Should You Bury Kitchen Scraps In The Garden Or Use A Compost Bin?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

How do you compost in your garden? Let us know in the comments below!

[@MATT-xv4bh]

@@BH-ux2hm Sounds like I have been doing the right things all this time. Thanks for the reassurance, Brett

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Brett Hopkins how long do you find it takes the scraps to break down when you dig a hole and bury them?

[@fr33ourminds]

@@BH-ux2hm I have never heard of digging a hole in the center of a bed and keeping it for scraps. Is there a name for the process that I could look up?

[@fr33ourminds]

@@BH-ux2hm Heck I'll try it

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener Morning....As noted before, I am a “ No dig” guy. I have an urban back yard lasagne guy, with 7 permanent beds. Due to a lack of space, I need to double up uses where I can. So, I have a worm pile without borders at an inconspicuous, otherwise unused spot. I make sure there is food at that spot at all times, with pieces of cardboard covering it. By the way, the worms love eating cardboard.. Then, like Ruth Stout, I keep my beds all mulched with 4-5 inches of straw. My kitchen leftovers, and those of friends who save theirs for me, I chop finely, and keep the worm food under the deep straw. Additionally, I add about 50 worms from my main worm pile into each bed every day. Of course, they reproduce and continually add worm poop and more worms. Each bed is alive with worms, and the straw allows some oxygen, due to the looseness, and the kitchen scraps, etc, are broken down by the oxygen and the worms. Works great for me.

[@Crazyaboutpaper1]

This is called Trench composting . It is an ancient farming practice. Growing up in India, I have seen mounds in fields, where vegetable waste was thrown into a trench and come next season, it will be turned out and a new trench will be commissioned. What an excellent way to reduce, reuse & recycle. I am doing this in my DFW garden and have seen great results. Mark where you have dug , so you don't dig there earlier than needed. Best wishes . Happy Gardening.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@Andriig75]

DFW?

[@Crazyaboutpaper1]

@@Andriig75 Sorry for the confusion. Dallas/Ft.Worth, Texas.

[@smb123211]

I'm a cook and have been burying scraps for years. I have a system (because I have so many scraps) that starts at one end and advances about 2 feet each new fill. Incredibly rich, wormy soil that can grow anything.

[@kodiak1984]

I use alot of containers as my back yard isnt mine to dig up! What I've done is bury my food wastes into the bottom of the containers and top it up with soil and compost. I leave it for a week before planting anything The trick I use is I take the food waste and cut it down as finely as possible. The smaller they are, the quicker it breaks down and the quicker it revitalizes the soil in the ground or container. Instead of waiting 90 days, for example, it gets broken down in weeks As you mentioned the concern about nitrogen. If you can get your hands on coffee grinds, add that to the food waste. You should be able to find the right balance needed

[@ScarletJannaStaAna]

I agreee man...

[@nancee9101]

I do the same compost in place in my containers. Works great!

[@Madmun357]

Excellent! I bury my scraps a lot. Watermelon rinds, greens, peels. When I started a new bed I dug a trench, buried pine needles, grass, half composted kitchen scraps and fresh kitchen scraps and even some small branches. Just buried it all. I'm in the desert so it'll take longer to break down, but it breaks down completely. I love your content. Keep up the good work.

[@storya14]

I know you get told this all the time but holy moly YOU are a great TEACHER. You explain so well and I can't help but to always share your videos. Thank you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I really appreciate that. My goal is to motivate people to garden, so that’s great to hear.

[@kuredumas7164]

I've been using this method for a while. It really works. Organic matter decomposes much faster into the soil.

[@classicrocklover5615]

I grew up with grandparents who were both farmers. Kitchen scraps weren't composted, they were fed to the hogs and chickens. And very few things were considered "scraps" they used every little bit they could before sending the rest to the livestock. An elderly friend would save up her egg shells, crush them fine, soak them in water for a long time (several weeks?) And then strain and use that water for her plants. Stinky, but WOW!

[@endgamefond]

Wow I did that actually

[@teckhohng3870]

Very informative. This guy communicates well and his explanation is above par. Thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Teck Hoh Ng I appreciate that. Thank you for watching.

[@collydogznampach7118]

Great video. No repetition. Just straight to the point. Thank you. Sometimes it's not possible to have compost piles. This is a great alternative.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Colleen Chapman thanks for watching!

[@MaharionPendragon]

This is the best explainer video on composting yet! Thank you

[@avanellehansen4525]

To keep critters from digging in direct composted veggie beds, I buried a pot halfway into the soil. I put kitchen scraps in it, then place a slightly smaller pot inside the first pot. (On top of veg scraps. The top pot can be planted with pansy's or something small, so pots need t to heavy to add more scraps.

[@danskehans]

We have a 5 gl. pail with a lid in the kitchen and when it is half full I go out and bury it. The bottom of the pail stinks to high heaven, but in no time at all it has been transformed to wonderful black, rich soil.

[@rafa106900]

Great information. I practice in-place composting all year round. So far, it has given me great results. I add a marker so I don’t lose track of where I have added the latest food scraps. When the season starts in zone 7b, I add manure to all the beds in spring for more nutrients to continue fertilize the ground. Thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sounds like a great plan. My beds aren't even a full year old yet, so I'll be doing a lot of this to build my soil. Thanks for watching!

