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Homemade Compost Activator
+6
BackyardBirdGardner
littlejo
camprn
busygirl
boffer
Cincinnati
10 posters
Page 1 of 1
Homemade Compost Activator
When I purchased my compost tumbler, I received a box of activator. It sells for about $15/box and gives me about 4 wheelbarrows full per box. The last batch quit cooking and I had to add more to get it started again. I have been getting wonderful looking compost, but it is costing me almost as much if not more than bagged compost because of the cost of activator.
I read recently to dump a beer over the raw ingredients. I also read about bone meal or blood meal. I haven't tried any of these.
Is there a good homemade activator/accelerant to get the next batch cooking? Am I being too cheap?, AND the cost of activator worth it for faster compost?
I read recently to dump a beer over the raw ingredients. I also read about bone meal or blood meal. I haven't tried any of these.
Is there a good homemade activator/accelerant to get the next batch cooking? Am I being too cheap?, AND the cost of activator worth it for faster compost?
Cincinnati- Posts : 182
Join date : 2011-06-26
Location : Alabama Gulf Coast
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
Cincinnati wrote:...I read recently to dump a beer over the raw ingredients....Is there a good homemade activator/accelerant to get the next batch cooking? Am I being too cheap?, AND the cost of activator worth it for faster compost?
LOL I have gotten negative feedback from other forum members for consistently advocating this method, but it has decades of positive results: don't dump good beer on your compost pile, oh no, drink it first, and then pee on your compost pile. Have a kegger and invite your gentlemen guests to by-pass the powder room in favor of your compost pile.
Seriously. Human urine is a compost catalyst. So is green grass, blood meal, rabbit pellets, and alfalfa meal.
Sorry, I really can't speak to making compost quickly. Cut grass is 20% of my compost, but it's ready when it's ready.
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
this suggests comfrey...
http://compostmania.com/blog/grow-your-own-compost-activator
http://compostmania.com/blog/grow-your-own-compost-activator
busygirl-
Posts : 88
Join date : 2011-05-30
Location : Southeastern Ohio
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
+1 also see this thread from last year Speeding up my compostboffer wrote:Cincinnati wrote:...I read recently to dump a beer over the raw ingredients....Is there a good homemade activator/accelerant to get the next batch cooking? Am I being too cheap?, AND the cost of activator worth it for faster compost?
LOL I have gotten negative feedback from other forum members for consistently advocating this method, but it has decades of positive results: don't dump good beer on your compost pile, oh no, drink it first, and then pee on your compost pile. Have a kegger and invite your gentlemen guests to by-pass the powder room in favor of your compost pile.
Seriously. Human urine is a compost catalyst. So is green grass, blood meal, rabbit pellets, and alfalfa meal.
Sorry, I really can't speak to making compost quickly. Cut grass is 20% of my compost, but it's ready when it's ready.
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
camprn wrote: also see this thread from last year Speeding up my compost
I had forgotten about that thread. Why do 'peeing on the compost' and 'seriously' always go together? ROFL
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
I will agree that 'boffer' is correct with the urine. Enough said about that!
A good mix of green and brown items should get you a fairly quick compost in a tumbler, but if you are impatient, here is a recipe that I recently used. Mine got very hot, so ya might want to go easy with the ammonia!
1 cup ammonia, from the grocery store.
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup liquid soap
2 gal. water
mix all up, and add sparingly to the composter. It will heat up within a couple of hrs.
mine was some good looking compost, finished in 2 weeks. But, I've got it set aside, curing.
Jo
A good mix of green and brown items should get you a fairly quick compost in a tumbler, but if you are impatient, here is a recipe that I recently used. Mine got very hot, so ya might want to go easy with the ammonia!
1 cup ammonia, from the grocery store.
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup liquid soap
2 gal. water
mix all up, and add sparingly to the composter. It will heat up within a couple of hrs.
mine was some good looking compost, finished in 2 weeks. But, I've got it set aside, curing.
Jo
littlejo-
Posts : 1575
Join date : 2011-05-04
Age : 70
Location : Cottageville SC 8b
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
My 6 year old activated the compost today....lol. I looked out the window and ran out to ask him what he was doing. He told me he didn't want to come inside. So, two things genetically passed right down to him from me...
Laziness and multi-tasking.
Laziness and multi-tasking.
BackyardBirdGardner-
Posts : 2727
Join date : 2010-12-25
Age : 49
Location : St. Louis, MO
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
Another compost activator is kombucha "mothers." If you happen to make homemade kombucha, you can take your used "shroom" and either just toss it into the pile or stick it in the blender with some water and mix it up. GREAT bacteria in that stuff!
Mamachibi- Posts : 300
Join date : 2011-06-17
Location : Zone 6b
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
BackyardBirdGardner wrote:
Laziness and multi-tasking.

Glendale-gardener-
Posts : 293
Join date : 2011-03-10
Age : 48
Location : Cincinnati Zone 6A
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
These common plants are good natural compost activators...
Yarrow:

Comfrey:

Dandelions:

pattipan
Yarrow:

Comfrey:

Dandelions:

pattipan
Re: Homemade Compost Activator
I too am one of those weirdos that adds filtered beer to his compost pile. Give me some credit...I wait until after dark
I've also heard that adding some existing compost will help (shovel full of dirt will probably also work).

I've also heard that adding some existing compost will help (shovel full of dirt will probably also work).
TN_GARDENER- Posts : 228
Join date : 2011-06-16
Location : TN

» EM-1 -Boosting Compost's Microbial Diversity w/Compost Activator
» Homemade Compost
» Homemade Compost
» Homemade Compost and Mel's Mix
» Homemade compost in MM?
» Homemade Compost
» Homemade Compost
» Homemade Compost and Mel's Mix
» Homemade compost in MM?
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