Composting....

[JohnAndSancho]

This guy is using an old refrigerator as a compost bin. Of course, since this house is basically Sanford and Son, we have an old refrigerator. Hmmm. And it'd work to keep the animals out, not sure how well it'd work keeping these damn fire ants out but nothing is perfect. 

For those of you that are composting, what else are you using as storage bins for it? He's also kind of funny. His video review of the Hori Hori knives every gardening YouTuber is raving about right now is great. 

[NMPalmjunky]

I built a small greenhouse using some old shower doors a few years ago. I ended up converting one side to my compost bin. It contains the odor and the additional heat expedites the process. 

[JohnAndSancho]

That's ingenious... I like that a lot. I don't imagine you have mounds of grass clippings up there for green material but I'm sure the elevation with the sun helps..

[NMPalmjunky]

@JohnAndSanchoThank you. It is dug about 3 feet below the ground level. I do add my limited grass clippings, but it is mostly other yard debris and food scraps.

[JohnAndSancho]

Oh awwwwww you gotta have the grass for the puppers! 

[JohnAndSancho]

So I found a composting subreddit and shared my ideas and they're telling me that just an open air pile is the way to go. I have both a dead fridge and a dead upright 33 cu ft freezer and shared my thoughts with them and they didn't seem to understand that I want to a) keep raccoons, possums, armadillos and cats out of this and b) speed the process up into a matter of months if not weeks instead of waiting 3 years. 

I get that I'm not going to get 50+ cubic feet of compost on my first attempt and I'm ok with that, it's trial and error just like everything else we do here - but I also don't want to wait 3 years either. "But the idea of a box is just to hold the heat in!" Yes, that's exactly the point, and I get to free up space in the utility room and repurpose stuff that would otherwise eventually end up in a landfill, and make my own compost without having to wait 3 years, that's the point. And I think a few dozen 1" holes in the backs and another few dozen holes in the sides will give enough oxygen to let this stuff cook should be adequate. I have no issues getting stupid with a drill. While a wood chipper would make my life easier for this, I can always just burn the branches for potash.

 

I guess I could experiment with a little Styrofoam box first and see how it goes before I go to all the effort of taking out the compressors and dragging these things across the yard and cutting down the trees where I want to put them, in front of the old lawnmower shed. 

 

Any pointers are welcome. I know nothing about composting other than a handful of YouTube videos I watched and knowing I don't want a giant wide open stink pile full of critters anywhere near my house. 

[WaianaeCrider]

Bought a chipper a few years ago AND then came the COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE and they love compost to lay eggs.  So no more composting for me.  Rake up leaves and stuff, bag it, and off to the city to maybe burn to make electricity.

[JohnAndSancho]

9 minutes ago, WaianaeCrider said:

Bought a chipper a few years ago AND then came the COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE and they love compost to lay eggs.  So no more composting for me.  Rake up leaves and stuff, bag it, and off to the city to maybe burn to make electricity.

i don't wanna sound like a peckerhead because this bug looks awful, but I'm glad we don't have it here. All we have here so far is the palmetto weevil. And feral cats. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I've gone down a deep, deep deep rabbit hole here. 

 

We have a lot of food waste since my mom hardly eats anything besides junk food and my brother fixes her large plates, my brother has Crohn's and UC so he hardly eats, and my medicines kill my appetite - and my brother doesn't know how to cook anything in small batches, so Bokashi composting sounds like a great idea for us, particularly the "soil factory" idea. (For those who don't want to go down the rabbit hole with me, Bokashi is a sealed system that uses microbes and special bran to decompose food waste that you normally can't compost. It decomposes via fermentation). I also like the idea that the water from this system can kill grass and weeds due to its high acidity. Poof bang bam I've got good raised bed or garden soil in a very short period of time compared to traditional composting. 

 

I also ended up down a "weed tea" rabbit hole. God knows we have tons of weeds and grass clippings around here. I might even buy myself a cheap manual grass whip just to clear out the taller patches and get some cardio going. Anyway, just like everything else in this world it's 50/50 people swearing by it as a quick but stinky nitrogen boost that you can still compost the remains from, and people saying it's a waste of time. I don't think I'd want to use this on anything indoors from what I've read though. 

 

Anybody here tried any of these before with any luck? Reddit is all over the place but there's nothing specific to the needs of the stuff we grow, it's all vague and ambiguous. 

[NMPalmjunky]

On 9/1/2025 at 6:30 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I've gone down a deep, deep deep rabbit hole here. 

 

We have a lot of food waste since my mom hardly eats anything besides junk food and my brother fixes her large plates, my brother has Crohn's and UC so he hardly eats, and my medicines kill my appetite - and my brother doesn't know how to cook anything in small batches, so Bokashi composting sounds like a great idea for us, particularly the "soil factory" idea. (For those who don't want to go down the rabbit hole with me, Bokashi is a sealed system that uses microbes and special bran to decompose food waste that you normally can't compost. It decomposes via fermentation). I also like the idea that the water from this system can kill grass and weeds due to its high acidity. Poof bang bam I've got good raised bed or garden soil in a very short period of time compared to traditional composting. 

