Greasemonkey's Compost Pile

[MustangStudFarm]

I probably missed that most important pic, the poo..

 

[greasemonkeymann]

The alfalfa that I bought during the winter months was VERY stemmy. I might wait until the grass starts growing before I buy more, maybe it will have more plant material and less stem. The rabbits usually eat more alfalfa hay than their pellets, but not this time, it was not even green... Here is my alfalfa shredders!!!
View attachment 3638438 View attachment 3638439 View attachment 3638440 View attachment 3638442

yea... like a bag of oldschool mexi-brick-weed

 

[shaft09]

Mustang,

I have some of that already. This morning I went to Lowes to pick up a horsetail plant. I pass by the Red Lobster coming and going back home. I was laughing to myself thinking about my post yesterday about dumpster diving. Sure, I could buy it, but if I can get all I want for free just by asking a question, that's even better, lol.I would have stopped by this morning, but they were closed, lol.

It's pretty easy to do, as I've made it before. I bought two used Oster blenders off eBay just for the purpose of mixing up shit and not having to hear my wife bitch about it, lol. And they were really cheap. Need the one with with the ice crush feature, as they are more powerful. Bust the shells up a little bit and grind them up, just try not to do too much at one time.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Mustang,

I have some of that already. This morning I went to Lowes to pick up a horsetail plant. I pass by the Red Lobster coming and going back home. I was laughing to myself thinking about my post yesterday about dumpster diving. Sure, I could buy it, but if I can get all I want for free just by asking a question, that's even better, lol.I would have stopped by this morning, but they were closed, lol.

It's pretty easy to do, as I've made it before. I bought two used Oster blenders off eBay just for the purpose of mixing up shit and not having to hear my wife bitch about it, lol. And they were really cheap. Need the one with with the ice crush feature, as they are more powerful. Bust the shells up a little bit and grind them up, just try not to do too much at one time.

I have fairly good luck with coffee grinders man
probably better than a blender?

 

[shaft09]

grease,

I have some bought alfalfa meal on hand. But buying the bale yesterday means I have all I will need for at least a year. And I was talking to my neighbor yesterday about getting his leaves this. He was trying to change a tire with a little baby jack, so i took my heavy duty floor jack down to him to make the job safer and easier. A mechanic so I have tools from 1/8 up to 3/4 drive. Told him I needed it for my compost pile and he said come get all you want. he has two big ass trees in the back yard.He just runs over it with the mower, so i can get it pre chopped, lol.

My wife thinks I'm crazy. She'll say " honey why don't you go buy some". I'll say "fuck that I can make it myself"! But I've been crazy for 30 years and she hasn't left yet, lol. I like doing shit by myself. I bought some lava rock from Lowes about a month ago. $3.77 for 1/2 a cu ft. Got 4 of them. Couple weeks later out walking my dogs in the desert, I find a big pile of lava rock. Take the dogs home, grab 2 five gallon buckets and my screen and load up, lol. wanted to get more but it started to rain and I didn't want to get the 02 stuck, so I took what I had. I find all kinds of shit just out walking the dogs!

Went out Sunday and it is still there, so I can get more, lol.And it's free! Me and my Yorkie were in the back yard after I got back from Lowes and I ground up two quart mason jars of alfalfa, lol. took all of about ten minutes! Then I shredded some leaves just to see if it would work. Works just fine. It's not work it's fun!

Bought 13 seed packs this morning, then ordered comfrey, nettle,yarrow, and borage seeds also. So I'm getting there! All in or all out, just the way I do things, lol.

 

[shaft09]

Blender works great! You just have to tip it to the side. And I see jackalope rabbit shit in the desert all the time, dried and fresh. Need to get me a smaller screen!

 

[MustangStudFarm]

Blender works great! You just have to tip it to the side. And I see jackalope rabbit shit in the desert all the time, dried and fresh. Need to get me a smaller screen!

I found a guy on Craigslist that was just GIVING away his rabbit manure, bagged and ready to go! There might be someone like that around where you live also.

 

[shaft09]

Found my own this morning. Was dry so chopped up in blender and jarred it. Next time I feed the worms I'll hydrate it and see how they like it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[GrowUrOwnDank]

I started a lazy mans compost bucket last fall right at the end of the mowing season. First ever. Just studied up on what you dudes are doing and thanks for sharing the knowledge! @greasemonkeymann I started with grass clippings, shredded paper, broken twigs, leaf material from some outdoor plants, fallen tree leaves, coffee grounds, left over fruit and veggies. I can't remember everything. But, all natural except for the paper. And a small amount of ash from the wood stove here and there.

