All Questions and Answers

Answer by JH: Thanks for your question. Red wigglers, the common name for composting worms, are Eisenia Fetida. From your description it sounds like your bin is in good shape so you surely have the right worm. It is unlikely that you would be getting that rich earthy smell if you were using earthworms.

Another point for your consideration – you don’t mention whether you are also adding any bedding material, i.e., shredded newspaper / brown paper bag or such. This will also be broken down by the worms but is a necessary ingredient and should either be mixed with moist food or moistened with water to a damp state and added to the bin with food scraps. These ingredients plus air flow and a cool temp, 55ish, will keep the worms and the bin in a healthy state.

The alcohol odor you mention may be the result of inadequate bedding material and / or air flow and / or too much moisture in the bin. If you see tracks from the worms crawling up the side of the bin, it’s probably too much moisture.

Answer by CS: You are on the right track; we need to keep our landfills as small as possible. Another of our team has given you information regarding worms and possible causes of odors in your bucket / bin, I would add keeping a careful ratio regarding the number of worms and the amount of food scraps given…worms will eat just so much. It is easy to assume worms will eat everything given them but that will not be the case. Part of managing the bin is checking on that ratio.

May I suggest, if you have not already done so, that you attend one of the NM Composters workshops on composting or vermicomposting. They are free, well planned, and can be found on our website nmcomposters.org. While composting with worms sounds simple, there are particular protocols to be followed in developing a successful process. These are covered carefully in the seminars.

Answer by MR: My first suggestion would be to look at the restrictions placed on you by the condo a bit more closely. Are containers of any size allowed? I could understand a rule against raised beds if they are so large and heavy as to be unmovable and therefore “permanent”. That would limit the adaptability when a tenant moves out and the next tenant doesn’t want the raised bed. But if large containers that can be easily moved are permitted, you could still have a suitable gardening situation that would enable you to mix in the contents of your Bokashi bucket and create a contained garden with great soil.

If that’s not a possibility–or even if it is, but you still find yourself with too much Bokashi compost to use in your containers–I’d suggest looking for the nearest community garden and donating it to some knowledgeable gardener(s) there. Or, when I was selling at the Downtown Growers’ Market from 2000 until 2012, I had an exchange arrangement with several of my regular customers: They would collect their kitchen scraps (the same things that you’re putting into your Bokashi bucket) for the week, bring those to me in a plastic bag, and I would give them a fair amount of bagged greens, seasonal fruit, or eggs. Then I would compost the kitchen scraps in my compost bins. (I have a farm with horses and chickens, so I’m composting on a larger scale, although I have used and taught the use of the Bokashi method.)

Finally, if you put the contents of your bucket into tumbler, you’ll be going from an anaerobic system to an aerobic system. So in order to keep things from beginning to smell bad, you’d want to add some soil to it, and then you’ll be faced with the same dilemma about where to put that wonderful soil when it’s finished. Try the options above first, before you invest in a tumbler.

Please don’t hesitate to write if you have further questions.

Answer by RR: You caught me on that one. As you likely remember from my presentation:

No place to bury?

• Donate to a community / school garden

• Give it to a friend with a garden

• Rehabilitate old potting soil

• Add it to your compost pile/bin or worm bin – but why?

or I’ll even take it. Soooo….

• Donate to a community / school garden  =>  the problem is, I actually don’t know how you go about donating it, so I need to do some research

• Give it to a friend with a garden => this is a good option if you know someone who could benefit from it. Is there a common area in your complex where this could be buried?

• Rehabilitate old potting soil  => this is also a good option, but you are going to need a container at least twice as large as your Bokashi container. You can layer the Bokashi pre-compost alternately with old potting soil or any other soil that you want to improve. Make sure it is moist and cover it with some type of mulch. Two problems with this option: 1) now you have a container that is twice as heavy as your Bokashi bucket, 2) after a month or two, you now have almost twice as much (improved) material to find somewhere to put.

• Add it to your compost pile/bin or worm bin – but why?  => This is a last option if you know someone with a compost pile/bin

• I’ll even take it => I would burn more carbon driving to the west side of town than you have saved in your bucket

Other options:

• Move some rock on your patio, loosen compacted soil by soaking it with water, then dig 12” x18” hole (this may take several iterations of soaking and digging),and bury Bokashi pre-compost in it. Keep adding / amending to that space and will eventually have fertile soil to grow veggies, etc.