[@jimwilleford6140]

rafa106900 Rafa. Me too, it saves so much extra work, eh?

[@jimwilleford6140]

rafa106900 Rafa. Do you do this very early in a generally mild climate, 8a to be specific?

[@rafa106900]

Jim Willeford jim, I take out food scraps almost every weekend and as the scraps start breaking down, I collect it and put it in bags or add it to areas that I am growing. I have 6 active beds so i keep track of the bed that I am adding new scraps to give it time to breakdown. In the winter it takes longer but I burry it deep and add leaves and wood chips, and in 4 weeks, it is black gold. It works.

[@user-yp1bu8jm7n]

I've been gardening for 10 years And I have also bury food and vegetables waste in my garden I always mark my spot with a stick so I don't redig until spring 🌱

[@WakandaBabe]

I collected my scraps throughout the summer and froze them so at the end of the season I had tons. I buried them in Sept/Oct. Can't wait to see results in Spring.

[@jimwilleford6140]

ohsnapiam59 Smart idea.

[@gilmacastaldi9552]

Great idea. Will do .

[@TheMillennialGardener]

WOW! That's dedication. Is there any room remaining for food? :D Awesome dedication!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@Nancy Fitch you must need a separate freezer :)

[@drew4021]

I have been doin this for some 10+ years now and it works beautifully. My advice to viewers is to go ahead and do it now -don't waste anymore of those scraps

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Wonderful. Have you ever gotten curious and dug down to see how many inches your garden soil goes before you hit the native sand/clay?

[@ML-ks2lj]

I bury so many fish in my garden it's crazy how well it helps all of my walleye carcases and salmon end up in there. The bodies are gone in a few months. Maybe even as low as 2 or 3

[@johntullio5087]

That is the best description of composting I've heard. Great video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

John Tullio thanks, and thanks for watching!

[@user-yp1bu8jm7n]

I have a compost bin for grass clippings and other yard waste but the food scarps go into the garden been doing this for a few years and it seems to work well

[@jameswilmot4537]

Great video and advice, I made a simple little video about 3 years ago where I buried my hedge cuttings. It was so good I trimmed another hedge and put those cuttings in on top. This year I will be planting mainly runner beans on the spots where I've buried scraps as well as using wood ash/nettle/comfrey mix in the water for faster growth and hopefully higher yields.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's really shocking how quickly things break down. Even wood. All the pruned wood and leaves from my avocado tree that I laid underneath it, which at the time was like two 40 gallon trash bags worth of wood and leaves, is mostly gone. Underground, things break down even more quickly.

[@anla3957]

I just dump kitchen scraps on the ground and mix it with some fall leaves. Turn it 2 times a week, water when necessary and I get a lot of compost this way 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sounds like a good plan. I actually don't have any leaves since there are very few deciduous trees in my native climate, and I had all the trees in my lot removed due to hurricane risks. I do grass clippings, pine needles, kitchen scraps and old plants.

[@peronspence4427]

3 mnth update?

[@cgordon1386]

Doing the same in my garden :) . It's the end of Oct here and Winter is on its way here in Prince George B.C., so there should be plenty of time to turn scraps into great compost. We generally don't put our gardens in here until the May long weekend.

[@FilthySoapCore]

Gardening is a whole science

[@calmheart1782]

On year we put an old broke trunk in our garden. We would throw scraps, especially rotten bananas that we got from a local store, in it. We would add a little dirt every now and then so nothing would stink. The nutrients would wash out when it rained. The following summer, we grew the biggest squash plants we had ever seen! And boy did they make the squash!

[@belindadomingo]

I have been experimenting with burying food scraps in the raised garden bed. I added mushroom compost, some old cow manure, worm tea and seasol to get things moving and found that I was able to plant on top fairly quickly (roughly a month). Lettuces have gone great and just waiting to see how well the zucchini does. First flowering fruit observed today! (Summer here in Australia)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent information. I'm glad it's working well. Please be safe with the fire situation.

[@belindadomingo]

I remember I did have old leaves in there too

[@larlarkrumble7578]

Interesting. I use compost piles but I have the room. But glad to add another tool to my belt. I rarely toss my compost piles as I don’t think it’s needed. Nature composts just fine without such help. I do from time to time give my piles a boost by adding a half can of cola and half can of beer (not lite beer) to a hose end sprayer jug and feed the pile. I love the end product and have enough earthworms to start a bait store. Thanks again.

[@ladybugpleasures2850]

I usually blend all my scraps in the blender with water and mix it in soil . It works for me. Glad for your tips. A new friend. Stay connected.

[@lindaallen3716]

Ladybug Pleasures I do the same thing. It makes sense to me that it would compost faster.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Interesting. Like a smoothie for your garden.

[@kelli8923]

I have heard that called compost tea.

[@martelvonc]

In the summer I use 2 roller bins for compost. In the winter I dump my kitchen scraps right into the garden and fork it in to cover it. I compost kitchen veg scraps and crushed up egg shells, along with leaves and my shredding bin for brown.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

How has it worked for you? It sounds like a very good plan.