So I went out and turned my compost this morning. Scooped out about a half gallon to use. Man I was shocked! It was the first time I have turned it in a couple of weeks. I had recently thrown some orange n banana peels, apple cores, several really old cans of green beans, carrots, sweet peas and the chopped up stems, rootballs and leaf material from 3 indoor house plants. I save coffee ground always and had quite a bit to add this morning along with some more trim leaves. I drink a lot of coffee.

I was shocked. There was no sign of any of the material I had added. Even no sight of the orange peels. It had all been completely broken down and the compost is rich and black. As I was turning I discovered a small worm. Like a fiddle or red worm. Bet there are more. I did not add any worms. Figure they crawled up through a hole in the bottom of the bucket. And there were a couple of rogue seedlings I turned into it as well. There are a few holes to allow rain water in the top. Also, I've poured piss in it before based on @ttystikk advice. Hope he wasn't trolling me.

Anyway thanks dudes for all the knowledge. Loving this organic way! I may soon become a full on convert back to soil and to the organic way for the first time! I used to do hempy bucket and enjoyed that method as well. Note I have only added left over natural natural amendments and have not purchased anything to get this going. And it's been cold, a lot of freezing temps all winter still, the composting worked.

Will be using much of this compost in a couple of outdoor veggie plants I plan to grow soon motivated by @Gary Goodson 's veggie garden thread. May start that project this week actually. Plan to mix some gently used(bout a month) Amazon Bloom and Happy Frog soil left over from some indoor plants that got culled. And mix in some compost. It's grass mowing season so I should have plenty of material to keep my bucket going with fresh material. Always have a never ending supply of coffee grounds and piss too. lol. I hope to eventually move up to like a garbage can size compost bin.

<uhoh> Just killed a little brown spider that was crawling on my neck from piddling around in the shed and back yard. Brown Recluse? lol. Hope not. I hate those sneaky little basterds. Spiders.

Just thought I would share from a total noobs perspective how easy this really is on a small scale anyway. Happy composting.

 

[shaft09]

Good job!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I found a guy on Craigslist that was just GIVING away his rabbit manure, bagged and ready to go! There might be someone like that around where you live also.

man, I always tell people you can do a budget grow from craigslist beginning to end for SO cheap.
hell you could make your soil virtually for free, minus the aeration.
grass clippings, leaves, manures, etc.
all that shit is trash to others
"one mans garbage...."

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I started a lazy mans compost bucket last fall right at the end of the mowing season. First ever. Just studied up on what you dudes are doing and thanks for sharing the knowledge! @greasemonkeymann I started with grass clippings, shredded paper, broken twigs, leaf material from some outdoor plants, fallen tree leaves, coffee grounds, left over fruit and veggies. I can't remember everything. But, all natural except for the paper. And a small amount of ash from the wood stove here and there.

So I went out and turned my compost this morning. Scooped out about a half gallon to use. Man I was shocked! It was the first time I have turned it in a couple of weeks. I had recently thrown some orange n banana peels, apple cores, several really old cans of green beans, carrots, sweet peas and the chopped up stems, rootballs and leaf material from 3 indoor house plants. I save coffee ground always and had quite a bit to add this morning along with some more trim leaves. I drink a lot of coffee.

I was shocked. There was no sign of any of the material I had added. Even no sight of the orange peels. It had all been completely broken down and the compost is rich and black. As I was turning I discovered a small worm. Like a fiddle or red worm. Bet there are more. I did not add any worms. Figure they crawled up through a hole in the bottom of the bucket. And there were a couple of rogue seedlings I turned into it as well. There are a few holes to allow rain water in the top. Also, I've poured piss in it before based on @ttystikk advice. Hope he wasn't trolling me.

Anyway thanks dudes for all the knowledge. Loving this organic way! I may soon become a full on convert back to soil and to the organic way for the first time! I used to do hempy bucket and enjoyed that method as well. Note I have only added left over natural natural amendments and have not purchased anything to get this going. And it's been cold, a lot of freezing temps all winter still, the composting worked.

