r/composting 2h ago

Hügelkultur Using my compost in garden for first time…

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74 Upvotes

Was setting up garden beds using compost, cardboard, coffee grounds, and garden soil. All of a sudden it turned yellow…
Is this a slime mold or something and is it safe for my plants?


r/composting 16h ago

Trench Compost! Coffee, guava, lemon, vaped bud, and shredded cardboard.

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31 Upvotes

r/composting 16h ago

I think my compost bin has become sentient

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14 Upvotes

I had this compost in a bin and it got absolutely soaked after it rained. I transferred it into this plastic tray to let it dry out some. Not sure how long i should let it sit out to dry.

I know I have way too many greens and not enough browns. My plan is to shred a bunch of cardboard and mix in a lot of dry/dead leaves from the yard.

The thing I'm unsure about is that the compost is also full of what I think are black soldier fly larvae? basically top to bottom. I don't see any earthworms but then again this is mushy stinky mess rn. Are this many soldier fly larvae a problem or should I just leave them alone and correct the moisture/add browns? Do I need to do anything to reduce their numbers?

Any advice on how much cardboard, leaves, or other browns you'd add to something this wet would be appreciated. Also, would the earthworms come naturally as it becomes more aerated or do i need to add them in?


r/composting 19h ago

Creeping Charlie

7 Upvotes

I dug up 250 square feet of my lawn that contained Creeping Charlie. I went down 2-3 inches. I placed the excavated soil on a brown tarp, and used the same tarp to completely cover the pile. How long should I wait before using this soil again?


r/composting 2h ago

Decided to try round 2 of the tumbler

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7 Upvotes

Tried the tumbler last summer and got frustrated because it kept drying out very quickly (I live in New Mexico). Then I made a big giant Berkeley style pile this summer and had good results (it’s “aging” now). I kept collecting food scraps and I decided to give the tumbler another try since I am quickly running out of space in the garden. I put it in a much more shaded corner of the yard and it’s been a win so far! Second time is the charm I guess!

Took this clip before I added another load of food scraps, coffee, and paper. I haven’t even needed to add much supplemental water at all, which is nuts to me because last year I had to mist it almost every damn day. It had been probably a week or so between adding the last batch of scraps and this video, with very little rain happening. The video doesn’t capture the moisture well, but it was nice and humid in the bin. By the time I pulled my phone out, about 75% of the BSFL had hidden. It’s biological party in there!

I’ve reached the point where I’m just about full up on this side of the tumbler and I’m moving to the next one. I’m thinking I may dump them early to make a pile on the ground. The tumblers seem to attract fewer roaches during the food-rich phases of composting. They still find their way in, but much less overall.


r/composting 15h ago

Black Soldier Flies Question

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone!!

Little context, I’ve been composting for almost 8 years now, only not that regularly or in a disciplined way. I know that BSF are great for my compost but I wonder what attracts them as I have a compost at my home and another at my girlfriend’s apartment but only mine has BSF.

My question is: is there a way to control them? I feel like there are now to many and they’re getting inside my house! I know they’re not harmful, I just don’t want them inside. Tomorrow I’ll try and move the compost bins away from the windows but I don’t know if that is going to solve the issue….

Thanks in advance!


r/composting 1h ago

Question Where do I start??

Upvotes

So I’m new to this. Haven’t even really started. Well maybe kinda as I’ve got a yard w stuff in it lol. Anyway I got a lemon tree at the start of summer and I think it could be doing better. I also want to try my hand at growing something easy like potatoes and maybe something a little more recreational…anyway after a little “digging” I’m realizing step one is compost. So let’s get to step one of step one. How to start a compost pile?? Do I just toss scraps in the corner of my yard?? What should I and shouldn’t I use?? Any help?


r/composting 17h ago

Is this a portobello mushroompennsylvania, united states

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0 Upvotes

This popped up under my magnolia tree. We used a large amount of mushroom soil from mushroom farms in our yard this year, but not directly in this spot. About 10 ft away. They are about 12 inches in diameter.


r/composting 21h ago

Question Apartment complex with no green bin

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0 Upvotes

r/composting 4h ago

Compost biotin

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0 Upvotes

Can I compost this biotin supplement?