• For future disposal of your organic waste, Home | Little Green Bucket has expanded their service area.  You could consult with them.

I appreciate your dilemma, Catherine.  I have been somewhat cavelier in my teaching by expecting that it is easy to find something to do with your Bokashi pre-compost even if you live in a place with no yard – that obviously is not so. Our position at BCEMC is the best composting method is the one that works for you and the one you will use. I still think this is an excellent composting method for folks in your situation, but I would suggest figuring out what you are going to do for stage 2 before you start your next batch of stage 1. That doesn’t solve your present circumstance of what to do for your pending stage 2, but maybe some of my colleagues will have some other ideas

Answer by JZ: You could:

* Move some rock onto your patio (10’x16”) loosen compacted soil by soaking it with water, then dig 12” x18” hole then bury Bokashi in it. Keep adding / amending to that space and will eventually have fertile soil to grow veggies, etc.

* Bucket contents may be added to a covered plastic storage container or large flower pot, then mixed with soil in that container.

* A homemade trash can bin on patio would work too: See Homemade Bins under Composting Info in our menu.

* Per their website: Home | Little Green Bucket.  Have expanded their service area.  You could consult with them.

Answer by WR: One question for you:  Do you know who will be moving into the house you are leaving? I suppose if you know who will be moving in you might ask them if they'd like to take over your compost heap.  (If they are interested but not sure how to begin you could suggest our free classes, assuming you are in the Albuquerque area: https://www.nmcomposters.org/classes ).

Answer by YW:  I agreed with WR! You can leave a note to the future homeowner/tenant to encourage them to continue composing and taking care of the soil. Make home composting part of the package - it’s not “waste”, rather added value to the backyard and the ecosystem.

Response by questioner: I really appreciate you taking the time to consider my question and respond! Thank you for what you do!

Response by WR: Thanks! I don't think anyone answered your initial question about burying your unfinished compost.  I don't see any problem with that if the person who moves in doesn't want to take over the compost heap.  Would probably be best to bury it shallowly, close to the surface. You might sheet mulch it: https://www.nmcomposters.org/sheet-mulching

Would be a good idea to let people know where it is buried since if it is fresh it wouldn't be a good place to plant things right away.

Another option is to donate your organics. See: https://www.nmcomposters.org/organics-drop-off

That might be a lot of work depending on how much you have but might not be much more work than burying it. Let us know what you decide to do. 

Response by RB: I might as well add my 2 cents worth in the form of a story.  When my step mother in Portland OR was planning on selling her house, she made a point of letting her realtor know that all materials, such as the wooden flooring, etc. were natural rather than synthetic.  She also made the same point about her organic gardening methods—she really wanted someone who felt the same way to buy the place.  Indeed that is what happened.  She didn’t have to remove her compost piles or make any changes when she sold the place to like-minded people.  There are people out there who are interested in in composting, if your realtor lets people know, someone might show up. On the other hand, yes you can bury the unfinished compost, as both WR and YW have said. Good luck with everything.

Response by original questioner: Thank you, all! (I hope to someday be involved in a compost community - it's such a fun subject!) My house will also come with a greywater system for the washing machine, so it is pretty likely I will get a buyer who appreciates a good and well-established compost pile. But, if I need to shut the compost down before selling, I appreciate your guidance. Again, I really appreciate this conversation. Thank you for your time and expertise!

Answer by JH: If you want to test your compost, the Solvita test would be the way to accomplish it. You can google the term for more information.

Without knowing what your intended use of the finished compost is, I would add that compost is more than a natural fertilizer. Healthy soil should contain 5% organic matter. The only way to maintain that level is to either prevent the loss of organic matter from the soil or to add it in sufficient quantities, and the latter is an important reason for adding compost to the local soil (which may contain virtually none otherwise).

Answer by JZ: Here are some thoughts in addition to what JH sent to you. Ideally manures should go through a hot composting process to kill pathogens & weed seeds. The end mixture of a hot pile, ideally should have a C:N ratio of 25:1. This process is described in our Desert Composting Brochure.

NPK, to the best of my knowledge, is not a particular consideration for organic additions. All individual organic additions will have their own unique NPK values. These values are available on the www.

