The Fun of Composting

Lactose_B

Member
Before covid struct I finished my first indoor grow. It was fun, a learning experience thru and thru. As a noobie I went the soil route, got a small tent, some fans, a couple burple (L.E.D) lights and was jamming. I had a few hiccups, but overall came out with some quality product. Then covid hit, and ontop of that, I had a house fire. So we were displaced for a year while our house got reconstructed. I was making daily stops to the house, watering the grass and trees. I sold all my equipment but still had stems, fan leaves, and soil left outside. So I did the next best thing, I went to composting.
I started with the leftover soil, my old plants (males and hermi's) and a bottle of fungi used to make carbon monoxide. Got a big container, drilled some holes for air, tossed it all in and forgot about it. A couple months later I open up the container to a mass fungi orgy. It looked like a huge grey cloud on top of the soil. So I mixed up the soil and threw some apples from my tree in there. October came around and I had some pumpkins that I was eager to throw into the pile. Each other day I'd visit my house I'd take a look at the pile to see the micro organisms devouring the food. Shell fish, lobster, shrimp, crab shells have all gone in, and I can't find those shells now. The pumpkins vanished, like it was their favorite treat.
Recently, I put a couple of rotten cantaloupe in there, and as usual everything was ate, except the seeds. I thought, no worries, like all other seeds they'll go away too. Well, after putting my hand into the compost pile, which is nice and warm full of nitrogen, I pull out a plant, then another one, and another one. Then it dawned on me, the seeds sprouted from the warmth and were reaching for sun light. That's when I knew my composting is ready to support life. I will now be adding it to my grow in the upcoming months.
I recommend composting for everyone, it's simple, many guides on the internet, and environmental friendly. As far as I read, the pest that are in mine, black fly larvae, mites that are not the feared spider mites, snails, slugs and some flies, are not too hard to rid. Many are not harmful, and most can be either sunbathed out, or cooked out without killing the micro organisms.
Even if it doesn't work out with my cannabis plants, I have already used the compost in other transplants and those plants seem to have rooted nicely and are looking great.
So the main active ingredient I'd say is the micro organisms themselves. They are everywhere, and you can feed them right away with your unused vegetables or egg shells and some dirt, but, you can also buy them too. I bought ProC02 bucket from amazon for my grow. Once done, I opened and threw the whole jar in the soil. Mind you I had about 6 cubic yards of soil. In some research I read someone saying you can put the old product in dirt, but to do so sparingly. Either way, that product is fungi, or micro organisms that are trapped in a bottle. They seem to love the freedom.
Why compost? Your plants roots have a relationship with the soil that only micro organisms can understand, and composting provides a thriving environment for these tiny critters. Your plants will thank you.
 

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Stukid

Active Member
I have composted for years now, mainly kitchen scraps (no meat, onions or citrus!) and grass clippings with a bag or 2 of leaves! The result is awesome. The rich thick humus odor, just clumping in my hand as I make a fist...I'm so happy! I use this in all my plants, as well as spread it on my lawn.
I keep adding to it, as almost every other day, so I'm never quite sure if 'it's done' or not, but like yours, as I keeping feeding the pile, the stuff all gets consumed and the cycle continues.
Is a compost pile ever "done?!?" :):peace:
 
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