I used a tablespoon of molasses added to a gallon of water and use that to moisten my compost. The compost microbes seem to love that sweetness and make compost faster!!
I ground up all my kitchen scraps in the blender before putting them in the compost. It breaks down easier, in my opinion. I have also been adding cow manure and throw in any centipedes or millipedes I find around the garden. I haven't been putting eggshells in though. I save all of my eggshells, bake them for a few minutes and throw them in the nutri-bullet to make a powder. I then mix in with my garden and potting soil as an amendment. Thank you for this video. I didn't realize that I could use my dryer lint in my compost. How cool. lol
Hi from the UK ,,,love your videos and have learnt so much, so a big thank you for that. I love to make my own compost and have been successful in the past but it would take a fair while and a lot of turning , but this year I was amazed at how fast it composted when I added a simple accelorator. I mixed 500ml coca cola with 500ml light beer and 250ml of household ammonia , after mixing well I then added 100ml of the mixture into a 2 gall watering can and applied it to to the compost, I was impressed with the results, try it regards Richie
In my yard I always end up with more browns than greens, so I buy a bag of alfalfa cubes from Tractor Supply and soak about 10-15 cubes in water for 24 hours before I turn my compost. I add in the alfalfa as I turn the pile into the second bin to try to distribute it evenly throughout. Works great!
My neighbors think I’m crazy when they see me raking up and bagging their dead leaves and pine needles. Leaves and turf grass clippings and a starter shot of 46-0-0 (urea) and a little water and instant compost! Good stuff! I use a two bin system where I store finished compost in one bin while the other one is actively composing. I really like your video. Very good information. Thanks!
void main {void} Good point. I can’t source fresh manure easily where I’m located. I guess I could go out and pee on the compost pile. The neighbors would for sure think I was crazy! Seriously the 50 lb bag of urea lasts me at least two years. I use about 8 oz every time I charge the pile.
@@farmerbob4554 you can store your urine in bottles then put the stuff on your pile in batches , but it's up to you and your goals ! For me it's to minimize pollution and have a great compost in the end ! Personally, in large production context of compost I do will consider Urea as nitrogen source . Nature have more than one way to achieve a task it's the matter of context, I guess so . Have fun first!
@@erector5953 I pee directly on my compost pile but it's in my yard behind a high brick fence so nobody can see me. I also use cow and horse manure since I can find it around here all the time. My wife thinks I'm crazy ;)
I used to do the same thing then I found out about www.chipdrop.com. frequently arborists don't have some place close by to dump the wood chips from taking down a tree. I've gotten 3 20 cubic yards in the past 1 1/2 years. What a Godsend.
Great vid. The biggest issue with composting is people overcomplicate it. Just shoot for more brown than green. I dont have any space currently. So I use 5 gallon buckets with an upside down T made of 1/2" pvc. Shredded mail, cardboard, etc go in, kitchen scraps on top of that. I keep them in the garage and once a week, i give them a little hand mix and a few breaths pushing oxygen into the air pocket created by the browns, along with a sprinkle of water. With about a mixing bowl of greens in each bucket, you can keep adding browns as it breaks down because the greens take longer to do so and more browns is always better. I can wrap a bucket of compost in six weeks this way, somewhat depending on the size of the greens that went in. Dont overwater. Dont do too much green at once. But if it goes stinky, paaaaack another bucket with browns, dump the goo on top, put a lid on, and the aerobic bacteria will be back in charge within days, return to normal process. Cut back on greens, water less. Otherwise, it doesnt stink. The missus and I put out enough green waste where i keep six buckets going at a time with plenty of greens still going in the trash when we're lazy.
I’ve been doing this for about 10 years: in my 4x4x 2 compost pile, I dig a5 gallon hole. I place a 5 gallon bucket in the hole, bottom removed. With the lid on, to discourage critters. When the bucket is full I remove the lid, dig a new hole and dump the contents on top of the bucket. Then pull the bucket out and put it in the new hole. Works like a champ
I agree with everything you said. The most important part is to just do it. I have a tumbler that I received 2nd hand for free and it keeps the yard tidy. I've bought straw but picking up a couple of bags of leaves in the neighborhood in the fall does the trick. Most of my compost is non-meat food scraps. We have very little trash left for garbage day.
Wow... you actually take a lot more care of your compost than I do... I think I turn it maybe once a year? Maybe less?... I also don’t break down anything before throwing it onto the pile and never cared much about what went into it as long as it was organic, disease free and not dog or cat poop...still get great compost though which goes to show how easy it is to do! As you said nature is used to composting by itself. One thing I did that really sped things up a lot was putting some sugary water on it once (was doing some arts and crafts with my nephews sugar-water painting and had lots left over) and the insects and bacteria absolutely LOVED IT. Another thing I also saw make a difference was the worms I bought once. They reproduced like crazy and the composting was done in no time! Thank you for this video, now I’ve got my motivation back I’m going to go turn my compost heap! ;)
I use an electric drill with the long bit my husband uses to stir paint, it only take five minutes to pull the core of the compost up and put air into the pile.
Tysvm for this idea. My husband and I are both disabled. So, neither one can effectively flip the compost. I am looking forward to trying this. Tools we have, lol.
Was driving home from Florida to Ohio, and listened to your videos for hours…”binge listening”? If that is a terminology? Made the drive much easier. Thanks for all the work you have put in to each of the videos.
If you put a compost pile on bare ground one thing you might have to think about is roots from surrounding trees or shrubs. They love compost and will grow the roots into it, thereby taking the nutrients out of it. That shouldn't be too much of a problem if you can make compost in a few weeks or turn it periodically. But if you let it sit for a long time you might find roots have taken over.
Thanks for all these great tips, you can also add organic fertilizer to compost to add npk so it can break down and be plant ready when you need it. I converted mine into a great apartment style compost where I put all compost material in a walmart tub with lid & shake it once a day, then take off lid and replace with a blanket so it can breathe 😁🥬🌲🌹💯
I feel crazy when I see videos of people like, "just throw some leaves on there!" "It's easy to keep it damp, make sure it's not TOO damp!" because SoCal is such a different environment (than the majority of th U.S., seems like) to compost in. Thanks for the tips!