[@martelvonc]

@@TheMillennialGardener pretty well. I'm finally getting the hang of composting and adding household shredding has helped a lot to dry out the wet veg better. We don't have much brown material in the summer so the shredding has been great.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Martha Fletcher I feel your pain. There are no deciduous trees where I live around me, so I can’t chop any leaves. My entire yard doesn’t have any leaves in it! I’m just mixing coffee grounds, plant stems and natural hardwood mulch from Lowes 😂

[@shellydurunna]

Rotting meat is great for iron. My mangoes love decaying meat.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

caca I agree, it burying them could lure animals in to dig up your beds. If you can bury bones and flesh with no fear of pests, I say do it. I would like to get a compost bin later for animal products. I don’t want to lure any critters in my beds.

[@SalongirlGardens]

Yes yes yes! Great info for new composters😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching! I appreciate it.

[@autumnhaywood1851]

You made this feel very approachable to newbies, easy to understand. Thanks so much. definitely subscribing

[@BoneFrossil]

Great video as usual, jealous of your large flat yard you have available.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

"Flat" is relative, I think it has a pretty gnarly slope 😀 It's going to take me several seasons to clean it up and get it to where I want it to be, but that's the fun in this. Thank you for watching!

[@CinemaSasquatch]

I did this a few years ago in a Birdie raised bed. My dog decided to jump up in the bed and dig it all up. He hurt his hip when he jumped down. The process works great, and I'll do it again when I figure out how to keep him out of it.

[@Gaspa79]

You gave me both the dwarf tomato project knowledge and now this! Awesome channel man, keep it up!

[@christinescharphorn5968]

Also, if you are burying them anyways, you can add oils/animal products to your pile. You may want to dig a deeper trench based on your pest pressure, but I find this depth to be plenty. I also add a bit of leaves or paper to the top of my scraps for an added layer of scent blocking.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Christine Scharphorn I think I am going to get a bin for hot composting animal products so it doesn’t attract pests. I think if you can do it, that’s a great idea though! Bones are so good for your soil.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Christine Scharphorn Very interesting. I live in Oregon, and we are fortunate to have a seemingly endless access to leaves in the fall. I have 3 leaf mold wire 3’ x4’ cages working. I add a handful of organic alfalfa pellets about every 8-10”’s, of added leaves, dampen it down, and add more leaves, etc until full. It gets REALLY hot, and is ready to use after just one winter. I do use a compost puller about once a week to provide the aerobic value. Works great and takes very little time. I do not add anything but leaves and alfalfa pellets and moisture, in these cages. I do my other “ composting” in place” under the 3-4” straw top layer in my lasagne beds.

[@nikkitobin8356]

GREAT BREAKDOWN THANKS A BUNCH Im a first time gardener

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@hollyp9811]

I love how you explain things! I subscribed after the first video I watched and kept watching more! Thanks so much!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm happy to hear you enjoy the videos! Thank you for subscribing.

[@patriciacole8773]

We have an old bed of a truck sitting on the ground. We add kitchen scraps. Horse manure fed well. Leaves. Wood chips. Like that. Hope we have good dirt soon.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That sounds very interesting. How's it working?

[@patriciacole8773]

The Millennial Gardener and also grass clippings. I won’t know til spring

[@ricetune]

@@patriciacole8773 hahaha, very good! put them in a green house with a co2 emitter, and your have a mad insane big crop.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Patricia Cole works well except the woodchips. They definitely will leach the nitrogen out of the mix. However, they make great mulch laid on the too of soil, but not mixed in.

[@patriciacole8773]

Jim Willeford thanks for pointing it out. To be more accurate I don’t. I actually placed the wood chips in between the rows. I spoke in error before. Please forgive me.

[@jimwilleford6140]

You are a terrific presenter.. Enjoyable!!! One last tip. I don’t know whether you mixed wood chips into your planting medium. If so, it will bind your nitrogen, though it will eventually break down. Consider just laying an inch or two on top of everything else, then just pull it back to insert starts, even seeds.the wood chips are a GREAT mulch, but should not be incorporated into your other soil stuff! If you have already done so, adding some organic source high in nitrogen will help some. Please forgive if my suggestions seem intrusive.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. I do not mix in wood chips. I only use wood chips as a cover to protect against the UV rays of the sun and to regulate moisture. It's only a 2 inch thick layer of natural shredded hardwood mulch.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener Perfect.

[@Laurie_in_Maine]

Tried this trench method - but deeper - as soon a ground was workable last spring. In addition to lawn cuttings and chopped leaves from last mowing, used the unfinished material from the "slow" composting all fall & winter. Animals did dig it up to some extent (without that fencing you have) but not as much as I feared. Called back the worms very well. Tried 2 of the "holes-in-a-5 gallon-buckets" buried 3/4th's into the ground. Can't say composting worked as well as some of the KZbin videos proclaimed but worms were available for fishing day-trips early in the season. Planning a DIY rotating composter this spring to supplement the 3 "Earth Machines" - they take 6 months minimum. Glorified storage bins for garbage but they were cheap through town's recycling program years ago. Do keep the animals out. Except for snakes! And yes, I scream like a little girl when I open them and find a mating pair basking in the warmth.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

L Walton that’s good info, thank you. I think it takes years to really become sustainable. The key is doing it often to keep the worms around, I think. That’s my plan so far.

