Hi so glad to find this site and getting more ideas and since I am cleaning pots to fill for this year --gathering my seedlings and hoping it warms up soon My cheap plastic plant pot it just starting to crack around the edge-- few pictures I took yest. would love to see pictures of all your gardens and raised beds-- my little bed is starting to buckle -hope it goes a few years more Have a wonderful day -bright and sunny Mari PS how does one post more than one photo ???

"There is a small school of thought that compost needs to be in contact with the soil so that the bacteria that wil ldigest the material can get in there, but on the material you put into your compost pile are the bacteria that will digest that material, they do not come from the soil, which is why compost tumblers, sometimes, work." Compost tumblers sometimes work? Small school of thought? If there are bugs in your compost throw it away and make a pile right the next time? Get a good reliable soil test for your lasagna bed before planting in it? Once compost is finished it is finished, there is no such thing as compost turning to humus? Some of your recent comments are beginning to cause concern among your fellow members, and sending a mixed message to newer members causing untold confusion. Is everything all right over there? Do you need someone to come see about you? Some of us are starting to become worried Mayaosu said: "I've also read that the compost being in contact with the ground is best for allowing worms and other critters to do their work." That is one of the best ways that I know of to allow worms to get from the soil into a compost pile; and too, worms may be found within manure added to the compost pile, thus there is more than one way to skin a cat. All of my bins are in contact with the ground, but that is not to say building one on concrete, as my friend Bill Hill (among others) does with very good success should not be done. Both ways will give good results; it boils down to a matter of choice. As it relates to making air passages in the compost pile, this too is a matter of personal preference. While it is true a well-constructed compost pile will allow good air circulation, it too is possible to make air circulate better with the addition of air channels of some kind within the pile. In my experience, these air channels allow the compost pile to decompose further away from the center of the pile towards the corners, thus allowing less turning. Again, it is not necessary, but a lot of things are not necessary; however I like the results I get with the air passages in all my piles. The best I can do with Bermuda grass is pull it up when it invades the pile, staying on top of it is the best defense IMO. Building a compost pile is something like cutting grass. There are many ways to get the job done, it is the state of mind and results after the job is complete that are important Blutranes

I have been using 12" high raised beds of 100% compost (adding more every season to fill up the boxes in the fall and/or spring) since 2007 and my production has gotten better each season. I am thinking that the content of your compost might be the problem. Let me explain. Several years ago I read an article about a guy who buried several buckets of food scraps he brought home from the school lunchroom and then planted his tomato plant right over it. The plant grew over 10 feet tall and he had bushels of tomatoes from it. Well this got me to thinking about using all (I mean ALL! meat, bones, fish, dairy, oils, breads, leftovers, as well as the usual fruit and veggies) our kitchen scraps in the bottom of my raised beds. To facilitate this, I have buried a full sized rubbermade trash can (with holes drilled all around for drainage and a tight fitting lid to seal in the odors) up to the rim. I then empty our kitchen pail into the it until it is completely full. At that point in time, I dig down in a raised bed at least 12", spread in the decomposing kitchen waste and bury it. I never plant a root crop in that bed until the following year but all the crops grow like crazy due to the rich nutrients in the food waste being trench composted in this way. Never have had a critter problem because it's buried deep enough and when I turn the soil the following season, the only remnants are some of the bones - but they break down eventually adding bone meal to the soil.

Sure try it on paths as long as they don't pose a trip hazard. Other ideas: trays for potted plants serving tray for backyard BBQ/picni drip guard for under car in garage base for anything that you need to catch drips depending on size of them -- could you drill holes & zip tie corners together to make a compost bin or raised garden bed frame for deeply rooted plants. Use container soil for a container garden that doesn't need as much watering because it touches the earth as lid on compost tea buckets to keep flies out or worm bin lid muddy boot tray pet foot tray