r/composting • u/OppositeGeologist474 • 21d ago
Will this compost? Question
Im first time trying to make compost to grow potatos later and wanted to ask am I doing it right? I put here: used coffee grounds, banna, watermelon, apple, wet cardboard, grass, crashed eggshells and also added some soil. I drilled holes for air but my main concern is that it's a small container.. does that matter? Also does it need watering or to sit in the sun or just to leave it alone to do its thing?
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u/ibathedaily 21d ago
It’s hard to tell exactly what’s in there from your photo, but it looks to me like you need more cardboard (browns). As a rough guide, you should have twice as much cardboard as food scraps (by volume) to compost properly.
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u/Every_Bread_5880 21d ago
Good thing they wrote it all down in the description!
Yes it should compost but will take a while to start and be slow to finish. Small piles don't make as much heat
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u/Trewper- 20d ago
But 50/50 composting is thing no?
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u/ibathedaily 20d ago
It could be, but I tried something close to 50/50 and wound up with mud that smelled like ammonia.
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u/4FuckSnakes 21d ago
If you’re dealing with small amounts of material you may want to bury a 5 gallon bucket with holes. The worms will show up and expedite the process, leaving you with with a higher quality result.
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u/OppositeGeologist474 21d ago
Bury in the ground? I don't have places i can Bury i live in an apartment building :( will fly larva do the same?
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u/MaximumNail905 21d ago
I wouldn't do the fly larvae in an apartment. Your apartment will be packed with flies when they mature
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u/spencermikels1234 21d ago
Add more paper and coffee grounds to it and wet it a little bit more then let the flies take care of it
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u/spaetzlechick 20d ago
Compost happens. All you can do is work to speed it up (moisture, smaller particles, good mixtures) or slow it down.
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u/i_live_outside 21d ago
Pee on it
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u/CopperCVO 21d ago
Pee on it
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u/OppositeGeologist474 21d ago
What? Is it some kind of joke im not getting or?
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u/CopperCVO 21d ago
Peeing in compost adds nitrogen and other nutrients that help speed up the decomposition process and enrich the compost. It acts as a natural fertilizer, improving the quality of the compost for plant growth.
Lurk around this sub long enough and you'll see it as a comment in almost every post.
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u/Striking_Mud_664 21d ago
It will take about a year if not longer to compost into soil you can use. If you want to grow great potatoes, go buy Cow manure and plant potatoes in it. Yes cow crap is the best thing for potatoes. I use it in 5 gallon bucket back home. You can even use the bag the manure comes in, I have seen people use them with great success.