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Google
Things I find in my compost
+12
RoOsTeR
Josh
EatYourVeggies
boffer
FLA-girl
camprn
TejasTerry
ksbmom
Furbalsmom
Windsor.Parker
sceleste54
jkahn2eb
16 posters
Page 1 of 1
Things I find in my compost
My container has an open top and very smooth sides on the outside.
I've been finding
I've been finding
- Little seedlings
- Mushrooms
- Little lizards stuck and unable to get out, so now I check my compost every other day. May have to put a cover on.
jkahn2eb- Posts : 257
Join date : 2011-01-13
Location : Gilbert, AZ, Zone 9B
Re: Things I find in my compost
Experts correct me if I'm wrong... but those are garden variety Geckos down here where I am.. they are beneficial in that they eat all kinds of bugs..The mushrooms have a wide ranging network of filiments that help breakdown compost...and the seedlings indicate conditions are favorable to sprouting... sounds like you have some good compost developing....
sceleste54- Posts : 382
Join date : 2010-04-08
Location : Florida Panhandle
Re: Things I find in my compost
So was I wrong to churn up my compost yesterday destroying the mushrooms and seedlings? (I let the lizard out first)
jkahn2eb- Posts : 257
Join date : 2011-01-13
Location : Gilbert, AZ, Zone 9B
Re: Things I find in my compost
It always helps to turn the pile!
Windsor.Parker- Posts : 376
Join date : 2011-12-12
Age : 77
Location : Chicago, South Shore, c. 100yds to Lake Michigan, Zone 6a
Re: Things I find in my compost
jkahn2eb wrote:So was I wrong to churn up my compost yesterday destroying the mushrooms and seedlings? (I let the lizard out first)
No you were not wrong to churn the compost. The mushrooms and seedlings are just signs it is a healthy compost pile.
Furbalsmom- Posts : 3138
Join date : 2010-06-10
Age : 77
Location : Coastal Oregon, Zone 9a, Heat Zone 2 :(
Re: Things I find in my compost
Found chickens in my compost today! I had let them out after the rain to forage for bugs and they scratched out about a quarter of my pile before I got to them! (it's open on one side) But I do have lots of earthworms in there, as well as a pothos growing out the side and some baby oak trees that I haven't pulled out yet....
ksbmom- Posts : 144
Join date : 2011-10-26
Location : Central Florida, zone 9a
Re: Things I find in my compost
Went out to turn my new compost pile today, and it was full of fire ants!!!
Got out the DE....
Got out the DE....
TejasTerry- Posts : 160
Join date : 2011-12-31
Age : 62
Location : Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio
Re: Things I find in my compost
What if you watered the compost pile in a few days, would that drive out the rest of the ants?TejasTerry wrote:Went out to turn my new compost pile today, and it was full of fire ants!!!
Got out the DE....
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: Things I find in my compost
Got out the DE....[/quote]
What if you watered the compost pile in a few days, would that drive out the rest of the ants?[/quote]
No, fire ants are really hard to get rid of. Water doesn't bother them at all. DE works well though. I was just shocked to see them.
What if you watered the compost pile in a few days, would that drive out the rest of the ants?[/quote]
No, fire ants are really hard to get rid of. Water doesn't bother them at all. DE works well though. I was just shocked to see them.
TejasTerry- Posts : 160
Join date : 2011-12-31
Age : 62
Location : Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio
Re: Things I find in my compost
As a FL resident, I assure, water does NOT harm fire ants, it just ticks them off and sends in search of feet to bite...or any other human flesh the little devils can find!
My DOG is eating compost! I put it in the frames last week and when we turned around he started eating it. We now have a cage over it, but I didn't know dogs did that.
My DOG is eating compost! I put it in the frames last week and when we turned around he started eating it. We now have a cage over it, but I didn't know dogs did that.
FLA-girl- Posts : 13
Join date : 2012-01-02
Age : 38
Location : Pasco County, FL, USA
Re: Things I find in my compost
FLA-girl wrote:My DOG is eating compost! I put it in the frames last week and when we turned around he started eating it. We now have a cage over it, but I didn't know dogs did that.
Several years ago, we had a dog that would tear open bags of chicken manure so that all our dogs could eat some! Bleh! No doggie kisses those days! They like the fresh stuff too!
My hens can't keep up with my needs, so bagged chicken manure is one thing I still buy. Several years ago I got a bag with identifiable chicken leg and thigh bones in it. Would that be considered filler?! Last year I got a bag with...a used horse shoe with some nails still in it! Would that be considered an iron supplement?! These bags were from a compost supplier whose products I had used before and thought were good quality. There's just no knowing for sure!
Re: Things I find in my compost
jkahn2eb wrote:
I lived in Tucson for almost thirty years and these lil guys were as common as anything. Always scooting around on the ground, block walls and anywhere there were sun and bugs. They are to the Southwest, what Chameleons are to the Southern states.
