At the time of this release, I’m in Phoenix, Arizona as a keynote speaker at the annual conference of the U.S. Composting Council. Not only is this a great event, but it’s made even better since the focus is one of my favorite subjects – compost, of course. In honor of the event, I felt it would be appropriate to share an encore presentation of a popular compost podcast.
This episode was early on in The joe gardener Show series. Whether you’re new to composting or you’ve composted before and hit a few road bumps, this episode is packed with information to help. After all, composting does not need to be difficult. It’s one of the best things we can do for our garden, and it’s a valuable and easy way to make a positive impact on our environment at large – by reducing waste in our landfills and reducing greenhouse gases.
There is nothing better you can add to your soil than compost. It offers a wide array of benefits for healthy soil and plants.
Does your soil need some improvement? Are your plants not as healthy as they could be? Compost is key to gardening success, so don’t wait to get started making your own.
One more thing – although this podcast provides a lot of great tips and information for composting, I’ve got lots more to share that couldn’t fit within the hour show. For that, check out my Complete Guide to Home Composting e-book. It’s completely free, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written. I hope it helps you this season.
Links & Resources
Episode 013: Backyard Composting – Confessions of an Obsessed Composter with Lee Reich
Episode 016: Composting Guide A to Z: The Quick and Dirty on Everything Compost
Episode 075: Top Questions for Composting at Home: You Asked, Joe Lamp’l Answers
joegardener Video Blog: How to Make a Compost Bin Using Free Shipping Pallets
Growing a Greener World® blog: Killer Compost
The Complete Guide to Home Composting
Milorganite®: Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joe gardener®
0 Responses to “089-Composting Guide A to Z: The Quick and Dirty on Everything Compost – Encore Presentation”
Thanks for such a great podcast! Thursday is the best day of my week because there will be a new Joe Gardener episode!In the Composting PDF, saw dust is listed as a good source of brown material. Are there any concerns around chainsaw saw dust? Does the bar and chain oil residue pose any risks?Thanks!
Hi Jim. Thank you! I love when I hear someone say “Thursday is their new Friday” because of the podcast. So thanks for being one of them.To your question about sawdust from chainsaws, if you really want to play it safe and pure, then leaving the chainsaw sawdust out of your compost pile would be a smart move. I really hadn’t considered that chainsaw dust would be part of the options but as you pointed out, it could be.
Thanks Joe! Great idea .I made my own with a hinged lid cause we get a lot of raccoons and squirrels here in Morganville, NJ.I got the thermometer and I got the pile up to about 75 so far. I just keep adding all the coffee and fruit/veggie scraps from the kitchen.Take care,Timhttps://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Well done Tim. That should definitely keep the critters out. Keep adding the nitrogen inputs like you said but keep it moist and turned also so the air has plenty of opportunity to help the microbes along.
Hi Joe,I just finished going through your complete guide to home composting and had a couple of questions:1. I see in comprehensive list of ingredients that hair is listed as a brown carbon source but then later in the carbon:nitrogen ratio table it’s listed as a common nitrogen source. Is it both a carbon and nitrogen source?2. If I want to put eggshells in my pile should I wash them out first? I wasn’t sure if there would be a concern for disease pathogens lurking in them as I don’t know how hot I’ll be able to get my compost pile.Thanks for all the great detailed information about composting!Best,
Kristie
Hi, Kristie. Good catch on that question about hair. it’s primarily a nitrogen source. There is some carbon but not enough to consider that as a valuable input for a carbon source. We’ll make an update to that.
Regarding eggshells, some people are extra cautious and wash them before adding tro compost but I never do. So far so good. The composting process does so much to breakdown pathogens if the pile gets above 131 degrees F for 3 days. Most home compost piles should surpass that if done properly. If you follow the info in the guide, you’ll be one of those. But if you want to be sure, wash them and remove the concern entirely.
Thanks!