Anaerobic compost can do the job

[hoodat]

Last Summer I had quite a bit of composting material in a tumbler and it got too wet. It went anaerobic (stunk to high Heaven) Soldier flies moved into it and did their thing. I decided to just let it do its own thing. This Spring it looked about broken down and had lost most of the odor so I opened the tumbler and let it dry out a bit. I then removed it and spread it about 4 inches thick over the ground. I planted tomatoes in it and they did great. These are the tomatoes. On the left is Mortgage lifter and on the right Brandywine, planted about a month later. I have not added a bit of additional fertilizer, just watered as necessary and that's all. The mortgage lifter are about 6 feet tall and just starting to ripen the first tomatoes. Brandywines are just starting to set the first blossoms. I have had NO pest problems at all and have not seen any fungus or viruses. The plants look as healthy as tomatoes can get.

 

[digitS']

That's great, Hoodat! I've been curious how your tomatoes are getting along.

The anaerobic decomposition must be a lot of what is going on when I bury my compostables. The soil is so rocky that I can't help but think that there is a fair amount of air in it and that might be why it works well for me. I don't know.

Perhaps it wouldn't work so great to bury compostables in clay soil.

I see your pvc tomato cages have a lot to hold up this year !

Steve

 

[hoodat]

Those tomato cages are kind of creaking at the joints but they're holding up. I didn't bury the compost at all. Just put a thick layer on top of the ground and scraped a hole in it where I plopped in a tomato plant.
I have another batch cooking right now for next Spring planting. I hope I can come up with enough to do more than the tomatoes but my rabbit poop takes up the slack.

 

[digitS']

I didn't mean I buried the compost (altho' I will do that, also).

I bury green leaves and such. Also, I bury the frost-killed plants at the end of the growing season.

It might be something of a slimy mess down there under 8" to 10" of soil but that doesn't bother me and doesn't seem to bother plants growing on top of that soil. But as I say, I have very rocky soil and that may help with this approach to composting.

Steve

 

[lesa]

Wow, hoodat- that is a forest of tomatoes!! I would say they really liked the compost! My Mortgage Lifters are about 3 feet tall...

 

[hoodat]

I've always said if you can't grow tomatos in San Diego you can't grow them at all. The area I garden was part of the tomato capital of the world for many years till they plunked houses down on all the tomato fields.

 

[4grandbabies]

Beautiful tomatoes. ...they probably dont have problems because they are strong healthy plants!! Very impressive.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Those are beautiful! 6' tall? wow, I'm impressed.

 

[wifezilla]

Great job! :tools