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Angela Ferraro-Fanning's avatar

Thanks for taking the time to write this and share! I hot compost to reduce break down time and kill off weeds seeds and pathogens, but I hadn’t thought about burying it. Have you tried this with weeds or plant waste, or animal manures? Just curious what you may have experienced as a result! Thanks again!

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Beccalynne Jordan's avatar

If I created enough waste I would LOOOVE to attempt hot composting! Before I switched to burying produce waste full-time, I stopped putting weeds and leafy plant waste in the compost bin. I used all our pulled weeds, grass cutting, pruned greens (perennial plants, peas, tomatoes…) as a mulch (green manure).

There is two types of animal manure because not all of it is able to be used right away: 1 - the bags we can buy or farm manure that’s been sitting for over a year (aged) and ready to be put directly onto/ into the garden. 2- fresh manure that can be used when the garden is put to bed over winter. Putting it on top in fall and by spring we can plant into it. I do not burying it, I either put in on in fall for over wintering or used aged/ buy manure in spring to plant directly into if I don’t lay it down in fall.

I bury all kitchen scraps, produce waste from the garden and the odd game animal scraps (fish, ducks, geese…) because we do hunt here.

I have had great success in the three years I’ve been doing this full-time and I find it to be sooooo much simpler than worrying about a bin.

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Chile the Kid's avatar

I NEEDED THIS 🙏🏽 just started a compost bin. Had back and forth about wanting to do a vermiconpost bin or a three stage compost set up. I decided to enclose the food scraps individually and do the yard waste compost in an open air space… I have plenty of space to dig some holes and plenty of perennials to feed!! This. Is. Great.

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Beccalynne Jordan's avatar

PLEASE come back and share your experience! I rotate through three holes on our half acre property.

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Chile the Kid's avatar

I am going to do some experimenting. We are on an urban lot and have some raised beds we do annual veggies in (mostly) going to dig a hole in the middle of a couple of those beds 12” deep. Then also have some perennials like elderberries and blackberries and going to dig a hole by them. Will report back!

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Emma Mills's avatar

I like the idea of this but as a family of 4 we produce lots of kitchen waste and I think I might run out of space. I try to cram lots of perennials into my garden and to not have bare soil...any suggestions? 🤔

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Beccalynne Jordan's avatar

There is absolutely no issue in rotating through 1-3 holes. Especially at a good depth, it’ll a decompose quickly enough to be able to do that. You’ll know what works best as you go with it. I rotate 3 holes.

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Emma Mills's avatar

Thank you 😊 so do you go back to the first hole and dig out the compost to use elsewhere? How long do you tend to leave the hole to do it’s stuff?

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Beccalynne Jordan's avatar

I do scoop it out. I check on it around/ at 14 days. Depending on how much is buried, that seems like a sweet spot to be done.

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Emma Mills's avatar

Thanks

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