[@garydavies1813]

Great info I sometimes add cereal boxes or cardboard love too see enthusiasm for your hobby hope it brings you great joy

[@w4do]

Looking forward to the results of your experiment. Thanks for the excellent video!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching.

[@msc.one11]

I compost with worms indoors but in the summer I do bury kitchen scraps as it's bountiful in the summer but I also add in some brown materials also such as saw dust or shredded paper/cardboard. The addition of carbon provides the ultimate environment for worms and a crumbly moist results that aids in moisture retention more so than just using kitchen scraps

[@classicrocklover5615]

I've never used worm castings in my garden, but I want to try. I will probably just buy a small bag to do a test. Will it work if I just add a couple small spoonfuls of castings in the holes in which I transplant my veggies? Instead of trying to mix the castings into the entire raised bed?

[@msc.one11]

@@classicrocklover5615 yes you can just mix into the holes

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Interesting. I've seen videos of people making "worm bins."

[@msc.one11]

@@TheMillennialGardener look up vermicomposting trenches

[@taylorkuhla4327]

No dig is best. I put the scraps on top of the soil and put the free wood chips I get over the food scraps. Critters do dig into it sometimes even if it's just banana peels, coffee ground, etc, but I don't know why I should care. If anything they bring me rich poop. I just put over more wood chips to level it again. I tried bokashi back in the day and stopped because I didn't like the idea of having to disturb my soil all the time. I should also mention I just started doing this around my trees and shrubs with free organic waste I get from a juice/smoothie bar. For vegetable areas, it's good to know I should stop three months before planting into it.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Taylor Kuhla I tend to agree with you. I dug this trench as an experiment to see if 90 days is enough to decompose all this matter, but I think a really good idea is to maybe take your hands and bury the scraps a handful or two deep in the late fall, then bury everything in a layer of protective wood chips to decompose all winter. It is really tough to do when you only have a handful of beds, but I’m doubling my garden size over the winter so I can have enough space to have inactive beds. I want to always have a handful of beds where I’m not actively planting in them so I can refresh them with scraps and a layer of wood chips and let them sit for awhile. If you have a small garden though, just do the best you can. Thanks for watching.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener I am really curious as well. It is a method without using oxygen. Perhaps you might buy a bunch of red wrigglers and bury a bunch with the scraps. That way it will convert to worm castings and not get nasty and gooey, not having oxygen. Just thinking about it. Not a know it all. Hope I don’t come across that way.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@jimwilleford6140 I think the best way to figure out what's best is to try different things in your beds. I think at the end of the day, this is all theory, though. The truth is, no matter how you do it, it'll all break down and you'll have a healthy garden in the end as long as you constantly feed it.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener Hi, anaerobic vs aerobic are not theory. The benefits and consequences of this one issue are clear. Now, if you have a really strong earth worm presence as you bury, I can see the benefits of burying deeply. Otherwise you are likely to have a stinky, smelly mess on your hands. Not theory but fact. Yet, I am much like you, in that I have to try it my way, and learn first hand.😎

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jim Willeford anaerobic bacteria are key in the rotting process. That’s what composting is - rot. It will stink while it’s breaking down, sure, but once it is broken down it won’t. That’s the difference between manure that isn’t fully completed versus manure that is - odor vs no odor.

[@compticny888]

My father composted kitchen scrapes until the ground froze along with other "techniques" and we had a great garden. He went by the 7-year method where we rotated the crops leaving a row fallow every 7th year. Always had better yields than others around us. Of course, being a kid/teen I didn't see the benefits of having a half-acre garden until I had a home with kids.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jamie Stancato I think there is a lot to be said about letting soil “rest.” With my climate, I can grow all year long, so it is temped to always have plantings. I’m building my garden out so I can use my beds less. I want to practice resting the soil. A half acre garden sounds like a wonderful dream.

[@compticny888]

@@TheMillennialGardener Sounds like another learning video. And you are correct about being a dream, but when you are a teenager it was more on the nightmare side.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@compticny888 it is amazing how much our interests change from 23 to 33. I don't even recognize the person that I used to be.

[@ricetune]

thats insane the hugh garlic spacing, I have 250 garlic growing in a bed smaller that that and quarter of those garlic are a variety with potential to reach 1lb each.

[@AMRADIO777]

later in the video he said he will be co-planting tomatoes with those garlic to help keep pests away.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Never Feed the Roaches I am planting tomatoes in that space. Garlic naturally repels pests. It is strategic inter-planting / poly-culture.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Holly Hilt see above.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

AMRADIO777 you are correct! I planted garlic and shallots as borders for my summer annuals to keep pests away. I will also be inter-planting basil and marigolds since they repel pests.

[@ricetune]

The Millennial Gardener thanks for the reply, I think interplantinf is a great strategy.

[@gwenhafford4112]

Thank you for another great video! Your explanations are so informative and helpful.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you like them! I really appreciate you watching.

