Even Lazy Composting Works!
Ok so we have had a homemade compost bin (chicken wire and pallets) for YEARS, but we never paid a lot of attention to it. Occasionally we’d add some grass clippings or eggshells or whatever, with no regard to greens/ browns. I live in 6a and we also ignored the pile during the winter, when it sat frozen and uncovered. We do have a vegetable garden, though, so not having a good compost routine seemed like a missed opportunity.
Last week I ✨ hyperfocused ✨ on compost (thanks ADHD) and decided to replace the rickety contraption with a GeoBin. I realized that the bottom of the compost area looked good aside from it being overrun with roly-polies (it was in a shady spot). I picked out the big bits of newer stuff, then shoveled the rest onto a tarp and let it bake in the sun, vastly reducing the roly-polies. Then I sifted it through an antique metal grain sifter I already had.
I know some people think sifting compost is overkill, but I was curious what I’d find. I kept almost all the stuff that was sifted out (except fruit stickers and small bits of plastic) and cut up the bigger things we had recently tossed in whole (like corn husks) to be added to the new pile. I am also collecting sticks, cardboard, etc. for the new pile to balance out kitchen scraps.
I was so happy with the result! 😊 Not bad for totally ignoring this for years, right??
Thanks to everyone in this sub for sharing so much useful info!