The NPK of finished compost has an NPK value of approximately 1:1:1 .

If we have not adequately answered your question, please get back to us.

Answer by WR: Thanks for contacting us through our website.  It's great to hear you learned so much from John Zarola's lecture and that you are composting with enthusiasm. My number one advice is don't worry too much.  Often the advice we give as master composters is how to speed up the composting process or how to be efficient with water in our dry climate.  But, compost happens no matter what we do and it isn't a perfect science.

So the things you are concerned about didn't stop compost from happening.  All is fine. In the future, if you keep your pile covered better, there will be less water evaporation but, not covering it did not harm the compost itself.  If you didn't water enough, it probably slowed down the process but didn't otherwise do harm. One thing to know is that, if the compost (what you call soil, I think) smells good and looks like soil, then it is ready to use on your garden or even on your house plants. Just take out any bits that might be unfinished, especially before putting it on your houseplants.  Put those back into your compost pile to finish turning to compost. I'm going to copy this to a group of master composters who answer email questions and I think you'll get other, possibly different, answers to all your various questions.

Response from questioner: Aw! Thank you so much for your answers and encouragement. And yes, my compost smells wonderful! I love the smell of Earth. I'm already adding more browns to my pile along with my fruit and veggie scraps. My second mission is to find a way to store my potting mixes and compost so I don't get roaches in my apartment. I found info about that at one of the college extension sites as the moderator for John's lecture recommended. Thank you again for easing my mind.

Response by WR: it's great to hear this info was helpful.  As to storing your finished compost ... well, I'm pretty lazy and just leave it in a pile next to my active compost pile until I'm ready to use it.  But I think others I'm copying this to might have better suggestions. If there is concern about roaches, I wouldn't store the finished compost indoors, but it should be fine outdoors.  If it is finished, the roaches probably won't want to hang out in it much, especially if there is an active pile nearby.  And the roaches don't do any harm outdoors. (If you want to read more about critters in the compost, we have this web page: https://www.nmcomposters.org/critters ).

Stay in touch and let us know how it goes.

Answer by JZ: If you are in ABQ, then there are many community and school gardens which have composting facilities. If you are in Las Cruces, then search that area for gardens or call your local County Extension Office for ideas. Here are some links which may be useful in finding one close to you:

ABQ Community Gardens - American Community Garden Association

Community Garden in the North Valley of Albuquerque | RGCF

APS School Gardens — Albuquerque Public Schools

Answer by JZ: Welcome to NM !   Your question will be received by a few BernCo. master composters, who may also respond.  Here are my thoughts.

Great that you are composting. You did not mention the type of container (bin) which you are using.

Homemade Bins are described under Composting Info in our website menu.

Many manufactured bins are pictured on amazon.com. Anne, in a desert we are surrounded by browns. You may take a bag and rake, then go to local school, church or park and gather some brown leaves - now. Most paper products are browns: cardboard, used paper towels, napkins, tissue, egg cartons, coffee filters, wood shavings, saw dust and natural fibers: cotton, silk, burlap, felt all may may be shredded then added. All coarse bulking materials, sticks, twigs, pine cones, corn & sunflower stalks are browns. See our desert composting brochure under Desert Composting under Composting Info in our website menu.

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I am not familiar with the concept that paper attracts roaches ?  Most composting setups attract insects, including roaches. They are helpful to the decomposition process.

Trench composting is fine any time. See the above webpage for a container in the soil bin.  If you want no insects, then an option would be the Bokashi closed bucket method (see Bokashi under Composting Info in our menu).

Hope that this is helpful.  Let us know if you need more info..  Be bold.  Compost on.

Answer by WR: We are an educational organization, teaching people how to compost, so we don't provide materials directly. You can see this page on our website for sources for organic materials you might put into the compost you are making: https://www.nmcomposters.org/feedstock-sources

I'll copy this to a group of people who answer questions about compost making and  someone else might have more ideas to offer. Good luck!

