Category: What's Missing?

What’s Missing?

Point out a compost issue not covered by this article, or ask a question about composting that’s not answered or at least addressed anywhere in the Composter Connection site, and win a $25 gift certificate from Planet Natural.

(The “or at least addressed” is meant to cover stuff that’s unanswerable or information for which I refer people to other sources or sites.)

Oh—just to take all the fun out of it—Compost Tea doesn’t count. We’re doing a separate article on that. Sorry.

Entries in this category can range from standard-issue to glaring.

--standard-issue omission: The “duh,” category. This is the one that will make me smack my forehead and cry, “I can’t believe I left that out!” while everyone around says, “Well, duh.”

--most glaring omission: This one—oh, when I realize I left this one out, my numbed lips will shape no words save these: “The horror—the horror,” as everyone else at the cocktail party moves away from me, muttering to each other, “She wrote an article on composting and didn’t mention that?” —the mutters growing gradually to a dull roar until the crowd as one moves to toss their drinks in my direction, but just as they draw back their arms,

  “Wait!” a voice cries, and,

  “Saved!” I think; “a voice of kindness and reason at last—”

  “—why waste good liquor?”

  And to cries of “Right!” and “Right on!” they all turn their backs on me and drain their glasses, giving rise to the “anti-toast” and simultaneously proving once again that there actually is something worse than having an entire roomful of people toss their drinks in your face.

Submit your entries as comments. Thanks!

Comments

[Heather]

Here is my official entry!
*If you add chicken manure to the compost pile, does the cooking process negate the normal aging year needed to break down manure into usable product?

[VP]

Hi Kate!

I can't find anything about using human urine as a compost additive to accelerate the process. It's something a lot of the 'old boys' on allotments up and down the country over here swear by!

I'm also a little confused: you say using herbivore pet bedding is OK in one section, but not pet faeces in another. I do add herbivore pet bedding to my heap and in my experience that means adding their poo too. As you quite rightly say it's the dog and cat stuff that's a no-no because of the risk of passing on toxoplasmosis, but I think adding stuff like rabbit and hamster poo is fine.