Author |
Message |
Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 5:18 pm
My dear husband purchased a composter for me. It's due to arrive Monday. Anyone know if you can put kitty litter in it. I just discovered that you can put newspapers in them. I am very excited about getting this, have wanted one for a long time. I would really appreciate any info anyone can offer on making your own compost. Thanks
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Prisonerno6
Member
08-31-2002
| Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 5:45 pm
I wouldn't put cat litter in; I doubt it would break down properly. You need to shred the newspapers, mix them in very well with the other materials, and you can't use too many off them. In fact, I usually hear about using shredded newspaper to cover mulch, not to put in it. Compost is a combo of "brown, green and wet." Brown is stuff like dead leaves, dirt, and sawdust (non-treated wood only) that provide carbons. Green is your trimmings from your garden or grass clippings which provide nitrogens. Wet is vegetable based kitchen waste (no meat products) and help keep the compost moist (I have a closed bin somewhat like yours and find I need to periodically wet it down). Getting compost is just a matter of putting enough of each in and waiting. The better balance you have, the less time it will take.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 5:53 pm
Compost and kitty litter are no-nos. I've been reading all the compost info on EarthEasy. I do plan on getting a small composter for the Mobile, since you can actually control odors.

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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 6:03 pm
Thanks you guys for the help, I need all of it I can get. Having really good compost will help my raised garden tremendously.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, August 28, 2005 - 7:10 pm
NP, Kristy. You might want to also check out this site: How To Compost. I'm looking at gardening as being one of the positive things I can do to leave a smaller footprint on the Earth.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, August 28, 2005 - 7:30 pm
Speaking of footprints, GreenFeet.com has Home Composting Made Easy for sale for $3.15. They have a lot of goodies I plan on picking up--including a book on natural cleaners, and I can finally replace my key holder that was stolen out of my purse many years ago.

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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Sunday, August 28, 2005 - 8:21 pm
Thanks Lkunkel, I'll check out the sites.
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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 8:40 pm
This morning at 10:00 I locked down the first side of my new composter and started on the other side. This thing is supposed to make compost in 14 days, we'll see. You have to add a chemical you can purchase to it though if you want it to work in 14 days. I also bought two huge bags of fresh potting soil to add to my raised garden and then I planted broccoli, cabbage, 1 tomato, and some collards.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 11:44 am
Yea, Kristy!!!! Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at designing gardens and waiting to hear about tomorrow's closing. I so want pictures and measurements, and while I know I will get the former, I know I won't get the latter. I keep trying to sketch out ideas, and realize that it is ridiculous to do so, since I have no idea as to what the property looks like or even if there is any sort of watering infrastructure. I keep telling myself that patience is a virtue.

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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 5:59 pm
Good luck Lkunkel, and I love the layout of the herb garden.
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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 6:01 pm
Anyone know how many collard plants it takes to make a good sized amount for two people,I have never planted them before.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, September 05, 2005 - 12:12 am
Kristy, according to Watch Your Garden Grow, you want to "Sow the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Thin the seedlings to 6 inches apart, allow them to grow until they begin to touch, then harvest whole plants to give 18 inches between plants. This allows enough space for plants to mature. Thinned plants may be eaten. Allow at least 3 feet between rows because plants become large." I checked "cabbage" in my Square Foot Gardening book, and it said no more than 4 cabbages per person. I think, unless you guys really LOVE collard greens, I think I would start with 2 plants per person, given that last statement from Watch Your Garden Grow. HTH, 
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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Monday, September 05, 2005 - 7:34 am
Thanks Lkunkel, you are such a help to me and I really really appreciate it. I'm learning this gardening thing one step at a time.LOL
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, September 06, 2005 - 3:14 am
Kristy, just remember: baby steps. Do search the web, contact your local cooperative extension (NC Cooperative Extension) for more accurate local info, and, naturally, ask here.
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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 4:30 pm
Got my first dirt from the the composter yesterday, woohoo!! Question, I planted broc, cabbage, and collards in August. The broc has heads about the size if two silver dollars but the cab does not have heads yet just tiny leaves in the middle so far. How long does it take for cabbage to mature? Only two of my six plants of my broc's have heads. Does the weather have any affect? The temp here today was 80 and I know these are cold weather veggies. According to everything I have read they should have matured in about 74 days but mine haven't.
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