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#compost

6 Beiträge4 Beteiligte1 Beitrag heute

How Often Should You Wet Down Your #Compost Heap?

Compost needs more than rotting kitchen scraps to work well. It needs water, air, and a well-balanced ratio of organic matter. Wet down your compost heap as often as necessary to ensure it’s moist, aerated, and warm throughout the seasons.

by Jerad Bryant and Sarah Jay
Last updated: July 11, 2025

"Without water, compost will turn dry, brittle, and crumbly. It won’t contain tons of microbes and worms; it’ll be half of what it can be with regular watering. So, the question remains: how often should you wet down your compost heap?"

Learn more:
epicgardening.com/wet-compost-

Epic Gardening · How Often Should You Wet Down Your Compost Heap?Compost needs more than rotting kitchen scraps to work well. It needs water, air, and a well-balanced ratio of organic matter. Wet down your compost heap as often as necessary to ensure it’s moist, aerated, and warm throughout the seasons.

Why #Composting Is Essential During #Drought Conditions (includes tips on using #Graywater)

"Drought conditions change the fundamental dynamics of the composting process, creating unique challenges that require specific adaptations to maintain effective decomposition.

"During drought conditions, your compost pile will break down much slower than usual. The microorganisms and bacteria responsible for decomposition require moisture to function properly—with moisture levels below 40%, their activity dramatically decreases. This means kitchen scraps and yard waste that might decompose in 3-4 months could now take 6-8 months to fully break down. Without adequate moisture, fungi and bacteria simply can’t process organic materials efficiently.

"Maintaining adequate moisture becomes your biggest challenge during drought. Traditional composting guidance recommends a moisture content of 50-60%—about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. During drought, evaporation happens rapidly, with exposed compost piles losing 30-40% more moisture than normal. Your pile can quickly become too dry, entering a dormant state where beneficial microbes go inactive. This not only halts decomposition but also makes it harder to rehydrate the pile once conditions improve."

Learn more:
farmstandapp.com/19920/compost

7 Composting During Drought Conditions That Conserve Precious Water
FarmstandApp · 7 Composting During Drought Conditions That Conserve Precious Water - FarmstandAppDiscover how to maintain effective composting during drought conditions with water-saving techniques that turn waste into moisture-retaining soil for drought-resistant gardens.

Another very nice day here; not too hot and sky is mostly clear of smoke. Had a chance to dump out my 80 gallon (312 liter) compost tumbler. The mixture of grass clippings and shredded leaves has been "cooking" for a couple of weeks and it's ready to go out as mulch around the eggplant. AND after a 4-day hiatus, corn-fest resumed today. The second planting is now ready. Let the rejoicing begin! 😀 🌽
#gardening
#Allotment
#NewEngland
#zone6b
#BeetBear
#SweetCorn
@gardening
#compost

Mastodon can be a great source of inspirations! Thanks to @ak_text post about #SlowLooking I discovered a buzzword important for #nature, and every #museum and #gallery.

I show you how to do it and why a woodlouse under a stone can be as interesting as an ancient artefact behind glass:
steady.page/en/naturematchcuts

And of course you can buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/naturematchcuts/tip or subscribe to my #newsletter!

SteadySlow Looking And Soil’s Hustle BustleI just learnt a new word reading a scientific study: Slow Looking. Did you ever look slower than usual? Some inspirations how to do it, in museums, galleries, or nature.

Cómo y qué compostar

En esta entrada vamos a explicar cómo hacemos el compost con los restos de nuestras casas que, normalmente, terminaban en la basura.

Acuérdate que, después de añadir material a la compostera, hay que cubrir los restos con hojas secas o paja y airea la mezcla un poco, sin remover.

Qué restos SI valen

Restos de verduras no cocinados. Córtalos en trozos pequeños.

Puedes echar posos de café y té con los filtros siempre que sean biodegradables. En pocas cantidades, pan y cereales […]

lagordoloba.noblogs.org/post/2

Okay, every time I try to use a web search I understand why so many people ask ChatGPT, but I would much rather #askFedi 😊 this one's mostly for gardeners: what are some good plant sources of phosphorus? Specific plants or specific parts of plants (the only things I found so far are new shoots and fruit, but I don't have tomatoes to give to the plants I'm trying to help grow tomatoes lol)
@gardening #gardening #plants #compost
Edit: I may not need it, will use comfrey if I do. See replies

#Poland - #UrbanGardens help cities fight #ClimateChange

By Andrei Ionescu
July 1, 2025

"Warsaw isn’t short on parks or tree-lined boulevards, but a trio of Polish universities wondered whether smaller, resident-run gardens could add something crucial to the capital’s climate resilience.

"To find out, researchers from SWPS University, Warsaw University of Technology, and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences mapped every vacant meadow, former orchard, and post-industrial lot within easy walking distance of apartment blocks.

"They came up with a staggering 1,864 hectares (4,600 acres) – more than enough space, they say, for a citywide network of community gardens that soak up stormwater, cool overheated streets, and capture carbon.

"The investigation combined that spatial analysis with more than 250 in-depth interviews. The goal was to see who is already gardening, what motivates them, and how much social capital – trust, shared norms, cooperative spirit – might be harvested alongside tomatoes and herbs.

Who uses the urban gardens

"It turns out the movement is surprisingly broad. Urban gardening brings together all social groups, the team reports, from school children planting pollinator patches to cultural institutions converting courtyards into micro-farms.

"Still, two cohorts dominate the regular volunteer lists: retirees – often women with higher education – and young middle class families.