Answer by JZ: A few master composters will receive your question, so they may also respond.  Here are my thoughts: I do not know of any local facility which provides free compost / mulch. The ABCWUA composting (soil amendment) facility on the far west mesa usually has compost at a reasonable price. You may contact them:  Compost

Answer by JZ:  Other colleagues may have some suggestions for you. I found this link to nearby community gardens: Guide to Albuquerque's Community Gardens

Answer by WR: Hi Sara, thanks for contacting us via our website.  I'm going to forward this on to our compost-questions@nmcomposters.org email address and one or more others might also answer your question, copied below. It's great that you want to divert the KCups from the landfill. Currently, we do not know of any community composting facility which would take organic leftovers and other compostable materials from the public, except, see below.

That may change in the near future.  The NM Compost Coalition of the NM Healthy Soils group submitted a grant proposal for a few community composting sites in NM.  Also, people from CABQ, ABQ schools, are currently working on an EPA grant on food waste reduction and compost recycling. But here are some things that might help you right now:

a. Contact your local / nearby community garden as it might have a composting setup.

b. Contact Brad Weikle’s service:  Home | Little Green Bucket

c. Contact your city counsellors and let them know that you would like community composting in the future.

d. Perhaps you have a friend or neighbor who composts and would like to take the KCups and add them to their composting setup?  (You might try posting to Craigslist or Nextdoor?)

Good luck finding an earthy home for these compostables.

Answer by JZ:  Agree with all that WR has told you.  My only question is are the K-cups which you are using biodegradable/compostable? Apparently some are and some are not.  Here’s a page from amazon: Amazon.com: Biodegradeable K-cups

Answer by WR: I think we’ve had a few more grasshoppers than usual this summer. Did you hear about the cloud of grasshoppers that passed over Albuquerque in early June and showed up on the radar map? The weather forecasters couldn’t figure out what was happening. Luckily most of the grasshoppers kept going. If it is grasshoppers eating your plants, I don’t think there is much you can do.

Have you tried contacting the master gardeners? We are master composters, but some of the other people who get our questions email might have answers for you as there are many gardeners in our organizations. But, you might try contacting the Master Gardener hotlines.

Here is how to contact the Bernalillo County master gardener hotline:
http://abqmastergardeners.org/index.php/resources/mastergardenerhotline

Or, you can post your questions here:
http://abqmastergardeners.org/index.php/ask-a-question

Here are details about Sandoval County hotline:

http://aces.nmsu.edu/county/sandoval/mastergardener/scmg-telephone-hotline.html

And, in case you live up in Santa Fe area, here is their website
http://sfmga.org/

Good luck! It’s quite a challenge gardening in NM, but still lots of fun and totally worth it. Don’t forget to compost. 🙂

Answer by JZ: Other colleagues may also respond to your question.

Great idea.  I would encourage you to make contact with a local community, church, school garden.

Most of them have a composting setup and would probably gladly take your scraps. This link may be helpful:

ABQ Community Gardens - American Community Garden Association

A collection service is here:  Little Green Bucket Food Scrap Collection

Hope that this is helpful.    Best.   John Zarola,

Answer by JZ:  Other colleagues may also respond to your question.

You might connect with a local community, school, church garden.

Most have a composting set ups and might be happy to take your organics.

This link may be helpful: ABQ Community Gardens - American Community Garden Association

Little green bucket is a collection service: Little Green Bucket Food Scrap Collection

Hope that this is helpful.

Answer by JZ: Cardboard would serve as bulking material only for a short time.  As it decomposes it get smaller, then loses its ability to bulk.

Bulking material: sticks, twigs, pine cones, pine needles are readily available.

Try going to your local park with a bag - then gather material and / or when you are walking in
your neighborhood. If all that does not work, then buy a bag of small wood chips. Once you get bulking material into your composting operation - that same material will last a few years.  You will recycle it as you continue your operation.  Let me know if you have questions.  Keep up !

Answer by JZ: The ABCWUA soil amendment facility on far west mesa uses some manures in their composting pile mixes. You could contact the facility for more info. . You may purchase

finished compost at the facility:  Compost

The Sandoval Co. Composting facility in Rio Rancho adds manures to their composting batches. You may purchase bulk finished compost at the facility - scroll all the way down for info: Solid Waste - Sandoval County

You are welcome to attend any of our free composting basics classes.

I am not sure that Soilutions in the ABQ south valley uses manures, you could

call and ask them.

Does that answer your question?     Best.

Answer by PB: When I put my raised beds in seven years ago, I went to a bait shop and purchased night crawlers. I probably populated my 25′ L x 8′ W x 2.5′ H bed with only a few hundred and they have multiplied nicely over the years. What a joy to turn the soil each year and see how well they are doing.

