re: composting

Dawn,

I am not ambitious like Smitty and Kitty are.  I too live in the city -
Zone 5/6.  I have 3 bins, they are a heavy coated wire frame with 1"
squares and hook together.  I just put in my yard waste, kitchen scraps
in the summer, once in a while some peat moss, dirt ends up in there
from the weed roots.  You want the 'matter' to be small so it breaks
down reasonably quick.  (No big sticks, break up large plant stems)
Once a bin is full I just let it sit one year and then the bottom
two-thirds or so has disintegrated.  I clean the bin out, putting what
didn't break down in to another one that is started. This is the link to
a composter similar to the one I bought - mine are a little smaller.

http://www.gardeners.com/sell.asp?ProdGroupID=11875&DeptPGID=11133&CatPGID=0&lstCategory=0&lstSort=0&PFImage=1&RecGroupNum=1

Smitty's e-mail brought to mind a method of leaf composting one of the
garden writers here in Detroit talks about.  In the fall she gathers all
the leaves she can and puts them in black garbage bags, puts in a shovel
full of dirt, some water, closes the bags then rolls them around so it
all gets mixed up.  Then she stacks the bags behind her garage.  By
spring it is all compost!

Just remember there are many methods to produce the same thing, you just
have to pick based on how much work you want to do.  The rule I repeat
to my husband when explaining what goes in the compost bin is:  from the
earth - to the earth.

--
Debby Williams
Master Gardener
Oakland County, Michigan USA
USDA Zones 5b/6a
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