Hi all, I mentioned in one of these threads that there is a game we play on another website which I haven't been to for awhile, where we post how much or what we were able to accumulate of free composting materials. If it was actually delivered to your garden or home that is the top prize. So I will start by saying that I was able to get three large black trash bags from just across the street from my Cowboy neighbor of raked up leaves and pine needles! I had asked at first about some bales of hay that he had where he puts his garbage cans, but he said that was for someone to pick up in the morning. (Shucks!) So then I asked what was in the bags, such as cut grass. He said it was pine needles and I asked if I could have them and he said, "Sure!" Also, the other day when he was cleaning out his horse trailer and putting manure in a wheel barrow I told him he could just push the wheelbarrow over to my side of the street and dump it. But he said it was too fresh, and that he has a whole bunch of composting horse biscuits in the back. Which I'm welcome too anytime. My son and I had done that a couple years ago taken a four wheeler and garden trailer attached to it and filled it up with the manure. The cowboy helped shovel it in too. So it is just a matter of getting this 16 year old son to do this again. He was younger then, so we'll see if he will do it for me this time. I tried to help dig the manure in the trailer, but I was just in the guys way. ;-)
Starbuck bags their used coffee grounds for composting. I'm sure other coffee shops would do the same. Does anyone have any comments on composting bulk quantities of used coffee grounds?
I have done it! It is good stuff. My teenager/garden helper that lives down the street says his girlfriend works at Starbucks. But haven't followed up on that yet. But have gotten the grounds in the past and it is good stuff! Well, I have to let you know I scored again on Friday on free composting materials. Early Friday morning, my cowboy neighbor had rented a bobcat and trailer and scooped up his horse biscuits/manure and delivered it to my back yard and made a very huge pile. I think at least 3 ft high and 5 ft wide. I would have to go measure. Then the Idaho Power company trucks were in the area and they were trimming trees and shredding them. They came to shred some of our trees that are close to a power line. I asked about letting me have some shredded bark and leaves and they said fine. Also, what helped is that some of the guys spotted a "Tote Goat" a tough and slow scooter we had sitting around and also a 4 wheeler that was torn apart that was given to us to see if my eldest son wanted to get it running. He is our homegrown mechanic. He is too busy and really doesn't need another project so I let this other young tree guy take that. So I was happy to get rid of two unused "toys". Now to the first guy who mentioned our backyard looked similar to his 9 acres up in Idaho City I just had to laugh. I told him it use to be worse. As my mechanic son would haul everything home when he was 12 and older, meaning 1970 ford pick up trucks, their beds, hoods, doors, engines, tires, windshields, truck body, etc. and slowly we were getting rid of this stuff. Also we own a service business so sometimes we get parts and pieces for that. We degrease restaurant hoods or kitchen hoods and their exhaust systems. So once in a while my husband gets free hoods, fans, etc. which he keeps and sells to another restaurant that needs that size of a hood. So this guy said he will come back and help me out on my trees with pruning etc. And see what else he would like to haul away. Yippee! He was the one that asked about the Tote Goat. Plus I'm going to have some of the crew come on their own time to take down my third scale infested Silver Maple tree which will cost $550.00. I have anxiety on that one just because it is so old and tall and did shade well, but is over taking garden spots for trees that I really want to plant and also it drips honeydew onto all my plants and objects below it. So all in all, I feel I really scored and also feel blessed. I did get 5 yards of shredded trees, part pine tree and part willow. There were 5 or more trucks in the area, but wasn't able to get their truck loads. So in one day, I got horse manure and shredded pine and willow bark and leaves. Cool! Okay anyone else?
In the past I persuaded an organic juice place to save their pulp for me. Got bags and bags of stuff - citrus, carrot, pineapple and more. Then just a challenge to find enough dry 'browns' in midsummer!
Go for it Karalyn. That is the way. I compost just about anything that is plant material as well as kitchen stuff except bones. The things I get from my neighbours in the fall are bags and bags of leaves, dug out annuals and pareenials cuttings etc. They always ask me if I will be needing leaves this year and I say yes. I use the leaves to mulch my rose bushes and other tender or newly planted trees. The dug out annuals and parrenial cuttings etc go to the compost. The compost pile goes up and then in a few weeks settles down either by composting process or just the weight. Any way it gets useable as a compost in a couple of years. I am not rushing the porcess by turning and layering etc even though I may sometime use fork in it a few times a year. That is the way it has been going on for a few years.