I have a very large German Shepherd mix that sheds a lot. After brushing him I will put a handful of fur in my compost. I was told this will keep rodents away and so far it has worked.
I lived for a while in an urban commune in Eugen, OR and we collect discarded fruits and vegetables from organic markets and organic restaurants. Those were great sources of green matter.
Great advice I've been wanting to compost sometime now I'm just concerned with unwanted creatures. Love the background and your shirt great message Make your own path.
Good morning I am watching your really good advices for gardening I love doing all that kind of stuff and always is nice to learn from others new tips love your videos
Thank you for your video. I use a 5 gallon bucket to collect kitchen scraps (no raw egg shells, because that is protein) and close the lid. The smell also do not stink as much. Every time I add some scraps, I close the lid tight and turn the bucket over a couple of times to blend the existing scraps. I do NOT add any water. The moisture of the scraps is enough. When the bucket is full or I have to turn the heap (every 1 or 2 weeks) then I add the scraps in layers between the existing heap that I am turning.
I changed the water in my hydroponic set ups and decided to poor that water into my makeshift tumbler. When I tell you that stuff got HOT! It has cooled down since but the temperatures spiked and really got cooking. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but it’s something I’ll be experimenting with from here on out. *Note* I don’t completely change my hydroponic tanks that often so. It will likely be weeks before the next tank dump which is good. Gives the first one a good amount of time to cook thoroughly.
I can get compost in 2 wks by getting enough material to fill 40 inch by 40 inch pile. Of layered green and brown I like you don't sweat over exactly the ratio. But I turn the pile every 3rd day that way my pile doesn't dry out because i spray it down as turn it. Just don't add to much. Hope that helps . Don't be lazy. Good exercise.
I found Jobe's ORGANICS Compost Starter Microbe Additive at HomeDepot and it works well. Also, I live in a very cool dry area and in fall like now, when I add needed water and turn, both often kill the 'cooking' that was going on. So this additive is great , also I've found out it's best to turn and water in the early morning on a sunny day, the natural heat and energy from the sun speeds up the cooking process, and when I did it in the evening, it never really started back up, and took a very long time in the spring to thaw out, as the moisture stayed in the compost and froze instead of cooking
I have the same problem with keeping it moist. Solved it by having them not too far from my raised beds and just running another pipe from dripline to it with several lines just suspended over the heap. So I don't even have to go over anymore, every time I run the drip-system it will automatically 'water' the compost as well.
It may not be that pretty, but to make compost I use a cubic-yard, 200-gallon lawn waste bag aka White Outdoor Polypropylene Construction debris tote. It's tough as nails, breathes quite well, drains water and, mostly, it's easy to turn the contents just by pulling over one side and then another. Turning compost with a fork is good exercise, but I got tired of forking around with piles. :) Just checked and one is about $20 at a home improvement store.
I haven't used any of the compost expediting products. But putting in a bit of mycorizzhae fertilizer seems to get the process going and keep it continuous.
Very helpful details for compost! 2:00 brown see description text 3:00 Fall season 4:37 ratio or 50:50 6:27 oxygen 8:35 container mass, turn or mix In Las Vegas Nevada it's dry so I was surprised my coffee grounds had mold growing. Perhaps a bit much moisture. Paper from mail: will shredded paper be okay, I'll try it? Or is it better brown paper instead of white bleached paper?
Another excellent video Brian!! I purchased a bulk 15 yards this year for my new raised beds. But already I have next year's compost getting to work. - Rick
Great info. Look at a Charles Dowding video on compost. I might have spelled his name incorrectly. He has a roof over his compost bins. Try a roof.?. I’m now trying to compost for the first time. Nice video. Thank you.
I don't do ratios for my compost. I dump what I have when I have it. I make it in an old 2 1/2 ft. by 5 ft. galvanized water trough.. My compost is the most earthy smelling, beautifully dark, fine and fluffy compost EVER!. My son calls it Mom's Gold.
Have you ever watched how to with doc and how he uses a product called dirt booster and a pack of an mix that makes the white fungi that’s in the compost? He mixes the dirt booster which is Humichar , ground corn, molasses with black cow compost then mixes this fungi pack dissolved in water sprays it at each level, and makes a mound then covers it. It heats up to 120 to 130. He then turns it a couple times to get air in it and you have this compost ready in 48 hours. He just puts it around his plants and doesn’t use fertilizers at all. It’s interesting but seems like a very pricey way to feed your plants as the dirt booster is like 40 bucks. I’m not sure how often he puts it on the plants during the growing season but if he has to do it multipolar times it would add up! I find it very interesting.
I love your videos. I've been composting for years and love the results. Have you ever put coffee grounds directly onto certain plants root systems? I've seen pros and cons.
Thank you! This is very helpful. Just started our compost bin about 3 weeks ago. Learning a lot but still a bit nervous to get it "just right" I have to learn to let nature do is thing as long as can help it along. Question: since I started this in May, will I be able to get any of it to help my plants this year? Do you keep adding in the winter time? I live in Wisconsin where the winters can be brutal. What would you suggest for very cold, snowy weather?
Hi Lissette, I’m a beginner gardener and not an expert, but based on the hundreds of gardening videos I have watched, you should have compost in 60 days, as long as you turn it every few days, add brown/green ingredients regularly and water it, too, just as Doug says. So hopefully by now (August) you are able to harvest some compost. I am composting in a 5 gallon bucket and it has taken about 7-8 weeks for me to see the lack good at the bottom. It was amazing and so gratifying! To your other question, yes you should compost during winter. The decomposition process will create heat. As long as you cover your compost bin with an old carpet or a heavy lid, it should be ok. I am on the east coast and we have very cold days but not as much snow in the past few years. So I am planning to maintain my compost bin through the winter months. Good luck!!
