Compost news

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Permalink Reply by Gillian on October 21, 2009 at 8:14pm

Oh I just love to use up "free stuff" to make black gold! So glad your compost turned out so well. One thing I get a fair amount of here is seaweed and I find it also makes lovely compost and is good as mulch, although sometimes can attract flies. when you lay the umcomposted grape waste out doesnt it start fermenting and smell?

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Permalink Reply by Jeff St.Clair on October 22, 2009 at 12:29pm

HI Gillian Yeah it's great to get get so much "free stuff" Just the work loading and un loading the truck, but to us it feels like putting money in the bank.
The uncomposted grape waste or "Strafela" as it's called here has been fermented and then put through the still so it just kind of smells like rich fruit cake with a hint of brandy or red wine.
The seaweed we get on our shores takes a long time to compost so we use it as a bedding for the hens, and then put that in the compost bin. best Jeff

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Permalink Reply by Mike Taylor on October 28, 2009 at 9:27pm

What a great resource - and by the ton. I am envious! What we get free and by the truck load are tree trimmings all nicely chipped. I have made friends with a couple of school and city crews who are happy to give me their lawn clippings to compliment the wood chips.

Multiple bins are a good idea since you can digest compost rather quickly and should be able to run several batches a year. Even if all your material arrives at once, smaller batches are easier to turn and produce results faster.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Georg Strafella on November 22, 2009 at 3:36pm

hi jeff, as i suppose you live in crete, do know anything more about the phrase "strafela", is this a usual word in greek?? or is it used just in certain parts of crete?? would be great if you could give me any info about it, thanks, georg

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Permalink Reply by Marian Worley on October 29, 2009 at 10:32am

Hi all,
As a back yarder, my compost ingredients accumulate from my personal gardening, cooking, and catering scraps. But what I have noticed over the past year where I have stepped up the compost production is that
2 large recle bins go to the street monthly
1 - 2 bags of garbage goes to the street weekly
There is a compost bin, 10 feet by 5 feet by 4.5 feet tall about half full of the most wonderful soil
And finally my garden is producing more volume as well as more flavorful produce.
Over all, less money for better production with a smaller contribution to the landfill.
Not bad.

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Permalink Reply by Joel LeGrand on December 14, 2009 at 5:04pm

Hi Jeff,
I use coffee chaff, that a coffee roaster gives away here in S.C.
I am getting sawdust from a local mill & all the leaf matter I want.
But never used grape waste, my brother in law has a 800 acre vineyard & winery.
I've never ask him what he did with the waste from the grapes. I also get burlap bags and 5gallon buckets for free, because they are into recycling as it cost them nothing & saves the landfill fees.
Good for you! Can we see pics?

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