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Decomposition

Unknown
edited March 2011 in Strut Central
Been trying to compost banana peels, grapefruit peels, celery strings, moldy record covers, ect. in a medium Tupperware here..

Any recommendations?

So far I've just been comminuting the material quickly and tossing it in there.

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  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    Mix in some actual topsoil.
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    With worms.
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    Unknown
    I thought of doing that but I don't want addition material taking up the space that I need for my litter.

    Any particular reason that I should though?

    I did think about going out with a spoon and a small container to collect some rollie pollies to put in there. They would mill around and munch on the decaying plants.

    Also, rollie pollies (Isopods) breath through gills. So remember to look for them in moist places.
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    Unknown
    Reynaldo said:
    With worms.

    Yes, worms.
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    Unknown
    Reynaldo said:
    Mix in some actual topsoil.

    The clay would help because carbon would bind to it.

    Also, Isopods are active in warmer drier conditions than worms, who like it cooler and wetter, but both are only happy when it is wet.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I thought this was about the scientists who recently went to Mozart's tomb.
    They wanted to get some dna, to see if they could discover a "Mozart" gene, or the gene that makes someone a musical genius.
    So they open the tomb and Mozart is sitting there at a desk with musical scores in front of him.
    No, this is true,
    And he is erasing the musical scores.

    The scientist ask what are you doing?

    He says... see thread title.
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    Unknown


    Consider this:
    A: litter + microorganisms + bacterivores & fungivores

    B: litter + microorganisms + bacterivores & fungivores + predators

    Is decomp. influenced by predators of bacterivores & fungivores?
  • eliseelise 3,252 Posts
    Poop in it. That should help.
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    Unknown
    Maybe if I need mobile N that would improve the quality of the substrate, but the neighbors might think that is indecent.



    A = B because microorganisms are unaffected by bacterivores & fungivores. Increased consumption of microorganisms can increase microbial activity.

    B > A because predators have a positive indirect effect on microorganisms - more microorganisms might also mean faster decomposition.
  • FrankFrank 2,373 Posts
    roadkill gives a fine compost...

    In all seriousness though, when I still had a garden, I noticed that citrus peels don't rot well. They often get moldy which you don't want to have in your compost. For the same reason I would keep moldy record covers out of there, especially laminated ones, the lamination won't rot.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Balance your greens and browns.
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Not sure - but it sounds like you are doing it in an apartment?
    Maybe your city has some info...or bins that they will provide and even arrange to pick up?
    There is a lot of good info online on how to compost in an apartment/balcony, etc.

    But worms, coffee grounds and - if you can get at some - leaves are very good to put in there.
    Don't forget - no meat, meat by-products. For small-scale indoor composting, it won't break down fast enough and may attract non-worm critters.
  • FrankFrank 2,373 Posts
    bassie said:


    Don't forget - no meat, meat by-products. For a small-scale indoor composting, it won't break down fast enough and may attract non-worm critters.

    Yup!

    I was only joking with the roadkill.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Frank said:
    bassie said:


    Don't forget - no meat, meat by-products. For a small-scale indoor composting, it won't break down fast enough and may attract non-worm critters.

    Yup!

    I was only joking with the roadkill.

    Also, no dairy, oily or greasy stuff.
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,473 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    I thought this was about the scientists who recently went to Mozart's tomb.
    They wanted to get some dna, to see if they could discover a "Mozart" gene, or the gene that makes someone a musical genius.
    So they open the tomb and Mozart is sitting there at a desk with musical scores in front of him.
    No, this is true,
    And he is erasing the musical scores.

    The scientist ask what are you doing?

    He says... see thread title.

    My music teacher in high school--a great fan of terrible puns--used this joke constantly. When it was met with the inevitable groans, she would say, "Uh-oh, that Mozart joke didn't go over Verdi well--I better go Bach into Hayden."
  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    DJ_Enki said:
    LaserWolf said:
    I thought this was about the scientists who recently went to Mozart's tomb.
    They wanted to get some dna, to see if they could discover a "Mozart" gene, or the gene that makes someone a musical genius.
    So they open the tomb and Mozart is sitting there at a desk with musical scores in front of him.
    No, this is true,
    And he is erasing the musical scores.

    The scientist ask what are you doing?

    He says... see thread title.

    My music teacher in high school--a great fan of terrible puns--used this joke constantly. When it was met with the inevitable groans, she would say, "Uh-oh, that Mozart joke didn't go over Verdi well--I better go Bach into Hayden."

    I'm more disappointed in his repetition of the same bad puns than I am mad at the actual puns themselves.
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    Unknown
    Yeah I got the "grounds for your garden" from Starbucks.

    I hear the caffeine makes the worms go nuts. But aren't most composting worms invasive?

    I remember a NYT article warning fishermen not to toss out extra worms.

    I will look into where to get native worms, quick.
  • RishanRishan 454 Posts
    maybe try adding some sugar. with the extra carbohydrate boost, that should make the bacteria and micro-organisms go crazy and increase recycling activity. i do this with grass lawns because it's great for the soil condition and means u don't have to add chemicals.

    also tea bags/leaves, egg shells and the cardboard boxes they come in, are good for compost.
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    Unknown
    Like a soil sweetener, I like that and for lawns on mineral soils I can see how a labile source of preformed carbon would stimulate the bacteria and maybe fungi.

    I don't think the compost is C limited though.
    Also, I can't find more info on native worms.

    Could it be true that once a microbial community is changed it may never return to a "native" condition even when land use practices are reversed to less disruptive in the hopes of recovery?
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