Hobbies?

[DoubleJ]

For that thing it says it works well in most soil types except hard clay. I know in phoenix our soil is very clayey but is it hard clay? Do you think it would still work here?

You would just need to prime your soil a bit first.

1. Install as directed by buring it into the ground.

2. buy a 2cu ft. bag of compost and drop half of it into the hole.

3. water until the hole is full of standing water, then let it drain on it's own.

4. Repeat #3 everyday for probably 4 days

5. Repeat #2 with the other half of the compost from the bag but don't water this half in.

6. GTG!!!

The compost will mix with the clay and make it more loamy soil. The excessive watering will soften the soil and allow worms/bacteria/other good things a path to the doggy poo. With Phoenix heat, you'll probably have to add water to the hole through the summer. The inside must stay moist. Another thing you could do is put it in a corner of your yard and plant some plants around it to hide it. Out of site and the plants will shade the sun.

 

[DoubleJ]

You know you can buy a $10 garbage can from home depot, cut out the bottom, bury it, and it works the same way, right?

Yup. The wife bought this though. Who am I to tell her things like that

 

[theacoustician]

Yup. The wife bought this though. Who am I to tell her things like that

Rgr Rgr

That powder stuff they sell with it is useful every once in a while to keep things moving.

 

[DoubleJ]

Rgr Rgr

That powder stuff they sell with it is useful every once in a while to keep things moving.

I've just been using Rid-X. It's alot cheaper

 

[theacoustician]

I've just been using Rid-X. It's alot cheaper

Ya, I meant any compositing powder. In the summer it works all on its own, but I find in the winter, it needs more help to stay moving.

 

[zengirl]

So, say someone wanted to really get into gardening, you know as a hobby and they had 2 dogs and stuff... that could all be worked into a compost system, couldn't it?

How does that work and how much would it smell? I mean you just throw organics in there, right? Like eggshells and stuff?

 

[Valve1138]

So that thing is just a big shit bin?

 

[DoubleJ]

So, say someone wanted to really get into gardening, you know as a hobby and they had 2 dogs and stuff... that could all be worked into a compost system, couldn't it?

How does that work and how much would it smell? I mean you just throw organics in there, right? Like eggshells and stuff?

You could use dog poo, just don't use the resulting compost on food crops, only flowers and plants. It's probably safe to use on food crops but, it's highly recomended almost everywhere not to do this because of possible harmful stuff in dog poop that would get into your vegetables.

With that being said, if done correctly, there is no smell at all. Compost piles are made up of mainly carbon (browns) and nitrogen (greens). Carbon is found in leaves, cardboard, newspaper, wood, etc. Nitrogen is found in grass clippings, poop, manure, kitchen scraps, etc. Think of carbon as dry and nitrogen as wet.

I try to keep my mix about 10 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen but a "Professional" mix is about 30-1. Too much carbon and not enough nitrogen causes the pile to cool down and decompose slowly. It will still compost but it will take alot longer. Ideal compost pile core temp should be about 130 degrees. To much nitrogen and not enough carbon causes the pile to stink. If your compost is starting to smell like rotting stuff, add more browns.

The third component is water. Your pile should have enough water to be comparably wet to a well rung out sponge. Too much water and the bacteria breaking down the material drown. Not enough water and they dehydrate and die.

 

[DoubleJ]

So that thing is just a big shit bin?

Pretty much

 

[fly]

Sorry kids, this is an ontopic thread about hobbies and I'd rather not have to delete the last 5-10 pages. Good thread, but rules is rules...