"Most gardens revolve around a core group of 10 to 15 steady hands, supplemented by casual helpers and passers-by who stop to chat, water, or simply lounge among the raised beds.

Motivation of urban gardeners

"Why do they show up week after week? According to study co-author Piotr Majewski of SWPS University, the motivations of urban gardeners vary.

" 'The most important ones are: #reconnection to #nature, positive contribution to the #environment, social relations, and mutual learning between #gardeners,' said Majewski.

"Food, interestingly, is not the primary driver. Leaders said harvests help, but real value comes from #biodiversity, #composting, and public workshops on #sustainable living.

Tiny plots, big impact

"Those activities tally with an expanding body of international research linking urban agriculture to climate adaptation.

"Even pocket-size plots act as #CarbonSinks, trap particulate pollution, and soften the #UrbanHeatIsland. Raised beds can be engineered to hold back flash-flood water, while #compost heaps divert organic waste from #landfills.

"For #Warsaw, the numbers are compelling. Nearly all of the identified 1,864 hectares (4,600 acres) lie within a quarter mile of housing, meaning a potential garden is no farther than a ten-minute stroll for most residents – and often half that.

"Such proximity, the experts argue, makes it easier to harness gardens as a distributed #GreenInfrastructure network in a warming metropolis of nearly two million people.

"Yet the real strength may be social. Garden groups knit neighbors together, boosting the informal networks that cities rely on during #heatwaves, #floods, or other climate-related shocks.

"Many interviewees said they joined to cultivate community first, vegetables second. Regular workdays double as impromptu skill‐shares: retirees pass on horticultural know-how, children learn ecological stewardship, and newcomers forge local friendships.

#UrbanGardens in city plans

"Majewski and his colleagues believe Warsaw’s planners should take that social-ecological synergy seriously.

" 'The system of community gardens should also be considered as a tool to support climate change adaptation solutions in urban policies in spatial planning – provided that they are considered an important link in the urban green infrastructure system,' he explained.

"To get there, the researchers lay out a handful of recommendations. First, city hall could weave gardens into official zoning strategies rather than treating them as informal afterthoughts.

"That might mean leasing public land at peppercorn rents, streamlining permits, or integrating gardens into new housing estates from the design phase.

"Second, municipal agencies could supply starter kits – soil, timber, rain barrels – while leaving day-to-day management to residents. Third, wider publicity would help spread the idea beyond the usual eco-activist circles.

Scaling gardens citywide

"The study also flags areas for further research. At what point does a collection of isolated plots start delivering measurable cooling or flood mitigation benefits?

"How can Warsaw ensure that garden networks thrive in all districts, not just affluent ones with vocal community groups? And what responsibilities will fall on municipal departments when gardens become part of critical infrastructure rather than hobby spaces?

"Those unknowns aside, the evidence is clear: Warsaw already hosts a vibrant cohort of 'hero #activists' who coax life from overlooked corners.

"With modest institutional backing, their trowels and #CompostBins could double as #ClimateAdaptation tools – cooling concrete and absorbing rainfall.

"Perhaps most importantly, they help draw neighbors together in a city that will need every ounce of solidarity as temperatures rise."

earth.com/news/urban-gardens-h

Earth.comUrban gardens help cities fight climate changeUrban gardens may hold the key to climate resilience - cooling streets, capturing carbon, and building social cohesion.
Fortgeführter Thread

🧵 4/ And here, I present the lost and missed species of my childhood: tiny shelled #snails. They live where woodlice feel at home and are always found under stones or lettuce leaves, never on bare soil. They seem to move around at night. No idea what species they are!
They are beautiful and work hard producing the stuff that nourishes the soil. And later us by plants!

Bad quality: I have only my mobile phone.

#soilLife#compost#macro

🧵 1/ My first school room in #nature was a loose rock in a dry stone wall: cronenburg.net/naturematchcuts

For many years I missed some species of that #soilLife until I built a box for making photos. Home to #woodlice and their roommates to show people the adventures happening in #compost and being able to photograph better. At irregular intervals, I'll take you on a tour, as for all things nature without #CW.*

What's the best way to boost organic matter in soil, aka lock up carbon to counter #climatechange?

Plus soil fertility and resilience to drought!

*mulch (not stone or gravel)
* don't till
*cover crops
* leave lawn clippings and leaves
* replace lawn with clover
* replace annuals with perennials
*compost everything
*let wetlands be wetlands

What am I missing? Please add your ideas!

#compost#soil#climateaction

My new (old) Smith and Hawkins Biostack composter. These things were given out by the 1000's by cities in the Bay Area in the 90's and are pretty indestructible. They are crappy for composting however. I used them to stockpile dry leaves for the winter. I put in an ad on Freecycle and bam got another one to expand my compost empire (the one with the tag is the new one) This makes 4 I have gotten from FreeCycle as most never used them and they are sitting there. Because they are modular I can stack them fairly high #garden #compost

A small grey #woodlouse on fertile #soil, a true member of nature’s clean-up crew. These tiny, ruffled creatures prefer to go about their work undisturbed, and when threatened, they have a quirky defense mechanism playing dead.
Woodlice play a crucial role in #composting by breaking down decaying organic matter, turning larger pieces into smaller fragments that microbes can further decompose. Their burrowing helps aerate the compost, improving oxygen flow for microbial activity, while their waste contributes valuable nutrients to the soil. In short, woodlice accelerate decomposition and enhance compost health, making them essential allies in creating rich, fertile soil.

#humus #som #sustainability #fertilesoil #compost #blacksoil