Thank you for the compost video. I love ALL your videos. Now that my container garden is planted I am ready to work on composting. In your video you did not talk about where you can put your open compost area...I would love to put mine in front of my house on the opposite side of my container garden. Do you see anything wrong with that? I would mainly be composing; cardboard boxes, wood pellet ash, coffee grounds, veggie scraps (no onion), fruit scraps, egg shells and lawn/garden clippings. When I composted these items in 5 gallon buckets (not recommended) it wasn’t very smelly so that isn’t really a concern of mine. What are your thoughts? I hope you and your family are well and keep up the great work you do 💙💙💙
Roto tiller .. chicken bedding.. grass clippings .. leaves.. scraps from kitchen.. slam that with the tillernevery other week.. full sun area.. grow that fire every year... any buddy who catches fish toss them babys right in... they compost quick and will bring that extra gas faxtor to the mix
This might be a silly question but how do I know when it’s ready to use? I’m thinking about composting this year and have so many questions but you did answer most if them so thank you very much 🥰.
I empty by compost pile in the spring before I can plant. The stuff on top is still big pieces. When i get down to the part that looks like dirt, I move it to my garden. When I get to the bottom, I replace the large clumpy stuff and start a new pile.
Brian, I’ve been composing for me third year. I like your approach by keeping it simple, most people try to overthink it and give up. I save coffee grounds at work ,about 3/4 gallon a week. Is there a hazard to using to much coffee grounds? Thanks in advance!
I've been told that worms don't like coffee. Those same sources told me that the easiest way to fix that is with lots of carbon. I don't have a regular source of leaves, but I never run out of paper I bought a cheap paper shredder.specifically for composting. It's a lot easier and faster than tearing up paper by hand. The shreds also break down a lot faster.
Buying an under capacity shredder was a big mistake, and keep using it is even bigger one because they tend to have motors that readily overload and short circuit.
Hi there, I think this video is really great. I make my own compost and use the same materials that you do, tho I add a lot of horse manure. Thanks for giving these tips. Cheers Deb 😀 from NZ
Hi, while I usually love your videos, this one seems confusing & long-winded. I used to have a compost heap. I used 4 T posts and chicken wire. There was no internet or UA-cam then. I didn't know about paper products. I used leaves, grass clippings (I don't allow weeds in my lawn), kitchen scraps, and at end of season, the tomato plants and other gdn clippings. None of that ratio stuff. About once a year, I'd turn it. I'd fork it onto a piece of contractor screen laid over a wheel barrow. The stuff on top went onto a new pile, stuff in wheel barrow was my compost. I loved to see it steaming. I only grow tomatoes, so it got to be too much compost for my needs. Now I'm 75, recovering from illnesses,& I'm back to gardening & composting. Now I'm watching gardening videos on UA-cam, and all the channels I watch make composting sound so HARD. It's not. Simple. No dairy, meats, citrus, weeds. If you don't ever touch it, it reduces to compost all by itself in about 2 years.
Great point about composting on the ground due to bacteria, enzymes and worms making their way up. That's the implication for your raised beds on concrete? Aren't you missing out there, or are you "seeding" your beds with worms, etc?
Great information as always! I like the straw bale idea. Dryer lint never occurred to me. Have you heard of throwing pet hair in there? I'm a little reluctant to turn my compost this time of year. Well over a year ago I ordered one of those 2-chamber plastic compost bins on amazon just for our kitchen scraps and yard waste. I turned it religiously at first, until I started finding these big larvae in and around it. After doing some research I found they are Black Soldier Fly larvae, and confirmed by finding several mother soldier flies. Now they are basically my pets. They devour everything I throw in there in less than a day when it's hot, and the byproduct is very similar to worm castings. I also started collecting the tea that drips from the bottom. Half of my container garden this year came from volunteers inside the bin, so I think it is extremely rich. They are definitely worth having in compost, especially the ones that don't come in contact with the ground.
2 Easy Steps to Making Great Compost and fertilize plants simultaneously. Dig a hole and fill most of it with what you would use in a compost. Fill up the hole with garden soil, and plant in it.
Great video, as always. Have you ever tried to create a worm farm? It seems to me a much easier and faster system than conventional composting. It would be interesting, if you feel like creating a video on this topic. Best regards.
I have a wormfarm, mostly for the kitchen scraps since my compostheaps are a good way away. But though the 'wormpost' they create is indeed an excellent quality it is hardly enough for serious use. It's nice if you have some plants, but for a garden with (raised) beds one needs a lot more than what that little wormfarm produces. I guess you could scale up, but basically that's not much different from what your regular composting does.
I agree with rj, I've had wormfarms in my past as well and yes they make amazing compost. But it's alot of work and worms can be finnicky about moisture etc for the little bit they produce unless you want a large system. I think the better way of doing it is the way he puts it. Make your compost heaps your worm farms by having it open to the ground. You can even seed your compost bins with worm eggs or just plain worms if you want to (make sure the worms are native to where you live). I do this in my garden as well every fall I'll make a 'winter worm hotel' in my garden which consists of fall pumpkins, all the summer spent plant clippings, leaves, a whole lot of coffee grounds, and some straw hay bales. The hay bales and pumpkin's are always being mass discarded at the end of Halloween/thanksgiving and you can always grab alot. Make a big heap in your garden, you'll get TONS of worms in there by spring then rake it out as mulch for the summer. Normally the heap heats up enough that you'll be good for no volunteer pumpkins but if u do get a few just weed them or keep them in for some really good pumpkins for next year.
There is a great concentrated liquid fertilizer that you mix with water made from seaweed. I add this to my pile once it twice a week depending on rain. You can water and and green too your pile regularly.
What if you are just starting a garden. Is it okay to get a few pick up truck loads of municipalities compost made from tree trimmings along power lines and fallen trees and leaf collections that have been combined and made by the city into compost and leaf mulch? Or is it better to start your garden soil with other amenities from a garden center?
I am raising ducklings & use hay & shredded newspaper for bedding. Instead of throwing the used bedding out when I clean their bin, can I compost the hay & newspaper???