 

I also ended up down a "weed tea" rabbit hole. God knows we have tons of weeds and grass clippings around here. I might even buy myself a cheap manual grass whip just to clear out the taller patches and get some cardio going. Anyway, just like everything else in this world it's 50/50 people swearing by it as a quick but stinky nitrogen boost that you can still compost the remains from, and people saying it's a waste of time. I don't think I'd want to use this on anything indoors from what I've read though. 

 

Anybody here tried any of these before with any luck? Reddit is all over the place but there's nothing specific to the needs of the stuff we grow, it's all vague and ambiguous. 

@JohnAndSancho I attempted to control the variables, but composting has so many factors that are constantly changing. Even if I only composted one thing, say lawn clippings, and ensured that the moisture and humidity were constant, the heat and light levels are constantly changing throughout the year. Even trying compare year to year, you can’t really count the number of earth worms,  armadillidiidae, and other critters that are doing the heavy lifting. As such, I consider composting an art more than a science. Either way, compost soil is really “black gold.” I find that a 50-50 mix of compost and native soil is better than any bagged soil available for purchase. 

[JohnAndSancho]

16 minutes ago, NMPalmjunky said:

@JohnAndSancho I attempted to control the variables, but composting has so many factors that are constantly changing. Even if I only composted one thing, say lawn clippings, and ensured that the moisture and humidity were constant, the heat and light levels are constantly changing throughout the year. Even trying compare year to year, you can’t really count the number of earth worms,  armadillidiidae, and other critters that are doing the heavy lifting. As such, I consider composting an art more than a science. Either way, compost soil is really “black gold.” I find that a 50-50 mix of compost and native soil is better than any bagged soil available for purchase. 

Yeah. I really need to make my own. God knows I've got the materials and the space. I think the Bokashi soil factory combined with traditional composting is the way to go for me. Maybe add some worms... Less waste less stink, pretty much fresh soil on demand. One of the YouTube videos I watched on Bokashi, the whole time I'm thinking wooooow this guy is a freaking moron - and if he can do this, I can. 

[Jonathan]

John, if I were you, I wouldn't screw around with bins and fridges and small amounts of stuff. If you want fast results, then hot composting is the way to go, and that requires volume, usually at least a cubic metre, so three feet cubed, or more.

I'm lucky enough to have a tractor with a loader, so I make a big pile every winter, but you don't need that to get similar results on a smaller scale.

You guys are heading into Autumn now, so I assume that over the next couple of months there's plenty of fallen leaves around? If so, you could make a big pile of alternating four inch layers of leaves and grass clippings...put all your kitchen scraps in the middle of the pile, water the crap out of every layer (if its dry like the leaves) as you put it on the pile and cover with a tarp to keep vermin out and heat in. 

The C/N ratio of leaves and grass clippings should be pretty good without any other inputs but the scraps will help. Turn it every few weeks with a fork and by spring you should have some beautiful compost. PM me if you need any more info.

[JohnAndSancho]

Yeah @Jonathan that was the general consensus from r/compost on Reddit, except those people REALLY like to pee on things. I still think trying Bokashi with the kitchen waste and the "soil factory" is something I want to try, but for the bulk stuff I just need to build a pile. And I really need to get all the branches collected and just burn those - we've got tons of cardboard and not so much in the way of leaves unless I wander into the woods, and from there it's just picking a site where the hose can reach but keeping it a distance from the house. 

It's amazing that decomposition can create so much heat in an open air environment. 

[amh]

I compost my kitchen and paper waste using a combination of a traditional compost pile and soldier fly larvae. During the warm season, the larvae consume the large organic waste, while the fungi and bacteria do the rest. I started a thread about it a while back.

Hot composting is another method I use for yard debris and mulch. It is a fast process, but it is laborious when composting a large volume. Imagine moving a big pile of brush once a week. 

Cinder blocks are a gardeners friend.

[amh]

On 9/1/2025 at 1:55 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

i don't wanna sound like a peckerhead because this bug looks awful, but I'm glad we don't have it here. All we have here so far is the palmetto weevil. And feral cats. 

We have ox beetles in the gulf states.  The adults can kill palms and the larvae attract raccoons and armadillos. 

[JohnAndSancho]

42 minutes ago, amh said:

We have ox beetles in the gulf states.  The adults can kill palms and the larvae attract raccoons and armadillos. 

Cool lol. I just went down another rabbit hole including a long thread on here about insecticides and palm fortresses and planting palms in cages filled with rocks and mesh and all kinds of stuff that seems mildly effective to moderately effective at best (thank you @Ed Askew for all the info my fellow Mississppian)

 

I am gonna get really hardcore into Bermuda grass since that seems to be the only thing that doesn't have a natural predator. 

[amh]

12 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Cool lol. I just went down another rabbit hole including a long thread on here about insecticides and palm fortresses and planting palms in cages filled with rocks and mesh and all kinds of stuff that seems mildly effective to moderately effective at best (thank you @Ed Askew for all the info my fellow Mississppian)

 

I am gonna get really hardcore into Bermuda grass since that seems to be the only thing that doesn't have a natural predator. 

