Is a composting toilet just a fancy name for an outhouse?
This is referring to the bathrooms in rural areas so the odds of it being a very fancy kind of composting machine is out of the question.
An outhouse is simply a shed with a toilet seat leading into a pit. The waste matter is simply left to be absorbed by the soil or eventually just covered up.
A composting toilet is a system where the waste is allowed to compost into usable material for gardening or landscaping. It usually has less of a smell than a hole in the ground outhouse and there is a system for emptying it and using the ready compost for fertilizer for soil replenishment.
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Is it a problem there are earth worms living in my compost pile I started last year?
My compost looks ready and when i was turning it I noticed there are earth worms living in it. I red only red wigglers are useful in a compost bin. I sure didn’t add any worms, they came by them selves. There was some earth in my compost because I have dumped a few potted plants in the bin.
I run a number of worm farms at my business not only do they process vegetable matter into fertilizer but also animal waste from the business (dogs and cats) and is just about the best you can get .
Earthworms will also oxygenate the soil helping the material to break down to usable compost much quicker than turing with a fork if anything encourage them they do a good job in lawns and compost bins.
What is home composting and industrial composting?
What is home composting and what is industrial composting?
benefits for each.
how do they work?
answer separately
your answer will be greatly appreciated (:
Composting in general is the decomposition of organic matter. Home composting is when you decompose your own organic waste at home/in your backyard. The most popular method of doing this is by using earthworm farms. The worms will ingest and decompose your organic waste leaving behind a rich fertilizer (compost). Home composting is very easy to do and everyone should get involved because it can drastically reduce your carbon footprint.
Industrial composting is, more or less, the same thing as home composting but on a larger scale. And the purpose of composting isn’t to help the environment or dispose of your kitchen waste, but to turn a profit. Worm farming for profit is actually a very rapidly growing industry because it can be done even at your own home. All you need to do is optimize your earthworm farms and scale up the compost production.
Where can I order worms for my compost?
I have a small pile of toilet waste in my backyard. Not a big pile or anything. It is maybe a foot high and I am keeping it maintained. I have been covering it with a bed sheet so no one can see it. Either way, it is not composting, you can still see the individual pieces. There are supposed to be worms that eat human waste, but I don’t know what kind of worms they are. But I need some worms to wiggle around in that stuff and compost it down. Also would you date someone who is doing what I am doing?
Bacteria eats feces not worms. I would suggest having a septic tank man come out and remove it. Maggots may eat little but that will be spreading around bacteria.
How long does composting take?
I am considering composting my garden and food waste. But I am curious, in general, how long does it take to compost garden waste into soil? I’m sure that there are many factors which influence the breakdown time like the amount of waste, the amount of moisture, the presence or absence of worms etc. I usually amass about 10 to 20 lbs of garden waste a week most of which ends up in the garbage. is it worthwhile to compost? What could I do with excess compost?
It is absolutely worth it to compost.
You can speed up the process several ways. I am able to harvest compost from my pile 3x a season here in PA by tending to the compost pile.
First, when you build you pile, keep it open to the soil below. That is, do not put a bottom on your compost bin if you are using a bin. Worms will not live in a hot compost pile, but as it breaks down and the bottom becomes cooler, they will come up from the soil and speed up the final breakdown process at the bottom of the pile.
Second, you need 3 things to keep your compost pile hot. Heat in the compost pile is a sign that the chemical reaction that breaks down the material is taking place.
1. A good mixture of green and brown material (kitchen waste, grass clippings, trimmings from live plants fall into the green category, fall leaves, cuttings from plants that have died back fall into brown)
2. oxygen
3. moisture (pile should be kept moist, not soggy)
You can regenerate the pile and spark faster reactions by re-supplying these three items as needed. Oxygen is added by turning the pile regularly. You will find that the pile will collapse as it breaks down, using up the oxygen. Turn it regularly to add the oxygen back in. This is also a great time to add water if it is needed. I usually keep a pile of green waste nearby so when I turn I can add green – green is the fuel, brown becomes the compost.
If your pile gives off an odor, something is out of balance or you have added meat based material. Probably it is too wet. Again, moist, not soggy.
Have fun!!
If you dont add worms to compost, is there some kinds of bug or worms that can develop?
I HATE WORMS WITH A PASSION, and i don’t want them in my compost. any ideas of how to keep them away?
bleach to compost? isnt that deadly to anything.???
Well if you kill the little critters and worms you may as well throw away your ideas to compost at all. They are natures animals that take care of all the non broken down stuff you put in there. It`s the worms that eat whatever is in there and your compost is actually worm casings ( or poop ). Don`t like worms? Get rid of the composter. Leave them alone, they are there to help you , other wise , there will be no compost for you to use
Can a composting toilet be used permanently? How do they work?
Because of septic problems I am looking into other waste disposal options. I came across composting toilets online. Are they stinky? Do they need to be pumped? Can they be used permanently as long as pumped? Is it legal to dump the "fertilizer"?
I want something as natural/normal looking as possible, is this fairly similar to the usual toilets in homes?
Any information or links to websites, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Composting toilet are very simple to construct. All the waste are taken to the underground chamber and there the bacteria does its work and break down the toilet wastes to Methane and Carbon dioxide. These gases and vented to the atmosphere through a vent which is kept on top of the chamber. so the toilet as such will not be smelly and it should be like your normal toilet. It requires pumping out the sludge once in a while – say once in 10 years. This may depend on the load and size of the chamber.
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Can you compost without worms and if so how?
It’s winter and I am trying to start my science fair project but all the websites that say how to compost say you need worms. I can’t find any worms in my back yard and don’t feel like ordering them offline. Please tell me how I can do it if it’s possible or tell me stores that I can by them from.
It depends on how you want to compost.
Composting with worms is called vermicomposting.
With regular composting you can compost on the ground or in a tumbling composter. If your compost is in contact with the ground then worms will naturally come into your compost pile. If you use a tumbler you don’t want to add worms since the tumbling would kill them.
Hope it helps.
-GG
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Can a composting toilet be electricity free?
If one ran a hot woodstove exhaust pipe through or near a composting toilet with a hand crank, could one get by without using electricity?
Yes, its called an outhouse. But seriously, they do make electricity free composting toilets. Do a google search on SunMar Composting Toilets. There may be a caveat where it might use electricity from a 12v solar cell needed to spin the vent fan but that might be included.
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Compost worms in a worm bin: better to let the bin get hot or try to shade it?
I have a black bin where compost worms live. I know when it’s cold they go dormant. If they get real hot in the sun (easily over 100 degrees) will they become less active, or do they like to be hot?
Thanks,
Houyhnhnm
Direct sun will kill your worms. Bake them to be more exact.
Temps over 90, make sure your bin is damp and do not feed scraps, they will heat the bin more.
Worms do not go dormant in the cold, they die, but the eggs hatch when it warms again.
