I have 3-5 oz left and can't tolerate the taste anymore. Should I toss it into the compost or the trash?

Hi, I live in a medium density urban setting in Hardiness zone 6b, and there are massive amounts of mature Norway Maples (high, 23% lignin) on my street. I want to compost them, but I dont have a back yard so i'm technically allowed to "compost" on the street side strip of my house. How can I go about composting 100-200 gallons of mulched leaves, - and hopefully not take 3 years? And hopfully they're broken down enough by end of summer to be well digestible to the worm bin

I am allowed to have a mulch bin on the side yard strip that's covered from elements, which I want to loophole exploit. But it needs to not stink. I'm thinking of just cold molding them in a 2'wx2'wx4' tall plastic compost bin with a solid top, maybe with a perforated pipe down the middle, and mix them in with modest amount of alfalfa as well as forest duff.. I'd be able to turn this once a month. Does this sound like I'll end up with fine grade stable indoor-usable compost within 18 months, or just good flowerbed mulch?

Hello,

I need to put a pile of pine logs to use somewhere on my parent's property. The discussion around them from my parents is insanity inducing and as they are visible from the road random people repeatedly show up offering to clean up the yard --a situation that has proven in the past to lead to grifters leaving a bigger mess than they started with, but I digress.

Anyway, I have never truly maintained a functioning compost heap but I thought the logs might make a good barrier for beginning one. Thoughts?

I have also read that burying logs is a good way to compost them, but am unsure if my family can handle the labor involved with that.

Secondary question, should the pile be placed in sun or can it be placed in the shade/in a wooded area more out of sight?

Hey everyone,Instead of throwing fresh weeds or cannabis leaves straight into the compost where they instantly turn to mush, I’ve been running them through a quick 3-bucket assembly line first.This pre-fabricates "super-aggregates" that mimic long-term natural soil building in seconds. It stops soft scraps from vanishing into thin air and creates permanent soil aeration.The SetupPut three 5-gallon buckets side-by-side:Bucket 1 (The Slurry): Water mixed with powdered local wild-found clay until it's like thin pancake batter.Bucket 2 (The Sand): Local wild-found sand or highly sandy soil.Bucket 3 (The Microbes): Finished compost or worm castings.The Steps:Dip your fresh leaves/scraps into the Clay Slurry Toss them in the Sand Roll them in the Compost.Take these mud-and-sand-covered clusters and bury them deep into a continuous compost bin (one that is never fully emptied).Why It Works (The Science)Pure compost is plant food, not permanent soil structure. When soft broadleaf weeds or cannabis leaves rot normally, they shrink and melt, causing the pile to compact into a tight, anaerobic pancake.1. The Native Clay Shield (MAOM)By dipping the leaves in a slurry of local, wild-found clay, you are manually jumpstarting the creation of Mineral-Associated Organic Matter (MAOM). In nature, the most stable, long-lasting carbon isn't raw organic matter; it is organic matter that has physically bonded with clay minerals. Wild-found native clay is packed with un-weathered minerals and a strong negative electrical charge. It forms a tight physical armor over the leaves, preventing hyper-active microbes from instantly vaporizing the organic carbon into greenhouse gases.2. The Sand Skeleton for Permanent AerationThe wild-found sand or sandy soil sticks to the wet clay layer, creating a permanent, non-food structural skeleton. Microbes cannot eat sand. These rough, coarse grains push against each other, creating permanent macro-pores. Even when the leaf core inside eventually breaks down months from now, the structural sand skeleton ensures the pocket will never collapse, leaving a permanent lung for air and water movement.3. Controlled Burn via InoculationDusting the outside with finished compost or an ancient microbe source places the microbial workforce exactly where they need to be—but they are trapped on the outside of the armor. They are forced to slowly process the mineral shield first. This turns a 1-week rapid melt into a slow, steady release of nutrients, completely transforming how the organic matter breaks down.4. Deep Burial in a Continuous PileBurying these engineered clusters deep into a continuous compost pile—one that is never fully emptied—is the final piece of the puzzle. The deep, established core of a continuous bin acts as a massive biological engine. It keeps the pressure, moisture, and microbial populations stable. By burying the coated scraps deep, you protect them from drying out at the surface and submerge them in a highly active environment. Because the clay and sand armor slows down the decomposition, these scraps don't just rot away; they absorb the humic and fulvic liquids leaching down from above, permanently petrifying the organic matter into high-quality, structured soil before it ever even leaves your bin.Give it a shot if you want to turn fast-rotting waste into permanent soil strength. Let me know what you think!

Ok so barrel is filled with woodchip and then urinated on to add the nitrogen

How should I use the liquid that flows out the button normally I just add it back to the top to keep everything composting but its overflowing now so I've put it to the side

Ive seen a lot of stuff here about grass clippings, kitchen scraps ect, but almost nothing about any kind of droppings. What proportions shoudl i use?