I cant remember where I saw this, but take a PVC pipe and drill a bunch of holes in it and stick it in the middle of your pile and surround your pile so the pipe sticks up about a foot or so out of your compost pile after about 24 hours gently pull the pipe out so it doesnt cave in. I don't like to leave my pipe in too long so chemicals dont leach into my pile. PVC is what I have, you may come up with something else, but I'd stay away from galvanized This way more air can get throughout your pile. I think its 6" to a foot from the pipe can now get air more air and cook your pile better. 🤠
Great info as always, Brian. We started composting last summer. We live on 4 1/4 acres in NC so there's a lot of privacy. When we were outside my husband would always go over and pee on the compost pile (he called it "working on the compost"). He passed away last October so I'm going to have to pass on his method and use yours. ;o).
Good video. One thing composter is way overused by home gardeners, 10% max total organics no more, to reduce disease, and produce higher yield overall. This figure, actually 9% is the recommendation of Agriculture and food. Do you want to grow overpopulated microbes or more tomatoes?
Don't use meat or cheese. The animals are visiting your yard whether you compost or not. The only ones that will cause problems are the ones digging for the meat.
I use a 40-gallon plastic trash can that I drilled a bunch of 3/4" holes into, including the bottom. One advantage of it is that I can move my pile any time I turn it..
Just getting started composting. Anyone of you with experience can answer this prob. In creating my compost areas today, does it matter whether it’s in full sun or shade? Which would be the most beneficial? I would think full sun would speed the process. Thanks for your responses
The only problem with full sun is that it will dry out much faster. You will just have to water it more often. The benefit of full sun is that it will also heat up faster.
I get a lot of those brown card board egg cartons - is there any chemical on there I should be concerned with?- I never thought to add that! Thank you!.
My latest approach is getting sawdust from a local woodworker (I offered to buy it but he said that he just throws it away so he lets me have it for free). Sawdust is super high in carbon so it'll pretty much guarantee a good compost experience. I throw in all of our kitchen scraps, except meat and dairy of course. I also pee in it all the time. Urine is high in nitrogen and contains phosphorous but it can harm plants if you pee on them directly so I put it in my compost (that also means less flushing, which is good for the environment). I have it all set up in a simple heap on shipping plastic on my concrete patio. Even on the plastic, it's full of worms and millipedes and spiders too. My next plan is to make a net so I can keep it upright and take up less space as well as to help make turning a little easier.
1. Take your waste to the chickens 2 mix it with Wood chips in the pen 3 let your chickens poop on it and make it heat up 4. Sift it and put it in the garden Repeat
Hi, I have a question can we put all salad plants together in one planter- arugula , romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuse? Secondly, for raised kitchen garden- can we put at the bottom freshly purned boxwood leaves and red leaf lace stems. Please advise. Regards 🙏🙏🙏
Does a compost pile need sunlight? My property is totally shady (except in winter when the leaves are gone). Does compost only "cook in the summer months? Im in Indiana Zone 6A.
I am in Illinois 6a/b as well! I would assume that it can cook all year long. I've seen other's videos of steam coming off the pile with snow on the ground. How is yours doing?
I’m just starting and I got some pallets to make it in on the ground. You said the worms will find it and come from all around. Well if it gets cookin like it is suppose to then what happens to the worms? Also can I use my grass clippings if the yard is not organic?
New gardener here. I’ve started a compost pile in a bin. I have the ingredients covered with hessian. There are “things” growing in there, looks like anaemic sprouts. Is this normal?
i am sweating. It is a big deal. I feel discouraged. I live in on a highrise, so i make do with a wide pot to make my compost. I have a lot of soil in it, so basically burying kitchen scraps into it. But i fear that there's nematodes in the compost. Now i had use that compost in my new veggie container and I notice root rot on some of my young seedlings and i saw a nematode wriggling around as I pulled out the plant. Can you advise about how can we make compost that wont have bugs or nematodes that will be harmful to our gardening? Because I feel that would defeat the whole purpose.
I used a tablespoon of molasses added to a gallon of water and use that to moisten my compost. The compost microbes seem to love that sweetness and make compost faster!!
I’ve watched about 10 videos on compost and this is hands down the cleanest and most organized. Touched ALL the bases. Thanks man.
I ground up all my kitchen scraps in the blender before putting them in the compost. It breaks down easier, in my opinion. I have also been adding cow manure and throw in any centipedes or millipedes I find around the garden. I haven't been putting eggshells in though. I save all of my eggshells, bake them for a few minutes and throw them in the nutri-bullet to make a powder. I then mix in with my garden and potting soil as an amendment. Thank you for this video. I didn't realize that I could use my dryer lint in my compost. How cool. lol
Hi from the UK ,,,love your videos and have learnt so much, so a big thank you for that. I love to make my own compost and have been successful in the past but it would take a fair while and a lot of turning , but this year I was amazed at how fast it composted when I added a simple accelorator. I mixed 500ml coca cola with 500ml light beer and 250ml of household ammonia , after mixing well I then added 100ml of the mixture into a 2 gall watering can and applied it to to the compost, I was impressed with the results, try it regards Richie
In my yard I always end up with more browns than greens, so I buy a bag of alfalfa cubes from Tractor Supply and soak about 10-15 cubes in water for 24 hours before I turn my compost. I add in the alfalfa as I turn the pile into the second bin to try to distribute it evenly throughout. Works great!
My neighbors think I’m crazy when they see me raking up and bagging their dead leaves and pine needles. Leaves and turf grass clippings and a starter shot of 46-0-0 (urea) and a little water and instant compost! Good stuff! I use a two bin system where I store finished compost in one bin while the other one is actively composing. I really like your video. Very good information. Thanks!
Consider Manures or Urine as nitrogen sources it works to and it's more environmental friendly !
void main {void} Good point. I can’t source fresh manure easily where I’m located. I guess I could go out and pee on the compost pile. The neighbors would for sure think I was crazy! Seriously the 50 lb bag of urea lasts me at least two years. I use about 8 oz every time I charge the pile.