EatYourVeggies- Posts : 153
Join date : 2012-01-10
Age : 63
Location : Vancouver WA Zone 8a
Re: Things I find in my compost
My hens can't keep up with my needs, so bagged chicken manure is one thing I still buy. Several years ago I got a bag with identifiable chicken leg and thigh bones in it. Would that be considered filler?! Last year I got a bag with...a used horse shoe with some nails still in it! Would that be considered an iron supplement?! These bags were from a compost supplier whose products I had used before and thought were good quality. There's just no knowing for sure!
Man! You get all the good stuff I are jealous
WOW!! I wish I had those in my compost pile!!
+1 Josh! I'm starting to feel robbed here lol
All I get in my compost are mice, voles, and my dogs snout trying to eat all the poo
I am my gardens worst enemy.
RoOsTeR- Posts : 4299
Join date : 2011-10-04
Location : Colorado Front Range
Re: Things I find in my compost
TejasTerry wrote:Went out to turn my new compost pile today, and it was full of fire ants!!!
Got out the DE....
if I have a hill somewhere I will boil some water and pour over the hill but the compost not sure how to handle that one
newstart- Posts : 331
Join date : 2011-11-22
Age : 42
Location : houston, texas zone 9
Re: Things I find in my compost
boffer wrote:Several years ago, we had a dog that would tear open bags of chicken manure so that all our dogs could eat some! Bleh! No doggie kisses those days! They like the fresh stuff too!
Boy, oh boy...they certainly do. A lady friend and I had Yellow Lab (dad) and Border Collie (mom) mix pups and we could not keep them away from our chickens. They would follow them around and were like vacuums everytime the chickens would poop in the yard. The only reason it ever stopped was because the dogs grew impatient and ate the chickens while we were gone one day.
EatYourVeggies- Posts : 153
Join date : 2012-01-10
Age : 63
Location : Vancouver WA Zone 8a
Re: Things I find in my compost
I put DE on the compost pile 2 days ago, and the fire ants seem to be moving out. Going to treat it again this weekend and then turn it. I'm afraid to turn it now, as they are very aggressive and will attack...
TejasTerry- Posts : 160
Join date : 2011-12-31
Age : 62
Location : Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio
Re: Things I find in my compost
The only reason it ever stopped was because the dogs grew impatient and ate the chickens while we were gone one day.
DOH!
I am my gardens worst enemy.
RoOsTeR- Posts : 4299
Join date : 2011-10-04
Location : Colorado Front Range
Re: Things I find in my compost
I found these maggots/larva in my compost. This creeps me out because I don't know if they are good for my compost and possibly bad for my plants. The very top larva I recognize as a Soldier Fly larva because I am familiar with it, but the other larvae in the picture I don't know and I first discovered them in a cluster in my compost. I moved it around hoping to get rid of them. But as I am using the compost after sifting, I find them all the time. I am worried about my plant's roots, or that flies will emerge out of my SFG! Note that they are the approximate size of the staple on the right of the photo.
Can somebody identify them?
Can somebody identify them?
Roseinarosecity- Posts : 315
Join date : 2011-08-14
Location : 10a - San Gabriel Valley - Pasadena, California
Re: Things I find in my compost
Rose,
I'd be inclined to take a few of those lava /maggots and put them in a screw top jar with about an inch of your heap and see what emerges when they hatch out for a heck of a lot of grubs/ lava & maggots are very similar .
I'd be inclined to take a few of those lava /maggots and put them in a screw top jar with about an inch of your heap and see what emerges when they hatch out for a heck of a lot of grubs/ lava & maggots are very similar .
plantoid- Posts : 4091
Join date : 2011-11-09
Age : 73
Location : At the west end of M4 in the UK
Re: Things I find in my compost
Good idea! I'll do it. Thank you.
Roseinarosecity- Posts : 315
Join date : 2011-08-14
Location : 10a - San Gabriel Valley - Pasadena, California
Re: Things I find in my compost
Rose, you might want to collect a sampling of those larvae/grubs and contact your local State University Co-operative Extension Service. Many have Master Gardenrs that are trained in identifying and providing help with various pests.
Furbalsmom- Posts : 3138
Join date : 2010-06-10
Age : 77
Location : Coastal Oregon, Zone 9a, Heat Zone 2 :(
Corn meal for treatment of Fire Ants ?
I have tried using regular Corn Meal from the grocery to treat the fire ants and it seems to have worked. The only problem is that the deer also like it. I don't worry about the pets getting into it either.
Hobbygirl2- Posts : 4
Join date : 2012-02-18
Location : Athens, TX
Sow bugs or Pill bugs
When I was sifting my homemade compost yesterday to start a small potato
bin, my compost was FULL of sow bugs/pill bugs. I got as many out as I
could but will they do damage or should I just leave them alone?
bin, my compost was FULL of sow bugs/pill bugs. I got as many out as I
could but will they do damage or should I just leave them alone?
Hobbygirl2- Posts : 4
Join date : 2012-02-18
Location : Athens, TX
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