Re: Composting -Reply

I have a question for you experienced composters. 
I am considering an ELECTRIC chipper shredder. 
Now I know they are usually considered "wimpy"
compared to gas powered ones, but I was
wondering if anyone had any experience with the
electric ones.  For my purposes, it may work fine:  I
have all roses, vines and perennials to run through
there.  No real "wood" to speak of, except for
twiggy pieces of butterfly bush.  Anything larger
than 1/2" my mom takes and burns (she heats with
wood).

Thanks for any advice.

Susan Saxton
For mine is just a little old-fashioned garden where
the flowers come together to praise the Lord and
teach all who look upon them to do likewise.
Celia Thaxter
1835-1894

>>> sally knauss <sjknauss@webtv.net> 01/15/99
09:07am >>>
The recommened thing to do with animal manure is
to let it "compost"
(sit) for at least six months before you use it.  If you
are going to
compost it with yard waste it still needs to sit. For
yard waste (grass
clipping and fallen leaves) the smaller the particle
and the more you
turn, the faster the break down. 
   When we first started composting we made the
mistake of looking up
the "proper" ratios for green to brown materials. 
No one told us that
the brown stuff wasn't wood chips from the
shredder.  What a headache
that was! 
   To make compost is a very simple thing to do. 
Green stuff is grass,
plant and kitchen (no meats or fats) waste.  The
brown stuff will be
fall leaves (do not add wood chips!) and anyother
fall clean up plant
mterial.  Use the lawn mower to pick-up the leaves
and dump them into
your bin or pile.  Let it sit over the winter.  In the
spring you'll
have leaf mold, which is very good for your plants,
then start mixing in
green materials.  Turn when it's temp.  is less than
120 degrees, or at
least once a month.  
   We do not put soil, compost activators or
anyother
chemicals/fertilizers in our compost bins.  We did
at one time use horse
manure, but it is harder to shovel than leaves! 
You'd be surprised at
how many people will give you their fall leaves! 
  Two of the best gardening investmants we ever
made were an 8 HP
chipper/shedder and this thing called a Billy Goat
which is 11HP.  What
it really is according to our 8 yr. old is a
"sucker-blower".  And
that's exactly what it does, but in between it also
chops.  It has
speeded up the composting process, and has
reduced work time by 2/3.
  We know who gives us the leaves, and that they
don't use any
pesticides or herbicides.  When you raise earth
worms and you garden
organicly those are very bad words. 
Sally K.
zone 6, west KY

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