@@farmerbob4554 you can store your urine in bottles then put the stuff on your pile in batches , but it's up to you and your goals ! For me it's to minimize pollution and have a great compost in the end ! Personally, in large production context of compost I do will consider Urea as nitrogen source .
Nature have more than one way to achieve a task it's the matter of context, I guess so .
Have fun first!
@@erector5953 I pee directly on my compost pile but it's in my yard behind a high brick fence so nobody can see me. I also use cow and horse manure since I can find it around here all the time. My wife thinks I'm crazy ;)
I used to do the same thing then I found out about www.chipdrop.com. frequently arborists don't have some place close by to dump the wood chips from taking down a tree. I've gotten 3 20 cubic yards in the past 1 1/2 years. What a Godsend.
Great vid. The biggest issue with composting is people overcomplicate it. Just shoot for more brown than green. I dont have any space currently. So I use 5 gallon buckets with an upside down T made of 1/2" pvc. Shredded mail, cardboard, etc go in, kitchen scraps on top of that. I keep them in the garage and once a week, i give them a little hand mix and a few breaths pushing oxygen into the air pocket created by the browns, along with a sprinkle of water. With about a mixing bowl of greens in each bucket, you can keep adding browns as it breaks down because the greens take longer to do so and more browns is always better. I can wrap a bucket of compost in six weeks this way, somewhat depending on the size of the greens that went in. Dont overwater. Dont do too much green at once. But if it goes stinky, paaaaack another bucket with browns, dump the goo on top, put a lid on, and the aerobic bacteria will be back in charge within days, return to normal process. Cut back on greens, water less. Otherwise, it doesnt stink. The missus and I put out enough green waste where i keep six buckets going at a time with plenty of greens still going in the trash when we're lazy.
I’ve been doing this for about 10 years: in my 4x4x 2 compost pile, I dig a5 gallon hole. I place a 5 gallon bucket in the hole, bottom removed. With the lid on, to discourage critters. When the bucket is full I remove the lid, dig a new hole and dump the contents on top of the bucket. Then pull the bucket out and put it in the new hole. Works like a champ
I agree with everything you said. The most important part is to just do it.
I have a tumbler that I received 2nd hand for free and it keeps the yard tidy.
I've bought straw but picking up a couple of bags of leaves in the neighborhood in the fall does the trick. Most of my compost is non-meat food scraps. We have very little trash left for garbage day.
Wow... you actually take a lot more care of your compost than I do... I think I turn it maybe once a year? Maybe less?... I also don’t break down anything before throwing it onto the pile and never cared much about what went into it as long as it was organic, disease free and not dog or cat poop...still get great compost though which goes to show how easy it is to do! As you said nature is used to composting by itself. One thing I did that really sped things up a lot was putting some sugary water on it once (was doing some arts and crafts with my nephews sugar-water painting and had lots left over) and the insects and bacteria absolutely LOVED IT. Another thing I also saw make a difference was the worms I bought once. They reproduced like crazy and the composting was done in no time! Thank you for this video, now I’ve got my motivation back I’m going to go turn my compost heap! ;)
I use an electric drill with the long bit my husband uses to stir paint, it only take five minutes to pull the core of the compost up and put air into the pile.
Great tip!
Tysvm for this idea. My husband and I are both disabled. So, neither one can effectively flip the compost. I am looking forward to trying this. Tools we have, lol.
Was driving home from Florida to Ohio, and listened to your videos for hours…”binge listening”? If that is a terminology? Made the drive much easier. Thanks for all the work you have put in to each of the videos.
If you put a compost pile on bare ground one thing you might have to think about is roots from surrounding trees or shrubs. They love compost and will grow the roots into it, thereby taking the nutrients out of it. That shouldn't be too much of a problem if you can make compost in a few weeks or turn it periodically. But if you let it sit for a long time you might find roots have taken over.
Happened to me :(
Happened to me too:(
Yes this is happening to our pile
Thanks for all these great tips, you can also add organic fertilizer to compost to add npk so it can break down and be plant ready when you need it. I converted mine into a great apartment style compost where I put all compost material in a walmart tub with lid & shake it once a day, then take off lid and replace with a blanket so it can breathe 😁🥬🌲🌹💯
I feel crazy when I see videos of people like, "just throw some leaves on there!" "It's easy to keep it damp, make sure it's not TOO damp!" because SoCal is such a different environment (than the majority of th U.S., seems like) to compost in. Thanks for the tips!
Just looked at my compost bin today and now thanks to your video I know it’s to dry - thanks! Fiona N Ireland
I have a very large German Shepherd mix that sheds a lot. After brushing him I will put a handful of fur in my compost. I was told this will keep rodents away and so far it has worked.
Interesting!
I lived for a while in an urban commune in Eugen, OR and we collect discarded fruits and vegetables from organic markets and organic restaurants. Those were great sources of green matter.
Great advice I've been wanting to compost sometime now I'm just concerned with unwanted creatures. Love the background and your shirt great message Make your own path.
Good morning I am watching your really good advices for gardening I love doing all that kind of stuff and always is nice to learn from others new tips love your videos
Thank you for your video. I use a 5 gallon bucket to collect kitchen scraps (no raw egg shells, because that is protein) and close the lid. The smell also do not stink as much. Every time I add some scraps, I close the lid tight and turn the bucket over a couple of times to blend the existing scraps. I do NOT add any water. The moisture of the scraps is enough. When the bucket is full or I have to turn the heap (every 1 or 2 weeks) then I add the scraps in layers between the existing heap that I am turning.
Thanks for the tip. How do you know when it’s ready to use?
I changed the water in my hydroponic set ups and decided to poor that water into my makeshift tumbler. When I tell you that stuff got HOT! It has cooled down since but the temperatures spiked and really got cooking. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but it’s something I’ll be experimenting with from here on out.
*Note* I don’t completely change my hydroponic tanks that often so. It will likely be weeks before the next tank dump which is good. Gives the first one a good amount of time to cook thoroughly.