Answer by JH: You may get more detailed responses from the Bernco Extension Office Master Gardener Hotline regarding lavender and pine needles but the short answer is that the soil pH of Albuquerque is perfect for lavender. Pine needles raise the acid level and as such are not the best for lavender but they are unlikely to kill it.

And regarding soil testing, I don't know of any lab in Albuquerque but attached is a list provided by NMSU.

This link lists some local sources for composting worms (red wigglers).

Let us know if we may be of further help.

Answer by WR:

Hi Julpa, look in left column list of links on our website, nmcomposters.org. In the "resources" section, see last link "worm sources". Hope this helps. Let me know if not.

Answer by JZ: I do not know of any local business that sells the EM Bokashi mix. I usually buy mine on-line at Amazon or at   http://www.teraganix.com/

Hope this is helpful.

Answer by PB: Not familiar with Bernalillo County/ABQ. Just know that there are easements that need to be respected as far as the construction of permanent structures – in Rio Rancho it is 5 feet. Some HOA’s also have regulations for permanent structures. I would just caution you to be respectful of your neighbors as far as smells and the potential for pests. Also it should be near a water source and kept covered.

Answer by JZ: Welcome to the high desert. I personally order my bran online, do not know about a local source which sells it. Other colleagues may have suggestions for you. Occasionally we schedule a Bokashi class, so check our website Activities > Classes, Etc. from time to time for that. Does that help?

Answer by RB: I know of no place locally that you can get the bran.  Ordering online is your best bet. We will be doing a Bokashi workshop at the Gutierrez-Hubble House Open Space ag center sometime in May (2025). I usually follow up that workshop with one on making your own bran and Bokashi bucket, for those that are interested in the DIY route.  That isn’t scheduled yet, but will be held at our home in the South Valley.  Keep in touch, or come to the workshop at GHH and I’ll make sure you stay informed.

Answer by JH: So sorry to hear about your difficulties but good for you maintaining your gardening hobby. I suggest you contact local nurseries or Soilutions to determine who has the best organic compost at best price. I would also caution you to check the compost prior to use to make sure it is finished. Some commercial compost is still very hot and must be left to cure until it cools down and loses it’s manure-like odor.

Answer by RR: First of all, I would not worry about your composter catching fire.  The reports of compost piles catching fire are associated with large facilities that have sufficient mass to potentially generate a condition that could cause combustion. But generally the reports of compost fires are way over exaggerated.  Your tumbler will hopefully generate some heat, but the amount of mass that fits in your tumbler will not be enough to sustain that heat for more than a day or two, at the most – to reach the desires 130 degrees +, and sustain it for the desired 5-7 days, you need at least a cubic yard, which is likely much bigger than your tumbler.

Secondly, a small steady stream of materials isn’t necessarily compatible with hot composting.  But don’t despair - there is nothing wrong with using your tumbler for “dump and run” type composting. As long as you add a mix of greens and browns and keep it moist (wrung out sponge) it will decompose, but more slowly.  Some people think you need to turn it every day or so – once/week is better. Just don’t expect it to generate a lot of heat. So often I hear people say, “my tumbler is not working.” My response is, “How do you know? Have you cleaned it out lately?” Maybe once or twice/year you should empty it, screen out the decomposed material (you’ll be surprised how much there is) and put the leftovers back in to continue decomposing.

Response from Questioner: Good to know. The reason I was hoping for faster turnaround is because I know we'll be moving in a little over a year so I didn't want to start something I couldn't finish. If I end up with some leftover partially broken down waste maybe I could drop it off at soilutions or bury it. I was kind of interested in the dig a hole and throw it in method but my dogs might like that idea too much as well.

Response by RR: Keep my email address.  When you’re ready to leave, I’ll take your partially decomposed materials…for free.  Soilutions will charge you $6.

Answer by JZ: Excellent question.  Excellent idea.   Other colleagues may also respond to your question.

If your worm “ container “ (bin) is above the soil, then you have a few options:

* Surround and cover the container with straw bales bales or several layers of cardboard or styrofoam panels or a heavy blanket or a combination of them.

