Moving: How to Handle Compost?

[fidgiegirl]

Hi all

We are moving in the next two months. Yeah!

We will be keeping our current home as a rental. My question: What to do with the half-finished compost!? We have discontinued adding material because the last two winters the squirrels got in it and made a mess. But I suspect it may just have to stay put until spring . . . or we can take the barrel and leave the pile . . . but our renters might not be in love with that.

Ideas?

[Rosemary]

Every time I've moved, I've simply left the compost bin for the next homeowners. With renters, you could ask if they're interested in composting, and if not, take the bin away after the materials in it finish composting.

[puglogic]

Well, you're going to think I'm a real geek, fidgie, but......I took our compost when we moved. Granted, we only had to take it a few miles. I just loaded up some 5-gallon buckets and big tupperwares and brought it over here, then rebuilt the composter and put it all back together.

Can't take my compost away from me LOL

[fidgiegirl]

:laff: pug, lol! I thought of doing the same, tho! :laff:

[puglogic]

My husband puts up with SO much; the guy's a saint LOL

[Mrs-M]

Find out if the renters are active compost practitioners and if they are, then I'd leave things be and let them add to it, however if they aren't, then being that it's so late in the season I'd look at transferring a portion of the goodness come spring. (A pickup truck and an hour or two to shovel in the goods, then transport over to your new residence).

[Mrs-M]

Puglogic, you are dedicated!!! :)

[frugalone]

My compost was in a bin, but when we moved, we dumped it out onto the ground. I was so mad at the slumlord I didn't care what he or the next renters thought.

BTW, our neighbors recently told the borough we had "dog feces" in our yard. Turns out they meant our compost heap. We don't even have a dog. There is bunny poo in it, which is already composted due to the bunny's habits.

[Marianne]

How interesting! I never would have thought about moving the compost unless it was in one of those plastic things. Even then, I probably would have just spread it out somewhere and started over at the new place.

[fidgiegirl]

How interesting! I never would have thought about moving the compost unless it was in one of those plastic things. Even then, I probably would have just spread it out somewhere and started over at the new place.

The only problem is that it's not finished yet . . . I suppose I could spread it and get some wood chips to cover it . . .

[Rosemary]

If you have a garden, you could put the unfinished compost on it 'sheet compost' style to let it finish.

[Amaranth]

I have known people to move finished or half finished compost and even people to move all their improved soil when a community garden was being closed and turned into something else. Five gallon buckets with lids work well or a pick up truck if you have access.

Though you could also leave it if you are looking to attract gardening renters or would be pruning at the rental and generating additional compost while the renters are there.

[iris lily]

This is such a good question, I am enjoying the responses.

Let me just brag that I managed to get a dump truck full of FREE compost dumped on my "community garden" because the city will do it for gardens that are on public land. It is such a gift, all of that compost, as well as the accompanying load of wood chips

[Amaranth]

Way to go Iris Lily!!! Some of the best recycling.

Just to be on the safe side, I'd try to grow some beans and tomato seeds in containers inside in the compost before spreading it just to be sure that there is no residue from that new herbicide that was on the market for about 6 months this year. It persists in compost and killed a lot of trees so could be in wood chips too. Since the beans and tomatoes are really sensitive to it, they are a good sort of canary in cold mine type check.

[crunchycon]

We're moving sometime next year; I'm emptying our compost bin into our garden and tilling it under - but our compost is "done." Compost bin will be reinstated at our next residence.