My Sub-Rosa Composting

[digitS']

Okay, it isn't a rose - there aren't any blooming in my yard just yet. I could have said "My Sub-Mountain Bluet Composting" but, I don't think that it would have hinted at: secretive . . .

The boards form the little deck outside my greenhouse. What is under the deck right now is a hole. I tossed in a poppy flower . . . that's kind of sub-rosa, too . Except it isn't that kind of poppy.

Anyway, composting sub-terrain has given me opportunities where others might not look. I can actually have a compost pile here at home and the neighbors would never know - but, importantly, it doesn't take up a bit of useful space on this small lot .

I emptied the composting hole mid-season last year and later, re-stocked it with compostables. I carried off the well-composted material out of the hole just a week or so, ago - so, 2 cycles of compost. I had a bottomless cardboard box filled with soil, sitting on quite a bit of material under there thru the winter. I think that is important, whether I'm composting above ground, in the ground, or under the greenhouse step: soil helps with composting. The cardboard box was just to give me another 8" of space on the top. The cardboard? Yeah, it composted, too.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, wasn't it hard on your back taking the compost out of there? It seems like it would be alittle difficult.

Mary

 

[so lucky]

Perhaps Steve is like me--the back does not hurt when gardening!

 

[digitS']

My back hurts aaaallll the time.

Still, I can lift that little 6' by 4' deck by tilting it forward, then pivoting it and leaning it against the post in the carport. That gets it out of the way for compost activities.

Of course, it takes help from DW for me to put it back where it belongs .

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Oh, I didn't know the deck was removable. Great idea.

Mary