[@sandram5664]

I thought I recognized that S. Jersey accent! (I'm originally from S. Jersey.) Interesting topic as I have friends who just bury their scraps while I do a compost pile. Just found your channel and subbed.

[@carolynsteele5116]

Good info, subscribed! Though I've become quite proficient at creating compost in pallet bays, this fall/winter is my first experiment burying scraps. I dug holes all over the garden with different combinations: fish only, fish and kitchen scraps, scraps only, rotting apples. To some I added leaves to the mixture, and to some added a handful of slow-release organic fertilizer. Each hole is marked with a paint stick so I will know where to plant tomatoes and melons in the spring. Thanks for telling us to wait 90 days! I was wondering about that because I have seen videos where they bury scraps and then plant right over them immediately, and it didn't seem like a good idea. Can't wait to see your results later, and ill share the results of my experiments, also.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching and subscribing! I appreciate it. It sounds like you have a great experiment going on. I've planted over animal scraps before and had good results (fish shells and egg shells) - I think planting over animal scraps would be doable because they break down much more quickly than plant scraps. Plant cell walls take a lot of effort to break down - remember, carnivores have short intestines because it's easy to digest meat, but herbivores have huge intestines and often multiple stomachs because plants are so hard to break down. But it's always best to wait awhile just to be safe, if you have the time. We'll see if 3 months is long enough.

[@rafaelnadal796]

Great. I'm doing lassagna beds and next year i'll do the same as you. Thanks. Like.

[@StrappedSnowMexican]

Sticker on that banana bugged tf out of me lol

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It disintegrates pretty quickly. It's just paper.

[@charlescarlson8283]

I have been gardening at my place for 25 years. If you have the time and space like I do. I would use compost piles. I have several piles. Some hot 1 year to compost and a couple of cold leaves only they take 2 years to compost. If you do not this looks like a good way to go.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Charles Carlson Charles. I let the worms do my composting in place. Am very interested in the pile vs what I am doing. Is there a qualitative benefit to doing piles? Thanks.

[@charlescarlson8283]

@@jimwilleford6140 I'm not saying what I do is better. Just saying this is what I do. Each works just keep an open mind and try other methods.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm only on 1/3 of an acre suburban plot with a HOA, but I want to make myself room for two compost piles (so I can rotate them). I think I could build it in such a way to "hide" them but still stay functional. My true goal is to have twice as many beds as I need and let my beds "rest" - coat the top in kitchen scraps, then bury them under hardwood mulch. You'll get the browns and the greens and let them break down slowly without turning the soil. That's my ultimate endgame.

[@charlescarlson8283]

@@TheMillennialGardener The idea of beds resting is old. It is better to keep growing in them as long as you can add compost. I f not grow a cover crop to feed it the next year. Weeds are the worst thing to let grow.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@charlescarlson8283 you use a nitrogen fixing cover crop or mulch. You won't get any weeds. My beds are weed free using shredded hardwood mulch as a cover, and several of them, aside from a couple rows of garlic and shallots in them, are currently resting.

[@rubengorospe939]

Hi ,I’m your newest subscriber from Los Angeles California

[@analuizanb]

Great video. Love the experiment and appreciate the clear explanation.

[@victorserrano721]

The best is dig a hole fill it over time thus causing different levels of decomposition then top with dirt when full..plant

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Top up with “liquid gold” to balencevnitrogen

[@bostonchoir]

Wonderful lecture both content and presentation skill. What I had problem with it was, if I bury animal things like meat, bones and fish, some animals dig up in a week, even in the summer that I think those things are dangerously rotten. If it was plant, leftover, I worry it may carry disease. Am I worrying unnecessarily?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jeong Kim I think the plant/disease belief is mostly a myth, but I don’t compost tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, figs, or any of the fruits I grow where pests can overwinter. I do compost the plants, just not the fruits. I have no issues composting lemons, limes, apple cores, and any vegetation. If you’re having an issue with animal products, maybe you can start a compost bin with them so you can still use them and not bury directly? Thanks for watching.

[@paula3280]

Thank you so much for such great information. I can't wait to see how your experiment turns out.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you, and thanks for watching.

[@bhargavichinnapati6316]

Did u do the follow up video? Did u miss it?

[@bhargavichinnapati6316]

Sorry, did I miss the follow up video?

[@RonnieMinh]

Excellent information and presentation, thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Ronnie & Minh thank you!

[@minhhop3208]

Love your channel ! Very Scientific, helpful ! Thanks for sharing!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Thanks for watching!

[@angelasbusybeesgardenandho4627]

Very good information. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching!

[@ScarletJannaStaAna]

I do separate the qualified compst ingredients to odorous ones where I put all other kitchen rubbish that are not qualified in my main compost bin are mixed, even the spoiled ones are also there....

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you have a problem with pests, that's a good idea. Thanks for watching!

[@mihaip4672]

I usually remove the little plastic stickers from the banana, orange and avocados. If they were paper, maybe I would leave them since they can break down. But they're plastic so you should remove them since you're essentially introducing plastic pollution into the soil.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Mihai P I’m pretty sure those Chiquita stickers are totally biodegradable. I don’t think they’re plastic.

