Compost Bin and Seed Starter

Our mini-compost bin continues to work great. We should, by all indications, have a decent amount of compost to use in the Spring. I've also discovered that it serves as a very effective, albeit unintentional, seed starter. Every couple of days when I go out to stir the bin's contents, I find numerous little seedlings. These are obviously growing from discarded tomatoes, peppers, etc. Maybe I should transplant one or two into pots just to see what happens.

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tomato seedling growing in compost bin

Compost Update

Our small, homemade composting bin (see Making Some Dirt ) has been one of those rare things that worked exactly as planned. Over the past few months we've been placing left-over vegetables, plant clippings, leaves, egg shells, some paper, and other various refuse into the bin. Every few days I go out and stir it and add a little water. Vegetables, if cut into small pieces, break down very rapidly. Some become completely unrecognizable in just a little over a week. Other materials, such as paper and plant stems, take quite a bit longer. Also, my worries about the smell it might produce were unfounded. It doesn't put off any offensive odor as long as decomposing vegetables are covered by already composted material. It would be nice to have a larger bin, but it is working fine and fits our limited space.

Compost Bin and Tomato Seedling Update

My mini-compost bin seems to be composting fairly well. I've been keeping it damp and stirring it every few days. As a result, most of the vegetable, leafy, and paper matter seem to be breaking down rather rapidly. Stems and other woody materials are, of course, taking a bit longer to decompose. All in all, I'm very pleased with its performance so far.

a look inside the compost bin

A few days ago I posted that five of the six Black Prince tomato seeds that I harvested and planted had sprouted. The sixth joined the other five shortly after the that update post. They seem to be doing well.

Making Some Dirt

One drawback to container gardening is the requirement of a good potting mix. As anyone who has bought a bag of Miracle Grow mix recently can attest, the stuff just doesn't come cheap. Also, there's the ever present possibility of getting a little something extra in your store-bought soil from who-knows-what chemical fertilizers to pesky plant diseases. If you want the peace of mind that comes from all organic soil...well that costs extra.

So, with all this in mind, I've embarked on a little experiment that will hopefully be good for my wallet, good for my plants, and good for the ecosystem. I am going to begin recycling dead plant matter, leftover vegetables, and other organic material into what should be a rich compost for my future veggies.

I decided to start out small with my experiment and upgrade later on if things work out. So I made a trip to the store and picked up a 64 quart Sterilite container for about $7.00. I chose the clear plastic model because I want the sunlight to get in and heat things up a bit in order to speed the composting process along.

After getting home with my new container, I proceeded to take it out back and drill two rows of 1/4" holes around it spaced about 4 inches apart (both between the holes and between the rows). These holes are intended to provide adequate airflow so the much needed bacteria can grow and do its job breaking down the compost material. Also, I drilled a few holes in the bottom for drainage of excess water. As the compost breaks down, I want to keep it warm and moist, but not soaking wet.

Once I finished drilling all the holes, I placed the compost bin in a spot where it would get a few hours of direct sunlight per day, added some old shredded leaves, stems, dirt, crushed eggshells, outdated veggies, and even a little paper. I then wet the contents down mixed it all thoroughly and placed the lid on top. From this point on, I'll add material as it becomes available, sprinkle in a little water as needed to keep moist, and stir/shake the contents up once a week or so. I'll keep you all updated over the next few weeks to let you know how my dirt is coming along!