Will be using much of this compost in a couple of outdoor veggie plants I plan to grow soon motivated by @Gary Goodson 's veggie garden thread. May start that project this week actually. Plan to mix some gently used(bout a month) Amazon Bloom and Happy Frog soil left over from some indoor plants that got culled. And mix in some compost. It's grass mowing season so I should have plenty of material to keep my bucket going with fresh material. Always have a never ending supply of coffee grounds and piss too. lol. I hope to eventually move up to like a garbage can size compost bin.

<uhoh> Just killed a little brown spider that was crawling on my neck from piddling around in the shed and back yard. Brown Recluse? lol. Hope not. I hate those sneaky little basterds. Spiders.

Just thought I would share from a total noobs perspective how easy this really is on a small scale anyway. Happy composting.

Hey, you got a good start to making good soil. 1/3 soil, 1/3 compost, 1/3 aeration. You can find your amendments and mix your soil and compost together and let is sit for a few weeks. It is that easy!!! It has been a game changer for me, I used to try the hempy buckets and I could not keep the yellow fade away that started around week 4-6. With an organic soil, you just need to add a top-dressing of compost/worm castings to keep the curling leaves at bay. You will need to learn to not use stuff like your MaxiBloom, it KILLS the microbiology and the microbes are what "corrects" the soil...

 

[MustangStudFarm]

man, I always tell people you can do a budget grow from craigslist beginning to end for SO cheap.
hell you could make your soil virtually for free, minus the aeration.
grass clippings, leaves, manures, etc.
all that shit is trash to others
"one mans garbage...."

I have been meaning to ask you about my old soil. I have about 250gal that I have zero faith in. I am sure that it is the stuff that a cat kept crapping in! Do I compost it?

 

[Joe Blows Trees]

Compost for the win! I'm on a break now from raking the yard. Gotta lot more to go, but hard work pays off!

Thanks again for sharing GMM!

 

[GrowUrOwnDank]

Hey, you got a good start to making good soil. 1/3 soil, 1/3 compost, 1/3 aeration. You can find your amendments and mix your soil and compost together and let is sit for a few weeks. It is that easy!!! It has been a game changer for me, I used to try the hempy buckets and I could not keep the yellow fade away that started around week 4-6. With an organic soil, you just need to add a top-dressing of compost/worm castings to keep the curling leaves at bay. You will need to learn to not use stuff like your MaxiBloom, it KILLS the microbiology and the microbes are what "corrects" the soil...

Thanks man and you're right. I was up super early this AM and actually mixed up some MB. I let it sit and the lights went off. lol. I been wanting to top dress so I went out to check the compost and dig me some good out to do that "top dress" it needs some food. The voila! I was pleasantly surprised at the progress. Yeah. We going organic as of now. I'm a feed all these leftovers to my trees out doors. I have so many bottles of that stuff. Might try to find me some manure on CL too! I ain't never really grown anything till. Like the lasts 6 years or so. Now I'm thinking about some veggies too!

Edit: the gently used soil I will use already has a ton of perlite in it. And I have a lot more from years of hempy buckets.

Thanks guys. Awesome info!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I have been meaning to ask you about my old soil. I have about 250gal that I have zero faith in. I am sure that it is the stuff that a cat kept crapping in! Do I compost it?

sure you could.
What i'd do is plant a fuck-ton of legumes on the soil, those will "renew" the soil
then in the autumn i'd cut em all down, and bury them back into the soil.
After that the soil should be good to use again.
Also cutting that soil half with compost will do it too.
may need to add more aeration, but I would def renew that soil, it's not hard
Maybe get a couple big half winebarrels to age/renew them in, I think those things hold about 60 gals
course your cats will go and shit in them again.. especially if it smells like their shit to begin with
those bastards..

 

[MustangStudFarm]

course your cats will go and shit in them again.. especially if it smells like their shit to begin with
those bastards..

The door on my garage is in bad shape and the cat was going underneath it! I invested in containers that had secure lids.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

The door on my garage is in bad shape and the cat was going underneath it! I invested in containers that had secure lids.
View attachment 3643789

yea but I was saying to have em outside with legumes in them
so you'd need to cage them with chicken wire

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I feel silly that I had to google legumes!... I put a couple of bags of dried beans into my worm bin last week, and they started sprouting like crazy!


Right, I gotcha about being outdoor.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

yea but I was saying to have em outside with legumes in them
so you'd need to cage them with chicken wire

Hey, I got my comfrey seeds in the mail. I also have a ton of spare smartpots. Could they handle some of this soil? The soil is probably not too bad, but I am not going to grow pot in it... I will do the legumes regardless.