[@stevendaniel5649]

Anthony! Yes! Bury everything except meat. All else returns to the earth. My grandma used manure from her chickens and cows. Nuff sed ..........

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My next step will be a compost bin for the bones. I don't want any critters digging up my garden.

[@derekmorris7128]

I also add meat and bones, crab shells etc. All of this is packed with nutrients, but they should be buried deep or mixed in the middle of a compost pile, anything that was once living should be composted if possible.

[@MariaMorton]

@@TheMillennialGardener If you go down more than 2 and 1/2 feet, most critters won't bother it.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Maria Morton And oxygen won’t likely find it. So your result, at best, will be anaerobic, unless you have significant worm activity! Best wishes.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Maria Morton At that depth we lose any aerobic benefit. I am not a burying proponent. However, more power to you if you are making it work. I have issues with the odors of anaerobically buried material, being a backyard guy. Just my thing..

[@dcstealth11111]

id like to see the following videos one did it all break down and two how did the tomatoes perform compared to the other tomatoes

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have the follow-up video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZvQkmR-jLaJmrc And a new method here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF7bg6esebCVfNk

[@DianeZambardino]

I cut my scraps small, freeze then bury all winter

[@FrikInCasualMode]

I have very light and fast draining soil in my garden. I don't even bury food scraps. I throw them on the soil and let slowly decompose over winter. In the spring i cover it with a layer of mulch and a layer of regular compost on top. Food scraps still decompose under the cover, slowly releasing their nutrients. Otherwise all of it would get washed out after couple of rainfalls.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You may find this video valuable: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKbaZ6F4p6yXo7M This rapidly increases decomposition time. I recommend tarping over your mulch for 2-3 months. It's also good to kill off the weed seed bank.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

@@TheMillennialGardener Indeed, interesting video. Unfortunately, it won't work equally well in my area. Winters in Poland are just too cold. We also don't get nearly enough sunny days to significantly heat up the soil - even under a tarp.

[@james-jq8sk]

Aerobic composting is much quicker than anaerobic, probably safer too, dig in your your veggie scraps at about 30cmc (12 inches)...

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Burying compost isn't anaerobic, though. There is plenty of oxygen in healthy, loamy garden soil, which is why it's teeming with earthworms. If the soil was anaerobic, worms would suffocate. If you have worms in your soil, it's aerobic. My beds are so soft and loamy that it can't go anaerobic. Anaerobic occurs in clay and silt, where it's so compact and wet that it's oxygen starved.

[@barbbirdyard]

I do something quite similar. I mix kitchen waste with wood chips and soil on the east side of the house.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Barbara Hesselgrave do you cover the kitchen waste with wood chips? Or do you bury the wood chips? I wouldn’t do the latter, but the former sounds like a great plan to me.

[@barbbirdyard]

The Millennial Gardener I put the wood chips on top of the kitchen waste. It decays rapidly because I chop it up in small pieces. I use a lot of coffee grounds and I tear up the coffee filter in small pieces. I also put in toilet paper rolls, torn. From time to time I turn it to give it air and water.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@barbbirdyard that sounds awesome! Glad to hear it's working! I hope over the next season to build myself a nice composting area. My yard still needs a lot of work.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Barbara Hesselgrave Barbara, Cardboard egg crates are great worm food. Worms love them, and do not draw pests, in my experience. I tear them down after using the eggs, moisten them in a colander and pull back my straw mulch, and lay them on the soil surface.

[@barbbirdyard]

Jim Willeford i do not buy wood chips. Free pile at local community garden. I also compost toilet paper rolls and some unbleached paper. I like your idea of digging deep. We are zone 5 so ground is semi frozen now.

[@reichthedog100]

Thank you so much, this is a science class.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching! I appreciate it.

[@user-lz6dm5lk9y]

Would not it help to add a little paper to your trench? Where is the outcome video?

[@yolandajaraplasan8740]

Thank you for the info and God blesd

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@karimawilliams9417]

So well explained 🥰

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@growinggardener7840]

Will this still work if the base of my raised beds have landscape fabric? I was concerned about voles so lined my beds prior to putting in soil.

[@juvysmith5007]

Brilliant ideas and with a excellent explanation.thank you for sharing greatly appreciated.XXXX

[@hardaikamalashiwnath209]

I always place my kitchen waste in holes in the garden,,,,(79),it is24" anound my pool.I will make a4"trench, seems abetter idea, thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

How has it worked for you so far?

[@fatimataylor4011]

Thank you! Very educational!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@kittytana]

Great info! Is there a follow up video of what happened later?

