Composting

[Matt2584]

Hi folks,

I hope people here compost.

Composting is so so important to the planet and most people don’t realise that.

Humans take and take and take from the planet but do very little to give back, this is one of the reasons why our planet is dying.

At home, we do tons of composting and I’m not talking about fruit and veg peels only, we also add what comes from our bodies too. Finger/toenails, hair (above and below. Or in other words collar and cuffs :D). Skin, if you were to successfully tan yourself. Poo as well, humanure is what some folk call it.

Now some folk have made comments about the PH of the soil but our motto is “sod that, you still get lovely soil”. And the worms love it too.

But aside from what comes off of us we also have a cardboard shredder and I mail order certain items online quite a bit too. So when a package turns up I open it, take out item, remove stickers and tape from box, rip up the box into smaller pieces and toss it into a pile until it all mounts up.

I’m surprised at the unnecessary amount of plastic used though, especially when their is a plastic crisis.

Anyway, when we have a stack of cardboard boxes (and used loo rolls) then I usually have the pleasure to shred all the cardboard and that was my job this morning :).

So all that shredded up cardboard can now be used as mulch and provide food for the plants :).

[Zest]

Composting is a great thing, Matt2584 - you sound like you've been busy doing all that cardboard shredding. I hope you're enjoying your afternoon.

Zest

[Matt2584 in reply to Zest]

Yes, composting is brilliant. Not only does it help the garden grow but also no need to go out and buy store bought compost/fertiliser.

The more worms you have in the soil, the better and softer the soil.

No need for buying extra gardening tools as well

[Matt2584 in reply to Zest]

And I am enjoying my afternoon as well.

I was tanning myself in the garden while watching nature.

I had my lunch (Home made smoothy).

And now I am thinking about adding to my art :).

Hope you are enjoying the afternoon as well :).

[Nugger in reply to Matt2584]

Hope you got sunscreen on, sat in the dermatologist at the moment, waiting for number 8 skin cancer taking off my back, 6 left to go !

[Matt2584 in reply to Nugger]

Sorry to hear about the skin cancers nugger :(.

But no, I do not put on sunscreen. Sunscreen has bad chemicals in it and some reads will tell you that sunscreen likely gives you skin cancer.

I normally put on aloe vera either during my tanning session or put it on as an after sun.

Much safer for you.

But anyhow, think of the people who live in hot countries like peru who are out in the sun all day.

[Nugger in reply to Matt2584]

Only basal cell, nothing serious, I’m a yorkshire guy that worked down the mines from 15-40 & only sun I saw was on Holliday & I think this is what does the harm, no sun then 2 weeks of strong sun unlike the native people that have built up a resistance over thousands of years.

Way too much sun here in Florida, hide from it as much as possible now!

[Matt2584 in reply to Nugger]

Ah I see. Yes that probably sounds about right, spending years in little light setting and then spending 2 weeks of strong sun.

So I guess now you are in Florida you are a bit like a vampire :).

[andyswarbs]

Since I have a small allotment plot and no garden at home composting has always been a challenge. That said last night I placed an order for a hot bin composter, so hopefully the future is a lot of hot good compost!

[Nugger]

Don’t doo the poo composting but do save anything I can from making meals & this goes into. Seperate bin that I then dig into the garden, I also shred as much as I can & that too goes in the garden.

The so called soul here is white sand, so needs all the help it can get.

We actually live in north Florida, in the woods on 10 acres & before you can get power put on you have to be inspected to prove you have a working sceptic system, my wife was the inspector lol & I used to say all the time, why can’t people just have a composting toilet!

Now if your living in suburbia, that’s a different matter but not here.

[Matt2584 in reply to Nugger]

A composting toilet makes so much more sense.

Homes should not be made via plumbing system (referring toilet).

We should all be able to do our business straight onto the earth and cover it up with something carbon-based, sawdust will do, to cover the smell.

I don’t actually do the humanure either but I do like the idea of it greatly.

[Penel]

We compost food waste. Composting human waste is risky business and requires a compost system that produces a high temperature and maintains the temperature long enough to kill bacteria and pathogens.

[Matt2584 in reply to Penel]

As I was saying in the post about human waste, I was told about the PH of the soil before and so on and we say “sod it” because our garden still grows beautifully and the worms love it.

Same with bacteria and pathogens.

There might be bacteria and pathogens in the soil because of the human waste, there might not be but the main point is, our garden loves it and that’s all that matters.

Very glad to hear that you compost as well though

[PurpleAlf]

We have a compost toilet and a hot bin. Because my husband eats meat, we have been told not to use it on allotment veggie beds, but we do put it on the flowers and trees. We also compost literally everything too!

[Matt2584 in reply to PurpleAlf]

Glad to hear you do a lot of composting and I like the name too, PurpleAlf, purple is my favourite colour :).