What is Compost?

[Stefan Antwarg]

Maybe I am just an idiot, but I have no idea what compost is, or why I should have it, or how to do it? I have read some references here about people composting their sawdust and shavings and I have been wondering what to do with mine.

Stefan

[Rob Russell]

Compost is what that pile of firewood becomes when you let it sit, uncovered, for about 10 years. ;) You know, that unburnable pile of matter that's basically dirt.

Composting is the process where organic materials are broken down by bactieria and help by small critters (worms, larvae, etc.) from the sticks, leaves, grass (or lettuce leaves, orange peels, whatever organic stuff you have from your sink) into "dirt". The compost is actually very rich in nutrients and is great in gardens. Sawdust is that much closer to compost because it's physically broken up into fine particles already

[Doug Jones]

1. a mixture; compound
2. a mixture of decomposing vegetable refuse, manure,etc. for fertilizing and conditioning soil


basicly its any matter from that will decompose to enrich the soil. Grass clippings table waste (not meat) leaves, straw, wood chips, NOT WALNUT.

[Tyler Howell]

Stephan,

Lots of stuff from the kitchen, coffee grounds, tea bags in the bag. All veggie, fruit scraps, peals, egg shells, ashes from the fireplace. Individual sheets of news paper. No meats bones etc. will attract vermin. Occasionally kitchen silverware (not recommended).:rolleyes:
Layer it in between your garden scraps and leaves, grass clippings.
Domestic animal droppings are not recommended because of the residual vaccination meds and meat bye products in their diets
I through in a little 10-10-10 fertilizer every now and then to perk up the brew.

Most weed seeds will lay dormant so choose your destination. Needs to be turned over every now and then and it needs some water to do its thing. Black tarps or containers will speed up the process

[Jim Becker]

Dr. SWMBO and I have been composting since we moved to the property back in 1999. We compost anything we can and that includes kitchen waste (ALL non-meat products), leaves and other organic matter run through the shredder, paper waste from our office shreders, material from cleaning our bird cages, chipped/shredded landscaping clippings and sawdust/chips from my shop. We do this in a free-standing pile and turn it with either a shovel/pitchfork or the loader on our tractor. During the winter months, we use a smaller plastic "fence" system to allow composting kitchen waste a little closer to the house and just move that material to the larger pile from time to time when the weather allows for it.

As others spoke about, composting breaks these organic materials down into a very rich, dark soil-like stuff through bacterial and microbiotic action with a little help from things like worms. "Progress" is measured with a long, sturdy thermometer and the pile(s) can get very hot...we've measured well above 150º from time to time. That heat really is enough to render most seeds to the point that they will not germinate, although there are some things that are pretty sturdy.

We use our compost to fortify our raised bed garden where we grow vegatables and herbs for use in our kitchen...things that are best cut fresh right before a meal.
One interesting thing we've found...for some reason, cranberries don't seem to break down like other things. They must have such a high acid content that they discourage the little beasties from doing their work or something!

[Carl Eyman]

A guy waving a red flag with a hammer and sickle on it.

[Jason Roehl]

One interesting thing we've found...for some reason, cranberries don't seem to break down like other things. They must have such a high acid content that they discourage the little beasties from doing their work or something!
Not too surprising, considering cranberries are an excellent homeopathic remedy for urinary tract infections. I've known of many people whose infections made it through rounds (months, even years) of antibiotic treatment, only to be wiped out quickly by cranberries or their juice (not the sugary store stuff, either).

[Jim Becker]

That's very true, Jason. I had forgot about this!