[@altaylor3988]

OK first off here are a few valuable tips that I have learnt from Our Daughter who is a Horticulturist (Royal Horticulturist Soc. U.K) and introduced me to "Trench Composting", these tips are proven and you do not have to experiment as satisfaction is built in. 1.The reason the method shown may take so long to break down the Kitchen Scraps is because the balance of materials is inadequate and the natural process is lacking interaction with other very important elements required to improve the end result of improving the quality of poor quality soil such as Sandy Loam whilst adding essential elements. 2. If you follow the composting tips below, Composting in general will be likely be complete after say three weeks save for Egg Shells, Avocado Skins that break down slowly. a. Do NOT use Meat in the composting as it can attract Vermin. b. I have a small flip lid bin outside our Kitchen door to collect a few days Scraps, enough to use in a Trench about a Metre long, as Paper is a very useful item to use as the bugs and worms love it, we shred newspapers and any paper that for security's sake is wise to Shred, then use this Shredded Paper in the bottom of the Bin as it keeps the bin cleaner and easier to tip the Kitchen Scraps out. c. Wash out Egg shells turn upside down to drain, then allow to try dry on a Kitchen Tissue/Paper Towel. when the shells are DRY place them on top of each other, fold over the paper and CRUSH the shells into small pieces ... this way allows the greater spread of the shells which will break down quicker although they are still slow to decompose but get mixed better. d. Prawn heads and shells and Fish bones will also add Calcium etc to the soil and will break down quicker. e. When there is enough Kitchen waste collected in the Bin, dig the trench and evenly spread along the trench inc the shredded paper, if you have any brown clippings/leaves/Hay/Straw(Brown Stuff is essential as a part of the process) cover the Kitchen waste evenly with the Brown Stuff and if you like some more shredded Paper...NOW there is an essential thing to do BEFORE you back fill the Trench to speed up the composting process .... Liberally WATER the Compost. f. As I always when digging the trench pile the soil to one side of the trench, therefore as I lift the soil I turn the spade over and form the pile, that way the TOP soil is now on the bottom, with pre previously composted soil on the TOP of the Pile(This is the beginning of the Soil Rotation and after a few repeats of the same ground the Soil Quality Improvement becomes Consistent). g. Now comes another important part of the process when I refill the Trench .... I use a Rake upside down(toings are pointing up to the Sky) so the normal top of the Rake is now on the Garden surface and against the base of the Pile of Soil ... Then I push the Pile of extracted Soil from the BOTTOM of the Pile and into the Trench ... This way the uncomposted Soil that was on the TOP is now on the Bottom but on top of the Compost. h. If you follow these points your Composting will be much faster and better integrated. i. One other point is to ensure you cut large pieces of Veggies etc up into smaller pieces ( Remember the Bugs and Worms only have small mouths?) Happy Gardening

[@phyllisbruce213]

Wish I could print this!

[@altaylor3988]

@@phyllisbruce213 Sorry Phyllis not sure what you mean?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

There are a lot of really great tips in here. I "suffer" from sandy soil, so I'm sure that will slow things down some. One thing I forget to do is add water to the scraps. Luckily, it has been a fairly wet winter, but I definitely need to water my compost pile in the back as it's taking a long time to break down. I'm sure that will help.

[@altaylor3988]

@@TheMillennialGardener Hi, If I may suggest Compost heaps are far too labour intensive, the idea of Trench Composting is to put the compost directly where it is needed in one simple Operation, also the ground area you are taking up with Compost heap/s can be used for better uses.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@altaylor3988 I want to do both. I want to directly feed my beds, but also have 2 small compost piles that will be easy to rotate so I have mobile sources of compost for fresh seedlings and my potted plants. I will have a lot of grass clippings come spring, so that'll make things a little easier on me for making piles.

[@bettybee1852]

Was there ever an update video? I can’t seem to find one.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The update is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZvQkmR-jLaJmrc

[@michaeljordan317]

Another great video! Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching! I appreciate it.

[@gm4630]

For the last 2 years, I have been burying my kitchen scraps directly into the soil in my vegetable garden and flower beds. I try to use little markers--to flag the last place I dug a hole and buried the food scraps. This has enriched my soil tremendously. If the soil is soft enough, I do this all winter long too!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It really does work! Thanks for watching!

[@marilyngodfrey868]

Could you scatter some fishing worms in with the kitchen scrap material?? Would that speed it up a bit?

[@simplenormal7156]

not by much, most of the composting is done by bacteria.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm not sure. My gut tells me Tik Tok below is correct. You could certainly try, but they may not stick around.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener On this issue, I speak directly from my own experience. I have 7 lasagne beds about 7-8’ long and 4-5‘ side in my urban back yard. I have a corner of the yard that receives too little sunshine to produce veggies. I throw my compostables onto thar corner daily, and cover with wet cardboard, topped with 1/4” fiber board. Then, daily I transfer 50 + red wigglers into each of my beds. I add them by pulling back the 3-4 inches of straw mulch, add the worms, and pull the straw back over. All beds are squirming with worms, and the unenclosed worm source continues producing heavily! I live in S. Oregon if that is helpful.

[@chandlerwitt2410]

I KNOW you did not put that banana sticker in there

[@justinfiorini3142]

You're looking trim. What ever you're doing keep at it.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks. I eat the opposite of what's billed as "healthy." Heavy on the red meat, and I try to avoid grain. I could write a book on my disapproval of the Food Pyramid.

[@lynnlovessoil]

Also, bagged worm castings greatly reduce their effectiveness after 60 days in the bag.. Much better to just have the worms in the garden provide castings.

[@tezzag818]

I did this, no animal products and dug deep. But foxes came and dug it all up.

