people collect pine needles --aren't pine trees "evergreen"? i read about people collecting them and just wondered

Pines and redwoods are both evergreens but the shed old needle and grow new ones constantly. When the winds kick up the needles fall faster than heavy snow!

They are evergreen, but they still drop their needles. They just do it a little bit all the time instead of all at once like deciduous trees.

Oops, sorry Zany - you posted while I was typing >tap ... tap .... tap ....< ...

Dean, I posted a request for a source of bunny poop on freecycle.com and had an answer from a woman with 14 rabbits in her house. You might try that, just be sure you are in the one near where you live. Craiglist.com is another place. She even bagged it for me, haha.

Cathy,
Thanks, I'll check it out!

Dean,

Another source of green: I have given two of my neighbours large clip-top storage containers that fit under their sinks for their kitchen stuff. I gave them instructions written on top of the containers what to put in (like no meat or greasy vegetables). They've gotten so hooked on disposing of stuff this way that one of them has gone out and gotten herself a second box. Keeps their rubbish less stinky, and feeds my compost heap. winwin.

How well do you want to know your neighbours?

And definately go get the shredder, you will never regret it! (Neighbours might - I have made a rule not to use mine on Sundays! One day a week with no power equipment seems important).

This message was edited Nov 28, 2007 8:38 PM

What a wonderful idea, Laurie. Dean, do either of your neighbors own a truck? Unless their the kind you just can't stand, this might be a great way to make friends, influence people and add to your bin..........wink, wink!

Laurie and doccat5,

I don't know my neighbors that well. They kind of stick to themselves often times not even waving. Good ideals, I think I have a source for free horse manure I need to call and ask. Now I need to make a couple of different piles. Three all together would be great. One for the fresh stuff, another for the finished and the third in between.

Dean, honey, put the finished pile on one end. It will be much easier to add to it from the other piles. It's a shame your neighbors are a bit stand offish, :(. I'll bet they are watching what you are doing though. My "favorite-NOT" has been peeking out between his pine trees lately, every time I'm out in the yard. What a goober!

Okay, doccat, off to the hardware store. What I found was decomposing sheep and goat manure. He said if I had a truck he could load it up for me. (: No truck once again. I'll have to bag it or something. I know what you mean, they probally wonder what the orange peels and coffee is about!

Dean, I can't get over how keen you are!! What ever does your wife think about your new fascination with garbage and horse poop! If she is anything like my DH it is a matter of 'interest at a distance'. Bless him, enormously supportive, but decidedly NOT hands on (or hands in, in this case). Keep up the good hunt! sounds like you are finding more and more resources.

Do you have a park nearby? Perhaps you could convince the parkkeepers to put some grasscuttings aside for you. sounds like US parks are much more flexible about sharing than they are here -

Yup! Keen as mustard!!

This message was edited Nov 29, 2007 5:55 AM

Dean, the back of my car always has bits of hay, leaves, you name its, & you smell its. I was at the hardware store today returning an indoor plant that smelled like dog poop when I watered it, and popped into the IHOP, asked for coffee grounds. They filled my 1 gallon pitcher over the top. Since I go by there alot, I'm going to make it a regular stop, and get a bigger container. It was so good to get out of the house!

Laurie,
My wife is supportive, she has been saving fruit peelings for me and asking me what to save for the compost. She thinks its gross, but knows I'm gonna have some good stuff to put around her fruit tree. I have a 5-gallon bucket now where I put all the scraps.

cathy,
I too, got some more coffee grounds today, it's great! I got a half trash bag full of grounds. I also have a bag of paper shreds from lastnight. I'm going to add it later today. I still have'nt decided on the manure, yet I may need to buy some of those heavy duty garbage bags.

This message was edited Nov 29, 2007 1:47 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention the pile was once again hot and steamy. Some of the stuff around the edges seemed a bit cool so I worked a little. How often do you all turn your piles? I know I've read some about the lasgna compost piles. Those you don't turn, right?

Rather than turning mine I have started just piking the pitch fork as deep into it as I can in a few places and lifting /shaking it to fluff it out and add some air pockets. The old back can't handle the heavy work any more. But so far the pile is staying hot and I keep piling more on top. The thick wood walls around it seem to help keep it going since it is only 3 ft wide and I am going to add another tier to the frame this next weekend if it isn't raining.

I piled more browns on this morning along with alfalfa pellets for greens and watered it all in really well. No grass clippings this week :~( but the alfalfa will serve for this layer. I still want to head out to the beach for seaweed but my darlin' spousal unit doesn't want buckets of "that stinky mess" in the car and I would need his stronger back to get it from the beach to the car.

Thanks, Zanymuse, I'll only turn so much. I'm going to add some browns and then coffee grounds on top.

Zany, line bucket with trash bag and twist tie shut....no smell

Yeha, I got 8 bags of Pecan leaves w/ more to get.

Boy Dean, when you get addicted you go whole hog! Welcome to our world, teehee.

Carol, I have a dozen 5 gal.buckets with tight fitting lids I want to use for the sea weed but Darlin' is not convinced... YET! LOL cause what Zany wants, Zany gets...eventually...

I'm addicted, thanks for the welcome! Seaweed, Zany, I wish I had some.

Dean, I've done a lasagna garden this year, too, to fill a new raised bed. You just pile a layer and water, pile another, etc. If it is deep, it gets hot. You don't worry about turning. In another area I'm enlarging, so it isn't as deep.

Cathy,

Sounds good, I'll keep pileing it on.