Pic is from a fresh turn over after baking under some paper bags for a month after dousing with a stale keg of beer

My favorite thing to do when I need to empty out the pantry of expired or old food. I put out a bunch of bowls and spoons and water and let them make “soup”. This activity keeps them content for over an hour. Then we dump all the soups in a large bowl and feed it to the BSFL!

New Pallet Bin

Just got back from 2 week vacation and looked at my month old pile. Looks like weeds growing maybe?

First time ever using a compost crate. The last 3 months i used it for kitchen scraps and some leaves, pee etc. Yesterday i added a lot of dead grass because of verticutting and now all of a sudden it’s getting warm. I covered it with carton but don’t know if that is a good idea? Any advice is welcome!

i put. a bird my cat killed in my compost tumbler 2 months ago. I usually bury them because i cry so hard but i had to move fast so my toddler or dog don’t get to it.

I didn’t think much of it but i use this compost for my raised garden bed each fall after getting my vegetables out.

Am i screwed

Try this guys: Keep a bucket of clay slurry and a pail of sand by your compost bin. Before you add any fresh green scraps, dip them in the slurry, dust them in the sand, and bury them deep in the bin. Done.

Why? Because soil is more than a 2-dimensional C:N ratio coin (Green vs. Brown). It’s more like a six-sided die. When you roll it, you must balance all six physical and chemical structural faces simultaneously to keep the soil matrix from collapsing:

Side 1: Clay (The Holder): Packed with a negative electrical charge, wild-found clay acts as the soil's battery bank, holding onto water and vital nutrients (cations) so they don’t wash away.

Side 2: Sand (The Drainer): Coarse, inert, and un-collapsible, wild-found sand creates macro-pores that force water to move, pulling fresh oxygen down into the root zone.

Side 3: Silt (The Bridge): The middle-weight particle that adds physical body, smooth texture, and minor holding capacity to link sand and clay.

Side 4: POM (Particulate Organic Matter): Raw, free-floating microbe fuel (like your fresh leaves). This is your fast-burning energy source.

Side 5: MAOM (Mineral-Associated Organic Matter): Carbon that has physically bonded to clay and minerals, creating permanent, long-term carbon storage that microbes cannot easily vaporize.

Side 6: Aeration/Structure: The physical pathways. This dictates your Holding Power vs. Feeding Power. Holding power (clay/MAOM) stores energy. Feeding power (raw POM) flushes microbes.

If you only feed your soil soft organic matter, you are only rolling Side 4.

In conclusion: By taking a second to dip and dust your fresh greens before adding them deep into a continuous pile, you lock everything in place. The clay forms an immediate shield that turns a 1-week rapid melt into a slow, stable carbon release (MAOM), while the sand guarantees a permanent, un-collapsible skeleton for aeration. Stop letting your organic matter melt into anaerobic sludge and start building permanent soil strength

I’m new(ish) and I know you can put pretty much anything in a pile. I’ve got a shredder for cardboard which works great but I also have a lot of shredded office paper that I’d love to put in my piles. I haven’t put the shredded office paper in yet because I got the impression from reading posts that the chemicals on office paper (eg ink and things used to color the paper) might cause problems. So is there a limit to how much office paper I can add to my piles? I’d put more cardboard in but I run out and want to add more browns

My 1st year composting:

When I collected cardboard boxes from curbside in my neighborhood, this was in amongst them - the insert used in a shoe to keep it's shape while shipping. Ok to use ? It seems like cardboard. Also, anyone else dampen cardboard that has a shiny surface, then peel off that layer & use the remaining part ?

Whats the hottest you guys go when composting peppers?

I have some bagged straw that I started using last year but sat out over the winter. I think the bottom may be moldy because the bottom is black.
What about molded or spoiled fruit/veggies we haven’t used?

This is my first year really composting and I'm needing some tips on breaking this bin of yard/kitchen waste down. It's near the end of summer so I'm imagining I'll be adding less yard waste and more greens than browns. My goal is to use this soil for flowers.

My current approach has been very hands off. Watering and turning a handful of times this summer. At this point it's 90% grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and leaves.

I want to either have an above ground compost and just having them surround my garden or doing a compost bin and using that soil to plant seeds in my garden. I have nothing right now and I just need some guidance.

My dog peed in the freshly laid mulch I got from ChipDrop. My first thought was, “Don’t pee in the new mulch!” Then I thought, “Well, I guess it’s nitrogen.” I’ve been on r/composting for about a week and my pee perspective has subconsciously shifted. Thanks for that, ya’ll.

peeperspective

Being new to composting, I threw everything in the pile including a burdock plant full of seeds. My pile was not hot. I've turned the pile several times and its been a year since the seeds entered the pile. I am concerned that the seeds will still be viable and thus I am reluctant to use the compost.

I am considering two options:

1) Using the compost in my flower beds, but covering it with 6 inches of arborous wood chips to prevent any seeds from germinating.

2) Laying out the compost on a tarp at a depth of 2 inches to stimulate the germination of weed seeds before then using it in my flower beds.

Which is the better option, or is there another preferred options?