That's a wonderful idea dan! I have been using "cold" compost for a couple of years. I have a small compost container with a lid that I keep on my kitchen counter, where I dump my coffee grounds and egg shells. Every other day or so, I dig around my plants and bury the compost, replacing the mulch that I rake aside temporarily. The earthworms love the coffee grounds and the soil is quickly improved. I may adopt your system for all of my other kitchen scraps.
Molly

Great idea! I do what Molly does with all our raw kitchen scraps. Either way it breaks down very quickly and really improves the soil. Plus I get some interesting plants poppiing up from time to time -- like beautiful papaya plants right now. Their seeds are very persistant as are winter squash seeds.

Yes to both roselee and Molly. I also have a small catch-container for kitchen scraps. I guess the problems I have with cold composting is that I'd need to keep digging around my plants, which I'd rather not do, especially when the drip lines (and presumably the root spread) get big. I suppose if you just want to do a lasagne bed, one needn't keep digging, but you need to have all your compostable material at one time. Also, since the cold pile isn't aerated, unless I do a lot of digging, it can take a long time for the stuff to break down.

I've done that too. Mostly in the winter. Pick a bed, start at one end. Dig a hole, pour my coffee container of kitchen scraps in the hole and cover. Next batch goes in a hole right next to. I work my way on down the bed. I stick a tent stake or piece of rebar next to the hole so I can remember where I'm at next time I go out to dump. When I reach the end of the bed I start another row of holes.

It works great. If I have enough saved up coffee containers of scraps (because I was lazy or it was cold and I just didn't feel like doing it--or its between Thanksgiving and New Years when it seems I'm marathon cooking) I'll dig a trench and fill it, then cover it back over. If I have grass clippings or leaves I'll mix some in, or just put it on top as mulch.

Usually by spring its all ready to plant, soil is nice and soft with very little of the scraps identifiable; usually its the eggshells or cabbage cores--just leave 'em...they'll get broken down soon enough.

We have clay soil so the worms and army of soil microbes that break down the scraps do the labor of breaking up the clay. It loosens it up without any tilling or my own back breaking labor.

I think its called composting in place.

I also have a compost bin going. I never turn it, and only water it if its been hot and dry.
It gets enough moisture with my scraps and the grass clippings being added frequently.
It cooks but doesn't cook fast and that's ok with me. :)

I have a counter top container that holds a bag made of corn starch and I can just throw the whole thing in my compost "pile" (which is very large at this time). Since I cannot turn it at all, I just let it stay in place (can be seen only if you go to the back of the garage) and dig under only when I am ready to use it. Have not dug there in two years, so it must by black gold by now.

I have thought about doing something like this. My concern is do the dogs dig it up?

We bin compost and turn it occasionally. It's a slow but low labor method.

Kathy, the dogs have never touched mine. They really don't care for fruit and veggies. They never even bothered the eggshells.

I've never had anything dig up the "scraps" which I bury, which are mostly coffee grounds, eggshells and sometimes banana peels, potato skins, etc. Except for the eggshells, they decompose very quickly and I've never had a problem with odors. I say I bury the scraps, but I mostly rake away the mulch, scrape off a few inches of soil, toss in the scraps, replace the soil and mulch and that's it. It's very easy and quick for me since I am putting out such a small amount at a time.

Molly

jardineratx, do you put banana peels in? I've never dared do that in a composting scheme that might be a little slow. You're just burying them near your plants? They decompose quickly? I would have thought they'd be too fibrous to do that. I would do that in my compost hole if I had some assurance about what would happen to them.

There was a time when my dog was younger that she would dig up some of the buried stuff. I just laid some vinyl netting over it and she left it alone after that.

If you're worried about critters digging up your scraps just lay some of netting over it and perhaps anchor it with bricks. It won't take long for it to decompose and critters won't be a problem.

Nothing has ever bothered my compost bin except for ants. Last summer when I was not putting the coffee grounds in it and hadn't watered in a while --fire ants moved in. I've since stopped putting the grounds on the hydrangeas and started putting them in the compost bin again.

Dan, I do put banana peels in, but I never payed attention to the time it takes for them to decompose. When they are thrown on top of the soil they do take a long time....I tried that under my rose bushes and they were visible for longer than I wanted to look at them, ha. I think I will do a little control test and add them to my next batch, then go back to see how long the decomposing takes. In my case, where the scraps are not visible and the results are visible, I guess it doesn't really matter how long it takes...just a thought.
Molly

Thanks. I have buried banana peels under rose bushes, but I never looked to see to what extent they broke down. I suspect if you just throw them on top, they'll dry out, and will be like leather. Not good for composting. But perhaps if well buried, they'll break down.

I love this thread! Thanks Dan

I think the dogs leave it alone because of the coffee. At least it has helped to dsicourage an outdoor cat that I love from using a corner of my house for her "special" box.

My coffee doesn't make it into my compost so I need to get some. Here is my lazy method. I have a sqare chain-link fenced area that I use to keep my dog when the phone guy needs to get in the yard. He thinks it's a treat so I keep it that way. Sometimes I let him in there to rest under a tree in a corner.

He leaves a hole for me and I am so lazy I toss the compost in it and toss some dirt on it. Later, he'll make another somewhere else and I take advantage of it. They are largen enoug that it takes time to fill one and it is amazing how fast the scraps disappear.

I don't have dogs, but I live near an urban creek where we have plenty of possums, coons, and various rodents as well as squirrels. They come traipsing through the yard at night. Occasionally I see an eggshell at the compost hole that is curiously out of place, but it isn't as if those creatures go to the hole to dig for snacks.

A caffeinated possum would be a sight to see, however.

By all means when you put the coffee grounds into the pile, throw them in with the filter. In fact, I just dump the whole pile -- filter+grounds into my countertop container.

What a great thread! I love reading about everyone's composting method. Mine is completely different and not nearly as effective. I have a box that the hubby built for me. Occasionally I throw yard waste in there. Sometimes hubby stirs it with the tiller attachment on the weedeater. I get truckloads of free compost from the city, so when I have a little too much, I add that too. The first year I had mostly shredded paper and grass clippings and after a whole year, I could still read the words on the paper and see each blade of grass. I think it was too dry. I don't add kitchen scraps because it is across the yard and the lid is heavy. Too much work! HA! But after reading this thread, I may have a change of heart and get off my butt and add them!

Sorry for rambling...