Thanks! I definitely need more brown, and I’m happy I can use my dryer lint, for starters!
Animal hair also works very well. That includes human hair.
When you use saw dust just be sure it isn't from pressure treated wood. The chemicals will transfer into your soil.
Great advices about how to make compost my friend Brian... greetings from Mexico😉
I can get compost in 2 wks by getting enough material to fill 40 inch by 40 inch pile. Of layered green and brown I like you don't sweat over exactly the ratio. But I turn the pile every 3rd day that way my pile doesn't dry out because i spray it down as turn it. Just don't add to much. Hope that helps . Don't be lazy. Good exercise.
Great advice!
Thanks for the video. I was really intimidated by compost. Now I'll give it a try.
I found Jobe's ORGANICS Compost Starter Microbe Additive at HomeDepot and it works well. Also, I live in a very cool dry area and in fall like now, when I add needed water and turn, both often kill the 'cooking' that was going on. So this additive is great , also I've found out it's best to turn and water in the early morning on a sunny day, the natural heat and energy from the sun speeds up the cooking process, and when I did it in the evening, it never really started back up, and took a very long time in the spring to thaw out, as the moisture stayed in the compost and froze instead of cooking
I have the same problem with keeping it moist. Solved it by having them not too far from my raised beds and just running another pipe from dripline to it with several lines just suspended over the heap. So I don't even have to go over anymore, every time I run the drip-system it will automatically 'water' the compost as well.
Love you videos. I was told years ago bail of old hay will break down better/faster than straw.
Great compost material list and tutorial! Thanks!!
It may not be that pretty, but to make compost I use a cubic-yard, 200-gallon lawn waste bag aka White Outdoor Polypropylene Construction debris tote. It's tough as nails, breathes quite well, drains water and, mostly, it's easy to turn the contents just by pulling over one side and then another. Turning compost with a fork is good exercise, but I got tired of forking around with piles. :) Just checked and one is about $20 at a home improvement store.
I haven't used any of the compost expediting products. But putting in a bit of mycorizzhae fertilizer seems to get the process going and keep it continuous.
Very helpful details for compost!
2:00 brown see description text
3:00 Fall season 4:37 ratio or 50:50
6:27 oxygen 8:35 container mass, turn or mix
In Las Vegas Nevada it's dry so I was surprised my coffee grounds had mold growing. Perhaps a bit much moisture. Paper from mail: will shredded paper be okay, I'll try it? Or is it better brown paper instead of white bleached paper?
I have a small garden 2 raise beds and a couple of bucket, so I do my compose in my raise bed over the winter ..
Another excellent video Brian!! I purchased a bulk 15 yards this year for my new raised beds. But already I have next year's compost getting to work. - Rick
Gotta think ahead when it comes to compost right?
Great info. Look at a Charles Dowding video on compost. I might have spelled his name incorrectly. He has a roof over his compost bins. Try a roof.?. I’m now trying to compost for the first time. Nice video. Thank you.
Thank you! Yes I love Charles😃
I don't do ratios for my compost. I dump what I have when I have it. I make it in an old 2 1/2 ft. by 5 ft. galvanized water trough.. My compost is the most earthy smelling, beautifully dark, fine and fluffy compost EVER!. My son calls it Mom's Gold.
Have you ever watched how to with doc and how he uses a product called dirt booster and a pack of an mix that makes the white fungi that’s in the compost? He mixes the dirt booster which is Humichar , ground corn, molasses with black cow compost then mixes this fungi pack dissolved in water sprays it at each level, and makes a mound then covers it. It heats up to 120 to 130. He then turns it a couple times to get air in it and you have this compost ready in 48 hours. He just puts it around his plants and doesn’t use fertilizers at all. It’s interesting but seems like a very pricey way to feed your plants as the dirt booster is like 40 bucks. I’m not sure how often he puts it on the plants during the growing season but if he has to do it multipolar times it would add up! I find it very interesting.
I love your videos. I've been composting for years and love the results. Have you ever put coffee grounds directly onto certain plants root systems? I've seen pros and cons.
Greetings from Ontario, canada. Love the vids!
thanks for making this easy
Thanks so much. Very good information! God bless.👩🌾
Thank you! This is very helpful. Just started our compost bin about 3 weeks ago. Learning a lot but still a bit nervous to get it "just right"
I have to learn to let nature do is thing as long as can help it along.
Question: since I started this in May, will I be able to get any of it to help my plants this year? Do you keep adding in the winter time? I live in Wisconsin where the winters can be brutal. What would you suggest for very cold, snowy weather?
Hi Lissette, I’m a beginner gardener and not an expert, but based on the hundreds of gardening videos I have watched, you should have compost in 60 days, as long as you turn it every few days, add brown/green ingredients regularly and water it, too, just as Doug says.
So hopefully by now (August) you are able to harvest some compost. I am composting in a 5 gallon bucket and it has taken about 7-8 weeks for me to see the lack good at the bottom. It was amazing and so gratifying!
To your other question, yes you should compost during winter. The decomposition process will create heat. As long as you cover your compost bin with an old carpet or a heavy lid, it should be ok. I am on the east coast and we have very cold days but not as much snow in the past few years. So I am planning to maintain my compost bin through the winter months.
Good luck!!
Thank you for the compost video. I love ALL your videos. Now that my container garden is planted I am ready to work on composting. In your video you did not talk about where you can put your open compost area...I would love to put mine in front of my house on the opposite side of my container garden. Do you see anything wrong with that? I would mainly be composing; cardboard boxes, wood pellet ash, coffee grounds, veggie scraps (no onion), fruit scraps, egg shells and lawn/garden clippings. When I composted these items in 5 gallon buckets (not recommended) it wasn’t very smelly so that isn’t really a concern of mine. What are your thoughts? I hope you and your family are well and keep up the great work you do 💙💙💙
If you follow the instructions in the video, you should be able to put your bin anywhere
Roto tiller .. chicken bedding.. grass clippings .. leaves.. scraps from kitchen.. slam that with the tillernevery other week.. full sun area.. grow that fire every year... any buddy who catches fish toss them babys right in... they compost quick and will bring that extra gas faxtor to the mix
This might be a silly question but how do I know when it’s ready to use? I’m thinking about composting this year and have so many questions but you did answer most if them so thank you very much 🥰.