[@jreim2671]

My Great Grandmother always buried her kitchen scraps. She fed 7 kids with that garden.

[@jreim2671]

I do the same and my soil is rich with nutrients.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sometimes, I wish we could go back to the old world where everyone had a nice garden. Such great memories with my grandparents.

[@oneDonly]

Eat and plant lots of spicy chilies. Throw the scraps all over the place. Dry them and grind them up and sprinkle that stuff everywhere too. Most pest will leave.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I am going to experiment with cayenne powder on ants next year. We have serious ant problems here.

[@oneDonly]

@@TheMillennialGardener We don't have a problem with ants here. Mostly small mammals like squirrels, rabbits and gofers. The insects are mostly predators, besides the tomato worms. Had to keep everything covered in chilies at least once a day. Let me know if it keeps those ants away.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener Also boron is very effective placed on or ant hills. It is an mined organic compound. Think Mule Team Borax.

[@oneDonly]

@@jimwilleford6140 Bro, are ants really that much of a problem? The ants we have hear are mostly carnivorous. They actually help plants the same way spiders do. Man ants are really alpha organisms. I can't imagine a species like that trying to destroy my garden. That sounds horrible. Good luck guys.

[@jimwilleford6140]

The Millennial Gardener Try Borax, or not, it will repel ants quite effectively.

[@ALvatar3]

How do you store all the scraps? Ty

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I dump them in here every other day: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnKQk2SohpllrLcsi=tQs6365m2mtDzt3e

[@corinneyoung4932]

I have been told not to use lemon or onion in a compost area.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Citrus peels can take a very long time to break down. I don't think there's anything wrong with using the paper-like skins from onion or garlic. I compost them all the time with no problems.

[@dtimezone9401]

Sir how to keep your cats from that soil. They love littering soil

[@p1harleyford]

Aren’t you supposed to use browns along with greens for composting like add some dead leaves or something?

[@Musicholder123]

Awesome video! I am starting TODAY to compost and made a small trench in my backyard. So far it is one foot deep and in it I have platain peel, orange peel, and soon will add coffee that I been straining for a few days (once my container of coffee gets fill I will throw it into the trench). Wish me luck you all in this! Also one question, since I don't want to dig and cover so often, is it ok to have my trench open and wait till it is fill over a few days in order to cover it and start another trench?😲

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! If you want to see the follow-up video 90 days later, I recently posted it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZvQkmR-jLaJmrc If you have any critters in your area, leaving the trench open could be a problem. They could take your scraps or dig things up even worse. If you don't have any animal pests, then it won't hurt to leave the trench open.

[@Musicholder123]

@@TheMillennialGardener I saw! Thank you so much and I look forward to the results! How often should I move it around? I already close the trench because I didn't want to overpack it sincr I heard is not good!

[@rickasinghbhoola8719]

It is a problem as flies start breeding in that trench.

[@hughsweer9733]

Or you can freeze them to make stock.

[@bill.Latham]

Great video, what are your thoughts on blending the vegetable peelings in a blender then burying mixtures in the garden? Thank You

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My personal thought is that that is too much work to blend everything together. I ran an experiment on this last year where I buried large kitchen scraps and 90 days later, there was nothing left but some eggshell fragments. I think the blending part is unnecessary and may actually be a negative since we want to feed worms and other good critters, and pureeing it basically excludes them from the buffet. We want to give our friends large chunks of food. Here is my experiment on composting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZvQkmR-jLaJmrc

[@bill.Latham]

@@TheMillennialGardener So true, but the only problem here is in Southern Ca. there is no rain in sight the soil is very sandy, and dry that is the main reason I just blend vegetable scraps and work into the ground and water periodically.

[@nosherwanh]

please share the 3 month later video

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can watch the video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZvQkmR-jLaJmrc

[@williamlatham6160]

Millennial Gardener, when burying vegetable peeling in the garden is it necessary to keep them moist through out the process, or can I just bury them 8 inches deep and leave it along. The reason I ask I lived in a area where it doesn't rain much at all. Thank You

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My area gets a ton of rain (we've had over 30 inches since June 1 alone), so I don't have to water my compost because the soil is almost always damp to moist 8+ inches deep. If you live in a semi-arid or arid area where you don't see much rain, you will want to add some water because fungi and bacteria require a moist environment to grow well.

[@ArtScienceWonder]

What other plants other than Garlic could you grow over kitchen scraps ?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Anything your heart desires. It truly does not matter.

[@homeprojects1830]

New Subscriber Here. I MADE A MISTAKE AND NEED A SOLUTION. I listened to the wrong source and added scraps, soil on top and immediately planted plants/tall grass bushes. Some are ok and some are not. Can i fix this without digging them out? I t just happened yesterday. Thank you and great videos BTW!!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

home projects are you saying you put the scraps directly in your planting hole instead of waiting for them to break down? If that’s the case, you should be fine. That won’t hurt anything. It may leech some nitrogen from your soil initially, but you can fix that by adding some soluble fertilizer with good nitrogen content like MiracleGro Tomato 18-18-21 or All Purpose 24-8-16. Since they are new plants, you may want to use a half-strength serving until they get established.