Well done people, I used to rescue the autumn leaves from the elderlies who were into burning them in the gutters when I lived in the suburbs. For the last 12 years I have taken over from my father [he did it for 30 years prior to that) and get regular loads of wood shavings from a fine furniture business. I have had some very exotic timbers. I discovered that mahogony (sp)makes a terrific cover for a goat that died in an inaccessable spot in the paddock. She was buried and recycled with out odor so that 6 months later I buried the bones. I have used this method of burial for several of my lawn ornaments. I also use it as dry litter for my geese and goats that sleep in a shelter. The resulting compost is pure gold and odorless. The dogs have it in their day yard and I hand out loads to neighbours for similar use. I would hate to count how many trees I have composted on my block. Liz
That is great, LIZ, Ottawa, and MdeHaan! How lucky to get all that extra wood shavings, leaves, annuals and perennial cuttings. Liz, I'm glad that you were able to decompose the goats odor free! What lawn onaments are you talking about....doggy doo, or dead birds or actual concrete ornaments? LOL I think sometimes when you have already started composting that you don't need to be in a hurry because the practice has already been established. I think that is great to get the health foor or juicer's fruit remains. Great pulp! I have been eating some Pomagranites and have put quite a bit of fruit's seeds that I just can't swallow but try for the fiber LOL and also the peelings and inner fibers. I did miss out on my neighbor the cowboy this morning as I was up early because I was waiting for him to put out another 3 bags of shredded leaves and pineneedles as he had rented a lawn vacuum/shredder/ I don't know what else it was, but I was drooling over what he had put in the 3 bags. This time the stuff he raked up before would be all shredded. He kept it in front of his garage door and today was pick up. At 6:30AM the bags weren't out yet, then I checked again later not too much later, but I missed it. I guess just before he left for work he put them out probably real close to the time the garbage truck came around. Oh, well, there will be more as we had a big storm come through here and left snow on the ski slopes in the mountains and rain and wind in the valley. Leaves are everywhere, and we are all surprised and happy to have snow this soon before Thanksgiving in the mountains. Too bad it didn't come just a bit earlier as a house burned down in the mountains that isn't close to a water source and the people were gone for the day. They are thinking the fire dept, that a pellet stove or woodburning stove was left unattended. The house was a total loss and the people had just moved to Idaho and bought this mountain house two months ago. They lost besides all their personal belongings, two cats and a pet bird. Fire trucks had to go down to a creek to siphon 500 gallons of water, constantly. So reminder, watch your stoves and check on smoke alarms in the house to be sure they are working. Yikes!
Sorry lawn ornaments refers to my collection of paddock lawn mowers (animals) 3 Irish donkeys 6 sheep 3 goats and in the past 2 alpaca and 4 horses. Added to this 4 large dogs and 5 cats and a rooster plus two very industrious hens and king of all lawn mowers 4 Geese. If you have the room they make very good mowers as they are into grass and their doo is not as bad as chicken and duck. They can also be great friendly pets contrary to common belief. Liz
Liz Can I make a suggestion? If you have some primary schools for kids near your place, it will be good idea to arrange tours for them of your area that may look like a small (or big) zoo for them and will have fun just watching " 3 Irish donkeys, 6 sheep, 3 goats, (in the future alpaca and horses); added to this 4 large dogs and 5 cats and a rooster plus two very industrious hens and king of all lawn mowers 4 Geese".
I know this is slightly off topic, but I came home once to whole lot of Tillandsia (Old mans beard) in my letterbox. It was full of Tillandsia.....I still to this day do not know who put it there lol Ed
Edleigh7 Probably they wanted you to start "Composting" and donated you the first batch for the compost (in your mailbox).
ED is that the stuff that is grey and hangs out of the trees up there?? If so had some a very long time ago that I managed to keep alive for some time in a sheltered spot. Re the zoo trips most kids around here run their own zoo. Donkeys are a bit handy with their teeth and heels. :) Liz Liz