I empty by compost pile in the spring before I can plant. The stuff on top is still big pieces. When i get down to the part that looks like dirt, I move it to my garden. When I get to the bottom, I replace the large clumpy stuff and start a new pile.
I love all your videos!
Brian, I’ve been composing for me third year. I like your approach by keeping it simple, most people try to overthink it and give up. I save coffee grounds at work ,about 3/4 gallon a week. Is there a hazard to using to much coffee grounds? Thanks in advance!
I've been told that worms don't like coffee. Those same sources told me that the easiest way to fix that is with lots of carbon. I don't have a regular source of leaves, but I never run out of paper I bought a cheap paper shredder.specifically for composting. It's a lot easier and faster than tearing up paper by hand. The shreds also break down a lot faster.
Buying an under capacity shredder was a big mistake, and keep using it is even bigger one because they tend to have motors that readily overload and short circuit.
Adding water left from steaming vegetables is one way I keep my compost moist and it adds back the nutrients lost during steaming.
Great idea, thanks!
Hi there, I think this video is really great. I make my own compost and use the same materials that you do, tho I add a lot of horse manure. Thanks for giving these tips. Cheers Deb 😀 from NZ
Make sure that horse manure is well rotted or you will have a lot of weed seeds in it.
Hi, while I usually love your videos, this one seems confusing & long-winded. I used to have a compost heap. I used 4 T posts and chicken wire. There was no internet or UA-cam then. I didn't know about paper products. I used leaves, grass clippings (I don't allow weeds in my lawn), kitchen scraps, and at end of season, the tomato plants and other gdn clippings. None of that ratio stuff. About once a year, I'd turn it. I'd fork it onto a piece of contractor screen laid over a wheel barrow. The stuff on top went onto a new pile, stuff in wheel barrow was my compost. I loved to see it steaming. I only grow tomatoes, so it got to be too much compost for my needs. Now I'm 75, recovering from illnesses,& I'm back to gardening & composting. Now I'm watching gardening videos on UA-cam, and all the channels I watch make composting sound so HARD. It's not. Simple. No dairy, meats, citrus, weeds. If you don't ever touch it, it reduces to compost all by itself in about 2 years.
Great point about composting on the ground due to bacteria, enzymes and worms making their way up. That's the implication for your raised beds on concrete? Aren't you missing out there, or are you "seeding" your beds with worms, etc?
The best thing I have found for speeding up the process is spent brewing grain. Its a green that breaks down fast ans is teaming with microbial life.
Great information as always! I like the straw bale idea. Dryer lint never occurred to me. Have you heard of throwing pet hair in there?
I'm a little reluctant to turn my compost this time of year. Well over a year ago I ordered one of those 2-chamber plastic compost bins on amazon just for our kitchen scraps and yard waste. I turned it religiously at first, until I started finding these big larvae in and around it. After doing some research I found they are Black Soldier Fly larvae, and confirmed by finding several mother soldier flies. Now they are basically my pets. They devour everything I throw in there in less than a day when it's hot, and the byproduct is very similar to worm castings. I also started collecting the tea that drips from the bottom. Half of my container garden this year came from volunteers inside the bin, so I think it is extremely rich. They are definitely worth having in compost, especially the ones that don't come in contact with the ground.
Great video(s) and thanks for them!
2 Easy Steps to Making Great Compost and fertilize plants simultaneously. Dig a hole and fill most of it with what you would use in a compost. Fill up the hole with garden soil, and plant in it.
This is trenches composting ! The easyhest and oldest technic to do that !
Great video, as always.
Have you ever tried to create a worm farm?
It seems to me a much easier and faster system than conventional composting.
It would be interesting, if you feel like creating a video on this topic.
Best regards.
I have thought about it several times but so many people I've talked to say you don't get the amount that's worth the time and effort.
I have a wormfarm, mostly for the kitchen scraps since my compostheaps are a good way away. But though the 'wormpost' they create is indeed an excellent quality it is hardly enough for serious use. It's nice if you have some plants, but for a garden with (raised) beds one needs a lot more than what that little wormfarm produces. I guess you could scale up, but basically that's not much different from what your regular composting does.
I agree with rj, I've had wormfarms in my past as well and yes they make amazing compost. But it's alot of work and worms can be finnicky about moisture etc for the little bit they produce unless you want a large system. I think the better way of doing it is the way he puts it. Make your compost heaps your worm farms by having it open to the ground. You can even seed your compost bins with worm eggs or just plain worms if you want to (make sure the worms are native to where you live). I do this in my garden as well every fall I'll make a 'winter worm hotel' in my garden which consists of fall pumpkins, all the summer spent plant clippings, leaves, a whole lot of coffee grounds, and some straw hay bales. The hay bales and pumpkin's are always being mass discarded at the end of Halloween/thanksgiving and you can always grab alot. Make a big heap in your garden, you'll get TONS of worms in there by spring then rake it out as mulch for the summer. Normally the heap heats up enough that you'll be good for no volunteer pumpkins but if u do get a few just weed them or keep them in for some really good pumpkins for next year.
There is a great concentrated liquid fertilizer that you mix with water made from seaweed. I add this to my pile once it twice a week depending on rain. You can water and and green too your pile regularly.
Awesome video
Great information thank you. One question, does it mater where the compost pile is light wise? Should it be sunny, shady or a mix of both?
What if you are just starting a garden. Is it okay to get a few pick up truck loads of municipalities compost made from tree trimmings along power lines and fallen trees and leaf collections that have been combined and made by the city into compost and leaf mulch? Or is it better to start your garden soil with other amenities from a garden center?
Great video, ty!
