Kitchen Composter Blog » kitchen compost

Compost Tea from the Bokashi Indoor Kitchen Composter

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:09:05 +0000

After 4 weeks, the composter has produced about a 1/4 cup of compost tea. I didn’t add any water to the composter – all of this liquid came from anaerobic bacteria breaking up the fruit and vegetable scraps that I put in it.

Duration : 0:0:18

Technorati Tags: compost, composting, environment, environmentalism, green, tea, technology

BOKASHI COMPOSTING

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:38:17 +0000

What to do with the Bokashi waste once your bucket is full. www.bokashi.com.au . Well, we gotta take it out to the the garden and bury it for the most benefits. See Video for instructions.

Duration : 0:1:1

Technorati Tags: bokashi, bucket, compost, composting, EM, farming, fermenting, food, garden, gardening, home, kitchen, technology

Kitchen Composting (without smells)

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:10:15 +0000

A 2-minute guide to kitchen composting without smells — you can do it!!!

Duration : 0:2:20

Technorati Tags: composting, kitchen, odorless

Ceramic Kitchen Compost Crock

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:03:16 +0000

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/ceramic-compost-crock.html This composting crock is great for anyone who has a compost bin or is starting to learn about composting. Made of ceramic, it holds about 1 gallon of food scraps, making it the perfect size to set next to any kitchen sink. Simply throw in your food scraps until it’s full (or 2-3 days), and then empty it into your composting bin to help create rich compost soil.

Duration : 0:0:45

Technorati Tags: bin, carbon, ceramic, compost, composting, Crock, Filter, food, kitchen, pail, scraps

Can the proximity of an open bottomed compost bin cause damage to nearby plants and trees?

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:51:08 +0000

My plum tree (healthy until the compost was placed nearby), my camelia, and even some nasturtiums have become very unhealthy, the camelia nearly dead, the plum with dying branches. Even the nasturtiums have failed to thrive. Could this be caused by an imbalance in the soil due to leeching from the compost? I have moved the bin, and the camelia, but the tree looks very ill. What can I do to correct the soil if this is in fact so, and if not, any ideas what could be causing this? A neighbour's lilac tree also died this spring, only feet from this bin. It is normal garden and kitchen waste. Help please!!

Maybe if it has some diseases in it, but normally no, it would help by giving the soil some of the nutrient and minerals lost used plants grow

Compost Maker-will it be effective after two months of nothing happening?

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:54:15 +0000

We started adding kitchen vegetable scraps to the new compost drum, rotating the drum regularly.

The scraps started to all go slimy. We finally found a compost maker and added the organisms in the proportion called for but are wondering if it can be effective at this stage of decomposition.

Decomposition is what you are going for, so Yay!

What you need to do is continue adding elements to you composter so you get a good balance:

The general method of adding material to your compost is 4 parts “brown” matter to 1 part “green” matter.

Brown Matter:

Dead leaves
Shredded paper or newspaper
Brown cardboard
Small twigs
Coffee grounds

Green Matter:

Fruit and vegetable scraps
Tea leaves and bags
Egg shells
Weeds, green leaves, and plants
Grass clippings

Though the general rule is 4:1, brown to green, the real key is balance! Try for a good variety of items, and do not add too much of one thing. This gives a good balance of carbon and nitrogen contributors, which makes for effective composted soil for your garden. I always add a bit of topsoil to a new batch of compost to get it started.

DO NOT ADD pet droppings, meat, fish, chicken, dairy products, cooking oils, or non living items like plastics. Your pile will smell, attract pests, not decompose properly, and make lousy compost that could harm your plants.
How to care for your compost:

You need to make sure that your compost stays moist, but not wet. Think wet sponge instead of dirt soup. If your pile gets too wet, it will smell. If it gets to dry, it will take much, much longer to break down. I usually water mine once a week.

You will also need to keep your compost aerated (meaning, make sure it gets a lot of air). Once or twice a week, rotate your drum. This will provide the oxygen necessary for the composting process.

