Stu Campbell (2) (1942–2008)

Originally published in 1975. Just a little too technical and troublesome for me. I don't have the desire or the patience to make sure my ratios of nutrients are exact or the temperature is just right. I literally just throw all my vegetable kitchen scraps into a pile with some mulched grass, and just keep adding to that, and let the thing work or not. I'll usually give it a turn with the tractor when I see tall grass weeds growing in it...lol So far, at the end of the day, I've ended up with fresh dirt to add to my garden every single time.

If you are serious about composting "perfectly", then this really might be the book for you.… (más)

This is a book for people with a _lot_ of composting to do, not people like me who are just getting rid of kitchen scraps in a "Green Machine". it has some tips on gardening and how to use one's compost, which may come in handy in another few years when I have enough compost to make it worth my time to try to spread it on the garden or even the yard. My compost, which was inoculated with horse manure this spring is breaking down surprisingly well, even though it certainly doesn't have the volume to heat up like some composts due. The author advises paying attention to the pH of soil and compost. This is no doubt a good plan, but he does not give any attention to means, other than taking a sample and sending it to university extension, to do so.

The illustrations in the book were intended to be humorous; not surprisingly therefore, a few were sexist.

The book has a few tables and charts of information that is close to useless to me whereas its list of various types of compostables and their C/N ratios was just buried in the text.

It had a fair amount of helpful information about the organisms that inhabit your compost. It has a brief chapter on the history of composting and also a somewhat helpful chapter on constructing compost heaps and bins.… (más)

A good introduction to composting for gardeners. It discusses various composting systems, their advantages and disadvantages. Bins and tumblers. How to build a bin, where to locate it. What to put on your pile, what to avoid. How to layer. Drainage and aeration. Bacteria and organisms. How to activate your pile to speed decomposition. What to do with the finished product.

Recommended if you are looking to make good compost for your garden. May disappoint if you are mainly seeking a way to dispose of kitchen wastes without attracting vermin. The author says that “we have no rats around our place.” How many other people can say the same? The compost bins he recommends are not rodent proof. There are no index entries under “rats” or “rodents” or “vermin.” He regards them as non-issues. But compost piles can and do attract vermin.

Indexed, with bibliography. Includes sources for buying composting supplies.… (más)