* My particular choice is to submerge my container in a hole in the soil, the lid is at the level of the soil for easy access. The soil insulates the bedding material / worms from winter cold and summer heat, so setup may be used year-round. In the container it is useful to have a few bottom water drainage holes or you could cut out the bottom of a container - I use repurposed kitty litter plastic containers.    See our picture presentation "bucket in a hole".

You may add composting worms to this bucket.  Let us know if you have further questions.   Keep up! All the best.

Response from Questioner: Thanks.  I saw this same info in the article on NMSU website.  I do not have a container.  My question is "can my worms survive the local winter in the outdoor compost pit?" Earthworms must survive local winters, right?  Or do local earthworms have a One Season Life Span? How can I create conditions so my red wigglers can survive the winter OUTDOORS in my COMPOST PIT? I guess I'm going to separate them into several batches and put them in 2 or 3 or 4 different locations/situations and see what worked and what didn't in the spring.

Answer by JZ: Yes, composting worms/red wigglers can survive outdoors with some protection. If your pit is in the soil, then just cover it with a board. The surrounding soil will then insulate them from cold and heat.  Our local soil often does not freeze.  Because of our local day to night temperature shifts often soil warms up during the day.  Composting worms live for about 3-5 years and they will continue to breed in your pit. Keep talking, if we are not "on the same page".

Answer by MG: You'll probably get this answer from the others, but it's just a variation on the same theme you heard from JZ Yes, it's fairly certain your red wigglers can survive over the winter in your compost pile PROVIDED (1) your compost pile is big enough, say, 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet or 4 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet, (2) your compost pile is well insulated, and (3) sufficient moisture is maintained deep within your pile. The insulation could consist of a number of things -- bubble wrap or old carpet pieces around the sides and top; a build-up of straw, dirt, or snow around the top and sides of your compost pile; or if your compost pile rests against the side of your house or a sun-warmed cinder-block wall. Also, your compost pile should sit on the ground with the dirt being a layer of insulation, not on concrete.

Does this answer your question? Please let us know in the spring how your over-wintered wormies did!

Answer by MC: In your email you mentioned that you had a "compost pit" I'm curious is that a pit or a pile. If it is a pile, is it active, in other words is there thermophilic action (heat) generated in the pile. How big is the pile, is it moist? These are all factors that will determine how the red wigglers will move in and or out of the pile based on the temperature conditions.

Pea if you could give me a bit more info it would help in developing the course of action.

Answer by JH: Thank you for your question. You may also receive responses from other master composters. Following are my thoughts. Generally the soils in our area are 7 pH which is neutral. It would only be appropriate to add ash to acidic soil (below 7). Even so, there is no benefit to putting ash in compost - it does not aid the process and may well slow it down if it retains moisture that would otherwise saturate the decomposing feedstock in the pile. Following are two links to more detail about the soil in your area.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/new_mexico/NM656/0/Sandoval%20NM.pdf

https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/PLACITAS.html

For more instruction about desert composting feel free to attend any of the classes we offer. The schedule is posted on our website.

Answer by JZ: Great to hear that you are getting started and that our brochure has been helpful.

Here are my thoughts in addition to JH's. Wood ash is considered to be alkaline AND it does contain potash (potassium), calcium and other residual nutrients which would end up in your finished compost. Wood ash is a “low grade” fertilizer, best applied to an acidic soil because of its high pH. Our local soils are often alkaline - high pH, because we do not get enough rainfall to wash the bases (alkalinity) downward - they just sit there. I live in Rio Rancho where my native, unamended soil pH is 8 - alkaline. Some think that the alkalinity of wood ash will carry thru the process and make the finished compost alkaline. The decomposition (composting) process is a neutralizing process, that is, the end product (humus) will be neutral pH. Unless, of course you overload the system

with an organic material which highly alkaline or highly acidic. I think that if you applied small amounts of wood ash (one cup) every now and then and blended it in with the top layer of greens & browns, then you would not overly alkalinize your compost bin contents. I would use wood ash sparingly and prudently in my composting setup -  if I had some.  Wood ash might also be spread lightly in areas where local desert plants are growing and / or on a gravel driveway, where nothing is growing.

So the decision is yours to do what you think is prudent.    Hope that this is helpful.    All the best.

