A friend told me that his ‘rotary’ composter (that is, one that’s held horizontally and can be rotated by crank/hand) worked surprisingly well, but the thing was not sturdy enough to pass more than one season without breaking.
My compost piles have always been open on the bottom and almost always located under a tree–I’ve been told that placement under oak trees is best, but I don’t recall the reasons why.
I am ALWAYS amazed by the transition in compost–throwing all that green/brown stuff in there, and with enough time, out comes this beautiful and beautifully smelling cured compost. Same with vermicomposting, although the avocado pits almost always sprouted in the worm box!
i am seriously contemplating getting one of these for next year, installing a huge baffle on the bottom along with a 2" valve and a pump to recirculate the compost tea. i found a guy a couple years ago that was selling 900 gallon (3600 liter or so) used ones, food grade for $100.
considering organic fertilizer costs something like $11 a quart, i say go raid your local coffee shops for used grounds, fish mongers for rotten fish, your yard for trimmings, chicken farmers for egg shells, and your local dairy for manure.
nerd p.s.: the recirculation would be a slow pump of liquid from the matter as it rots on top of a false bottom, back on top of the rotting matter. not unlike a mash tun.
Coriander and fresh basil. The coriander will be dried, the basil will be frozen for pesto. My hands smell like cinnamon, there are highland pipes playing through the radio, and life couldn’t get better.
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The apple is for size comparison.
Thai basil from seed, already harvested half.
Dill, on its fourth harvest this year.
These artichokes didn’t exist four days ago.
Okay, there are now six artichokes. On one plant.
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Fuck that healthy shit. Blackberry cobbler all the way!
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Heh, we ended up making BlackBerry pie ice cream (the custard base makes it taste Just like pie)
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And you didn’t bring enough to share with the whole group?
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I am now pulling half a pound of tomatoes a day. The zucchini is sluggish, and the cucumbers make me sad.
Everything I started from seed are whoppers, everything I bought from a nursery is… Meh.
Pulled another two artichokes off for dinner, they were seriously better than any I have ever bought.
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First haul today. Two more to go, today. It is truly WHAT THE HELL AM I GONNA DO WITH TOMATOES season. I think I may buy a pressure canner today…
I had seven artichokes the other day, and if you were to buy it at a store there is several hundred dollars of basil. It has been hot this year, and Mediterranean plants have loved it.
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Also, I’ve been ruminating on some plans… Probably not gonna build one this year
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Wow. Those tomatoes look like what I’d expect from a garden 500 miles south of you.
Peak Tomato Season is finally washing over me, the cherries went spray happy and the Brandywine tomatoes are 2+ pounds? Shifting over to broccoli and cabbage, with collards, kale, spinach and squash to follow:
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I am planting Mortgage Lifters every year from now on. They taste like brandywines, are longer to mature, but none have got blossom rot. A perfect brandywine is a thing of beauty, but they have like a three day window.
The garden has pulled down the wire and rebar I used this season. Like Wolverine through butter. This November is gonna be fun, it never ends.
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Washington’s on fire though too. It might not be just the tomato variety.
Oh yeah, my sister in law and I are gonna be trading this behemoth back and forth.
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