I have to ring my palms with fencing or large rocks to deter the armadillos. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Just now, amh said:

I have to ring my palms with fencing or large rocks to deter the armadillos. 

Lol and this is how I learn armadillos attack palms. We have armadillos too. I'm remembering why all of my palms stayed on a 2nd floor patio or in a bedroom for 5 years. 

[amh]

2 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Lol and this is how I learn armadillos attack palms. We have armadillos too. I'm remembering why all of my palms stayed on a 2nd floor patio or in a bedroom for 5 years. 

I lost two very nice Sabal minors this summer.

[JohnAndSancho]

9 minutes ago, amh said:

I lost two very nice Sabal minors this summer.

Should it give me any reassurance that the Sabal Minor growing right in the edge of the woods seems to be unphased by anything? I mean these beetles and armadillos were all here long before it was, and I have no idea how old it is but it's big enough to flower. Its fronds are sturdy enough to hold a wasp nest. And the only real damage I can see on it is foliar from last winter. I do occasionally go out there and pull vines off of it and cut the dead fronds off but I haven't in a while. Maybe it's time to check it for flowers and seeds again. 

[amh]

2 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Should it give me any reassurance that the Sabal Minor growing right in the edge of the woods seems to be unphased by anything? I mean these beetles and armadillos were all here long before it was, and I have no idea how old it is but it's big enough to flower. Its fronds are sturdy enough to hold a wasp nest. And the only real damage I can see on it is foliar from last winter. I do occasionally go out there and pull vines off of it and cut the dead fronds off but I haven't in a while. Maybe it's time to check it for flowers and seeds again. 

I wouldn't worry about it. My armadillo problems occur when I have severe drought conditions and they go crazy looking for food. If you have enough leaf clutter, fallen dead trees and forested wild areas, the beetles will generally stay away.

[JohnAndSancho]

 

1 hour ago, amh said:

I wouldn't worry about it. My armadillo problems occur when I have severe drought conditions and they go crazy looking for food. If you have enough leaf clutter, fallen dead trees and forested wild areas, the beetles will generally stay away.

It is very very very much a forest outside of all the cleared out former farm land. 

 

Anyway back to the original topic of composting, I want to at least pretend to hide the pile. So I figure I can buy this, and caveman bend it to 3x2x2 leaving one side open. Buy 4 2"x4"x2 foot chunks of lumber and some black (or dark green if I really want to try to hide it) spray paint and I'm sure I still have enough wood screws in this house from my car audio days. 12 cu ft sounds small but I'm only on the hook for like $25 and I can feel good about myself for filling it up. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Union-Corrugating-2-16-ft-x-8-ft-Corrugated-Metal-Roof-Panel/3317582

Or I could just get 2 sheets of the metal and a couple extra chunks of wood and end up with 60 cu ft which seems massive. Ideally I'd want to face the opening to the east since we rarely get winds out of the east unless it's a tornado in which case it doesn't matter. 

[amh]

12 ft³ is fine, but I would get more input before starting.

I use cinder blocks because they do not rot and I can move the pile to other locations. my pile is away from the house, so appearance and smell are not issues.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

21 minutes ago, amh said:

12 ft³ is fine, but I would get more input before starting.

I use cinder blocks because they do not rot and I can move the pile to other locations. my pile is away from the house, so appearance and smell are not issues.

 

Okie doke. I'll wait here and ask the redditors and hope nobody tells me to just pee on it

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok update on this. The Redditors were jerks and just kept telling me over and over to just use pallets, and I'm like - buddy - the stores reuse pallets and have security cameras on them and I really don't want to drive 60 miles with a bunch of pallets tied down to the roof of my car, that was the whole point of using this metal. 

 

So eff it. I'm just gonna open pile far enough away from the house but close enough that the hose will reach. I went out and marked my area earlier and God knows there's plenty of cardboard, and I ripped and pulled grass for as long as I could stand to. In sadder news, one of the 2 old chairs that I had bungee corded together holding my potted palms up is no longer with us. I went to move the chairs and one of them just fell apart, so I threw it on the burn pile. The other chair was covered in fire ants, so I gave them some Bengal powder and went ahead and redusted all of the potted palms with it.

Since the grass in the back of the house is actually growing through what used to be a gravel driveway, I figured it'd be a lot easier to rip it out while it's tall and there's something for my implements of destruction to grip on to. The rest of the yard I can wait for my brother to mow. My game plan is to hack up the matted grass and weeds under my pile location (✅), pile a bunch of fresh grass and weeds on top of that and sprinkle with a dash of Preen 4-6" high (roughly 3 sq ft), more cardboard, and then after that let the grass and weeds bake in black trash bags in the sun to hopefully kill off the roots and seeds before piling it on and sandwiching Chewy boxes in between. I have LOTS of Chewy boxes.

Anyway that's that. Use a tarp to pull grass and weed clippings around because I am cart/wheelbarrow challenged, sprinkle a handful of worm castings in there to jump start it, and hopefully win the lottery so I can get the big storage totes and the 5 gallon buckets and the airtight lids and start a Bokashi soil factory going as well. I think with all that going I shouldn't have to buy anything more than cheap potting/garden soil and perlite or pumice.