From original questioner: Thanks JH and JZ, for your detailed responses! You've been very helpful. We don’t have a lot of ash so I think we’ll probably just scatter it on our driveway, maybe add a small amount to the compost. Not sure if it makes any difference but we do drink a ton of coffee! And coffee grounds make up more than the recommended ratio of our bin. Perhaps the alkalinity of the ash would offset that acidity a little? Or would any effect be negligible after the neutralizing process?

Anyway, thanks again!

Answer by JZ: Thanks for your response. Yes, the coffee grounds which are Ph 6.5 would help offset the alkalinity of wood ash a little. Blend them together, then add. As mentioned, just add small amounts of ash occasionally, the rest goes to your driveway. The ash is mostly inorganic so in general it is not decomposed, but the residual nutrients will end up in the finished compost.

Other sources of browns (carbon) would be now abundant leaves and used household paper products - paper towels, napkins, egg cartons, shredded paper, filters.

Wood ash is much discussed with reference to garden soil / composting so when you have time do a search “ wood ash in compost & garden” I think that you will find some helpful information. 

Composting is a dynamic transformative process.  Think that you will be pleased with the end result, so keep up.

You and family would be welcome to register then attend any of our classes as often as you wish.  See Classes under Activities in our website menu. All the best.

Answer by JH:  I’ll defer to JZ on the quesrion about coffee grounds/wood ash. Personally, I load up my compost with coffee grounds because they are an excellent source of nitrogen and free at your local coffee shop. I personally wouldn’t worry about having too much of it unless it overwhelms the carbon contents.

Answer by JZ: I do not know about local suppliers of PWC. I noted it is available on Amazon.com.

Answer by RR:  Click on Worm Resources Under Resources in our website menu for some potential sources for worms. The Bernalillo County Extension Master Composters Assn does not endorse any
one of these suppliers, but since we include them on our website, we consider them to be reliable.

Answer by JZ: Red worms are great partners for composting and improving desert garden soil. I’d suggest that you wait until spring, when soil temperatures are warmer, then add some worms. Worms need a moist soil, well amended with organic material (e.g., compost) as that is their food source.

You could gently scoop out some worms and their castings from your bin, then bury them in the top 3 inches of your garden soil.  They will eventually move upward and feed on decomposing mulch.

Once you have added worms, then mulch the top of garden soil with 4 inches of organic mulch. This will decrease evaporation of moisture and the mulch will slowly decompose and become a food source for them. Some mulches might be: shredded leaves, straw, shredded paper/cardboard, 3” of compost or a combination of  these mulches.

Worms outdoors. You did not send your zip code, so assuming that you live in central NM / Bernalillo Co., then worms will be fine outdoors as long as they are protected from sustained freezing temps and overheating in summer.

An easy, soil protected outdoor worm bin, in my opinion is a container in the soil.  The container may be repurposed plastic with a lid and an open bottom. Once buried, the surrounding soil provides insulation form winter cold and summer heat.  See Homemade Bins under Composting Info in our website menu for a descriptions of bucket you can use.

Another method would be to sink your current worm bin 8-12” into the soil, then bank the soil around the bin for protection. Cover the bin with with a “blanket” of several layers of cardboard. You may also surround the bin with straw bales- your choice. Red worms are a bit slower at lower temps, but with protection they’ll be fine. I have protected worms outdoors in all seasons in Rio Rancho. In summer months the cardboard will shield the bin from intense sunshine heat.

Let us know if this is helpful and if you have more questions.  All the best.

Answer by RR: I also have two worm bins in my garage in 10-gallon Rubbermaid containers. In the spring I bury them in a shady spot in my back yard. When I harvest the castings, I move about half of the worms to my raised garden beds and cold compost bin, leaving the rest to carry on and multiply in the newly re-established bedding in my worm bins.

Answer by JZ: Always good to hear from an avid composter.  Excellent idea. Years ago, I heard that zoo poo and carcasses were going to the ABCWUA Soil Amendment Facility on the far west mesa - composted there:  Compost I do not know if this collaboration continues.  You would have to contact ABCWUA and/or the zoo to find out. Let me know what you discover. I would suggest that, ideally any manure go thru a composting process, thus converting it to humus, before being added to garden soil. Get back to me if you have questions.  You are welcome to register, then attend any of our free classes as often as you wish.

Answer by AB: It is best to compost animal manure before adding to food crops. There can be bacteria in fresh manure that could contaminate food.