While your compost is breaking down, the compost will be warm. While it is composting, the temperature should be about 160 degrees farenhieght. Once it cools and you cannot identify any of the original materials, it is ready to use. If you keep the bin moist, break up larger pieces before putting them in the bin, and turn it regularly, you should have completed compost in 4-6 weeks (after you stop adding to it!).

Hope that helps!

whats really good for getting rid of fruit flies around compost?

admin — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:44:11 +0000

recently we got a new compost bin in the garden which is also near the kitchen and my bedroom. the fruit flies just go everywhere. its very annoying. any tips?

combionation of different items:

1) Gnat-sized parasitic wasps that feed upon and breed within developing (pupal) stages of manure breeding flies.

2) compostmanagement. Removing compost from stalls and surrounding areas on a regular basis will help eliminate flies. repairing leaking water and keeping food storage dry will also help eliminate pesky flies! For enhanced manure management use EM-1 Microbial Inoculant

3) Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented worms that occur naturally in soil throughout the world. Once released, the nematodes seek out fly maggots and other subterranean pests, enter through body openings and emit a toxin that kills pests within 48 hours

4) adult fly control:

Solar Fly Trap
This long-lasting aluminum trap works like a powerful magnet that captures adult pest flies within a 200 ft. radius. With proper maintenance can be used for many seasons. Comes with 1 packet of bait, which is enough for approximately 5 weeks. Our #1 Selling Fly Trap!

Insect-A-Peel System
Kills Flies, Mosquitoes and Most Garden Pests! Use in barn areas, fields, gardens, and greenhouses. Exposes 300 sq. inches of sticky trapping surface that captures up to 25,000 pest insects every 3-7 days. Effective in a 2,500 sq.ft. area and lasts 20-25 weeks when advanced once weekly.

Holistic Fly Guard
A safe and effective insect repellent for horses, livestock and pets. Holistic Fly Guard is a long lasting herbal blend of nature's finest botanicals that repel insects. This non-staining formula will leave no oily residue. It may be used on animals inside the barn, in stall areas or outdoors.

Will garden mint grow in a growbag compost?

admin — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:16:20 +0000

I want to transplant some mint out into the garden from a pot, as it can be invasive was thinking of putting it in a large ceramic kitchen sink and filling it will grownbag compost. Will it thrive in this?

Even planted in a sink sunk into the ground it may 'escape' and invade your garen. Keep a close watch for runners nipping over the top. You will probably need to keep it watered even if we have a wet summer.

I wouldn't even bother with growbag compost mint will grow in any old soil/soil-compost mixture in shade or sun. It will die back in winter though in all but the most very mildest areas of the UK.

Things I can put in a compost pile?

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:42:09 +0000

I have a compost bucket in my backyard that I throw kitchen refuse into and then give to the local Co-op. Is it alright to put wheat pasta in the compost? I made some Anne's macaroni and cheese, but just ended up cooking it for too long and never added the cheese. The pasta was whole wheat shells.

No meat…it attracts rodents and other nasty creatures. The same for grease!

All other items you listed are fine, just cover them well.

I also tend to stay away from high acid leaves and walnut leaves. Poison ivy is also a no-no if your cleaning the yard.

Cover your compost well and if you want to speed the compost pile up into breaking down faster add comfrey leaves or yarrow leaves. Denise
http://thegardenersrake.com

Incoming search terms for the article:

Can worms be added to my compost to speed up the decaying proc?

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:27:24 +0000

I am new to composting and am hoping to speed up the process by using worms. I have a 62 gal tumbler that mainly contains horse manure and maybe 1 lb of kitchen scraps…how many worms (how many pounds) do I need for effective composting? Also, can I keep adding kitchen scraps to the bin or do I need to wait until the compost is complete and start over?

new horse manure will kill your worms ,you need to break it down a bit before adding worms. add some garden soil to your compost and it contains larval worms they will grow when conditions are right.