Although, pet waste can be composted, it takes careful monitoring to make sure the bin is over 140 degrees for 14 days to kill all the bacteria, intestinal parasites and pathogens. Also, the bin must be turned regularly to insure the cooler outside edges are moved to the hot center of the bin. The intense [...]
Posts Tagged ‘“Rotline” Question of the Week’
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Can I compost pet waste?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline", "Rotline" Question of the Week, cat poop, compost bins, Composting, dog poop, pet waste on November 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Rotline Question of the Week: Should I compost my grass clippings?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, compost, compost bins, Composting, environment, grass, grass clippings, grasscycling, Master Composters, natural fertilizers, soil amendments on August 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Grass clippings can definitely be added to your compost pile. Grass is a “green”, or nitrogen source. One caveat of adding grass to your pile, however, is that it has a high water content which can cause it to pack down and get slimy in your pile. This can be avoided by adding grass in [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: Where should I position my compost bin?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, How to, tagged "Rotline", "Rotline" Question of the Week, bins, compost, compost bin location, compost bins, compost insects, Composting, Heat, home composting, moisture, sustainability, vermicompost, vermicomposting, water, water conservation, where should I put my compost bin?, worm bin, worm bins, worms on June 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
There are several things to keep in mind when setting up your composting station: Sun or shade? A worm bin is best placed in the shade. The worms will not fare well in hot temperatures or during a deluge of water during a rainstorm. By placing them in the shade, they will be more protected [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: Aerators? What are those for?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, aerators, anaerobic compost, compost, compost aeration, compost microbes, Composting, composting accessories, decomposition, gardening, home composting, smelly compost, soil amendments, Solana Center, turning bins, water on June 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Too lazy to turn your compost bin? Is your bin not easily turned? Does your compost bin smell yucky? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a compost aerator could be the right tool for you! Aeration (or the addition of air) is a very important ingredient in your compost pile. The microbes [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: How do I figure out the C:N ratio in my compost pile?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, browns, browns to greens, C:N ratio, compost, compost calculator, compost mix calculator, compost recipe, Composting, food scraps, greens, home composting, nitrogen, soil amendments, water on April 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The ideal Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (“browns” to “greens”) in a compost pile is somewhere between 25:1 and 30:1, depending on who you talk to and what you are planting. Some composters take the more laissez-faire approach, throwing in whatever they have when they have it, letting the C:N ratio be whatever it is going [...]
Rotline question of the week: You can compost that?!
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, compost, compost ashes, compost bins, compost corks, compost cotton, compost dryer lint, compost feathers, compost finger nails, compost hair, compost napkins, compost nut shells, compost pencil shavings, compost seaweed, compost toothpicks, compost vacuum, Composting, Solana Center, weird things to compost on April 1, 2010 | 1 Comment »
The microbes in a compost pile are truly amazing – they can break down almost anything made of natural products. There are many items that people throw away not realizing that instead, they could throw them into their compost pile. Below is a list of things one usually does not think to compost! dryer lint [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: What is a tumbler? How does it work?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, aeration, bins, central axis tumblers, compost demonstration site, Composting, crank tumbler, pros and cons of tumblers, rolled tumbler, san diego composting, spinning tumbler, tumbler reviews, tumblers on March 12, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Tumblers are a style of composting bin that is manually flipped, spun, rolled or crank-turned for aeration, depending on the style. These types of bins do not require turning with a pitchfork, instead, the whole compost bin is turned for aeration. The Solana Center has four different styles of tumblers at our compost demonstration site. [...]
Rotline Question of the week: Can I add frozen food to a worm bin?
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, Composting, food scraps, frozen fruit in worm bin, fruit scraps, moisture, mushy food, red wigglers, thaw, vegetables, vermicomposting, water, worm bin, worms on February 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
If you just made a fruit salad or cut up a large watermelon, you may have more material than can be fit into a worm bin at one time. It’s very convenient to stow this food in the freezer until the worms are hungry again, but will the worms eat this food after it has [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: All this rain has made my bin too wet!
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, anaerobic, bins, browns, compost, compost bin wetness, Composting, home composting, moisture, nitrogen, rain, red wigglers, straw, vermicomposting, water, worm bins, worm tea, worms on January 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Bin wetness from rain is usually a non-issue in San Diego County but recently, with the extreme rain that has fallen on our lovely County, outdoor compost bins are probably on the soggy side. Remember, optimum bin dampness is comparable to that of a wrung out sponge so if your bin is dripping, it is [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: What kinds of paper can be composted?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, carbon, compost, compost bin, gardening, greens and browns, moisture, paper, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, sustainability, waste reduction on December 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Paper provides a carbon source for your compost bin. Many kinds of paper can be added to your compost bin, even those with colored ink. The secret to using paper successfully is to shred or chop it and then moisten it before adding it to your bin. It is also helpful to alternate layers of [...]
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