I do make compost, though I’ve been curious about trench composting. Have you tried this?
I am raising ducklings & use hay & shredded newspaper for bedding. Instead of throwing the used bedding out when I clean their bin, can I compost the hay & newspaper???
Thanks for the list!
I cant remember where I saw this, but take a PVC pipe and drill a bunch of holes in it and stick it in the middle of your pile and surround your pile so the pipe sticks up about a foot or so out of your compost pile after about 24 hours gently pull the pipe out so it doesnt cave in. I don't like to leave my pipe in too long so chemicals dont leach into my pile. PVC is what I have, you may come up with something else, but I'd stay away from galvanized This way more air can get throughout your pile. I think its 6" to a foot from the pipe can now get air more air and cook your pile better. 🤠
Great info as always, Brian. We started composting last summer. We live on 4 1/4 acres in NC so there's a lot of privacy. When we were outside my husband would always go over and pee on the compost pile (he called it "working on the compost"). He passed away last October so I'm going to have to pass on his method and use yours. ;o).
🤣🤣🤣🤣 no comment🙄
Sorry for your loss Nana!
Sorry for your loss. I have read in several places that urine will speed up composting
Chuck Wills thank you
Nancy Winningham thank you
Thank you.
Use a dehumidifier with a hose outlet attached to a water drum run a hose from water tank to compost for moisture.
Good video. One thing composter is way overused by home gardeners, 10% max total organics no more, to reduce disease, and produce higher yield overall. This figure, actually 9% is the recommendation of Agriculture and food. Do you want to grow overpopulated microbes or more tomatoes?
I reallly want to make a compost pile but am very concerned about the wild life animals it might attract. Thoughts? Just a chance I take?
Don't use meat or cheese. The animals are visiting your yard whether you compost or not. The only ones that will cause problems are the ones digging for the meat.
Have you ever made a video on making potting soil?
Thanks for the video! I now realize that I need to get more oxygen to my pile.
Can you put wheatgrass that grew in cocoa coir in compost pile and is it green or brown
I use a 40-gallon plastic trash can that I drilled a bunch of 3/4" holes into, including the bottom. One advantage of it is that I can move my pile any time I turn it..
Just getting started composting. Anyone of you with experience can answer this prob. In creating my compost areas today, does it matter whether it’s in full sun or shade? Which would be the most beneficial? I would think full sun would speed the process. Thanks for your responses
The only problem with full sun is that it will dry out much faster. You will just have to water it more often. The benefit of full sun is that it will also heat up faster.
I get a lot of those brown card board egg cartons - is there any chemical on there I should be concerned with?- I never thought to add that! Thank you!.
How abut adding compost tea?
My latest approach is getting sawdust from a local woodworker (I offered to buy it but he said that he just throws it away so he lets me have it for free). Sawdust is super high in carbon so it'll pretty much guarantee a good compost experience. I throw in all of our kitchen scraps, except meat and dairy of course. I also pee in it all the time. Urine is high in nitrogen and contains phosphorous but it can harm plants if you pee on them directly so I put it in my compost (that also means less flushing, which is good for the environment). I have it all set up in a simple heap on shipping plastic on my concrete patio. Even on the plastic, it's full of worms and millipedes and spiders too. My next plan is to make a net so I can keep it upright and take up less space as well as to help make turning a little easier.
Look up Drunken compost if you want to supercharge your compost. Very basic and helps.
yeast + warm water and put into composter. Best is the live yeast (not dry(, however it should work.
What’s the best composter you can purchase. I’ve seen some at Homedepot with 2 separate compartments. Thanks 🙏
I recently found out that our tortoises make a great manure.
My dryer lint is more dog hair than anything else, lol. Does that affect it being used for compost?
Nope🙂
1. Take your waste to the chickens
2 mix it with Wood chips in the pen
3 let your chickens poop on it and make it heat up
4. Sift it and put it in the garden
Repeat
Do the pallets for the compost area have to be HT?
lol good job
Is there a concern for the chemicals in ink on paper or boxes, or the chemicals used to produce cardboard remaining in the compost?
Hi, I have a question can we put all salad plants together in one planter- arugula , romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuse?
Secondly, for raised kitchen garden- can we put at the bottom freshly purned boxwood leaves and red leaf lace stems.
Please advise.
Regards 🙏🙏🙏
To speed the compost add alfalfa meal or kitty litter unused litter green works as activator
Does a compost pile need sunlight? My property is totally shady (except in winter when the leaves are gone). Does compost only "cook in the summer months? Im in Indiana Zone 6A.
I am in Illinois 6a/b as well! I would assume that it can cook all year long. I've seen other's videos of steam coming off the pile with snow on the ground. How is yours doing?
you can compost a whole lot of other stuff too if you ferment it first.
I’m just starting and I got some pallets to make it in on the ground. You said the worms will find it and come from all around. Well if it gets cookin like it is suppose to then what happens to the worms? Also can I use my grass clippings if the yard is not organic?
You can use grass clippings. I saw another persons video about the worms. He said the worms will move to the edges of the pile were it is not as hot.
New gardener here. I’ve started a compost pile in a bin. I have the ingredients covered with hessian. There are “things” growing in there, looks like anaemic sprouts. Is this normal?
I can’t believe I failed at making dirt. 😹
Hi, great video! I just subscribed 😊
i am sweating. It is a big deal. I feel discouraged.
I live in on a highrise, so i make do with a wide pot to make my compost.
I have a lot of soil in it, so basically burying kitchen scraps into it.
But i fear that there's nematodes in the compost.
Now i had use that compost in my new veggie container and I notice root rot on some of my young seedlings and i saw a nematode wriggling around as I pulled out the plant.
Can you advise about how can we make compost that wont have bugs or nematodes that will be harmful to our gardening? Because I feel that would defeat the whole purpose.
I wish we could upload pictures to the comments, I have some sort of whiteish worm type creatures in my compost.
The corrugated you use may contain a water barrier coating.
You can use pine needles?? That won’t make it acidic?