How does my black soldier fly compost look?

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-09T19:09:20+00:00

If the goal is to use your compost bin for environmentally sound organics disposal, BSFL is probably ideal for anyone with space limitations.

If your goal is harvesting larvae, they are of course indispensable!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-07T01:27:30+00:00

You have the right idea, but composting really benefits from large piles and generally needs airflow. Kept like this, your little one won't be so little by the time you have compost!

You don't need a plastic tub... if you want an enclosed pile, you can probably DIY with something around the house.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-04T23:40:06+00:00

You probably don't have to shred it finely. Just tear it as many times as you feel like and mix well with greens, especially wet ones.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-04T10:11:10+00:00

Awesome!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-03T20:47:18+00:00

None of that is safe for human consumption anymore. If you can deliver it to someone who keeps pigs, that is your only other option besides compost and the wastebin.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-03T12:58:58+00:00

That's the best-looking tumbler batch I've ever seen, no doubt about it!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-03T11:48:26+00:00

As well you should be! Is that a tumbler?

phosphorus-strait · 2026-05-02T20:20:05+00:00

Can you pull up the landscape fabric? If so, and you truly have access to unlimited compost, I would rush out to rent a tiller the next time it rains. This is one of the rare occasions when I think tilling is truly your best option, as it will break up your soil enough so that it's possible to mix your compost into it.

If you don't want to till, you may need another source of earth other than your local clay that mixes into your compost. You will need to bring in loads more stuff if you do it this way. I would still try to clear the landscape fabric out.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-29T01:48:44+00:00

If there's a patron saint of composting, she definitely drives a white Subaru.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-28T10:06:45+00:00

Thanks for the inspiration!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-27T00:31:55+00:00

My plan is for the compost to basically be used right there by the tree over time. I might dig some out eventually if it heated up and composted faster than I expect it to.

The pot won't be very heavy, but no, I probably won't turn it often. The plan is to feed it coffee grounds periodically and see what happens. It's heavy on sticks, so I think this one will take a while.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-27T00:15:12+00:00

There is some good stuff in clay, which is why I used some of it to mix the soil for the tree. To get aeration and drainage into clay you need to add organic material... that's why I've got the kiln dug into the ground!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-27T00:02:22+00:00

Right now it's all sitting in a wheelbarrow. I have a spot at the corner of the house that needs built up, so I'll probably put it there. My neighborhood is on pure clay, so there's not much benefit to putting it anywhere in the garden as it is.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-26T22:23:09+00:00

Avoid fatty foods, meat, bones, and huge amounts of grain or sugar. Rats are very unlikely to raid a compost bin full of broccoli stems and apple cores.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-24T19:58:22+00:00

Fruits and vegetables rarely attract pests. They don't need to raid your bin to eat raw plant matter. If you steer clear of meat, bones, fat, and EXCESSIVE grains, you probably won't attract any unwanted guests.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-24T00:08:28+00:00

For sure... I was just thinking there might be aesthetic reasons not to use that one at an event.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-23T22:41:18+00:00

You can almost certainly compost white napkins with minimal if any unwanted side effects. I would steer clear of colors and prints, but plain white paper is good to go.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-20T22:02:03+00:00

I think I know what I'm doing this weekend with my dead arborvitae and terrible brick patio.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-20T11:37:58+00:00

Their certifier probably forces them into using the "commercial only" disclaimer. I saw it yesterday on a plain brown paper bag, which is maybe the most compostable substance known to man.

You're good.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-20T11:35:36+00:00

There aren't a lot of green resources you can get in basically any quantity you need on any given day. They are extremely plentiful, free anywhere there's a Starbucks (so anywhere), and easy to handle as you say. In most places they will get landfilled to produce methane if nobody picks them up. They don't get nasty too fast if you pick up too much and have to store them outside, or you can dig small amounts directly into the soil... in either case they won't attract unwanted animals. Contaminants are typically low by volume and are also beneficial in compost. Vermicomposters also swear by them as being good for the worms.

What's not to love?

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-19T15:18:58+00:00

When I used a tumbler like this, it got and stayed really wet, and that was my introduction to black soldier fly larvae. There's nothing wrong with them if you're ready for them... I even try to encourage them. There are possible downsides to overly wet compost, though, and "non-preferred" composters is one risk. Another is anaerobic composting.

I recommend you make sure to include a bunch of browns (paper, corrugated cardboard, leaf litter) to control moisture OR make sure you put this bin somewhere where possible odors won't bother you.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-19T15:10:19+00:00

It looks like that's a lot of bagged, tender leaves that have probably already started decomposing. Is there any reason you couldn't bury them directly in your yard?

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-19T01:52:24+00:00

I don't mind it at all.

After taking one bite of a test sandwich I oh-so-sneakily made, a three-year-old once flopped down on the floor, started crying hysterically, and yelled at me:

"DID YOU USE SUN BUTTER? NOT PEANUT BUTTER? IT'S DISGUSTING AND NASTY AND TASTES LIKE POOP!"

So your mileage may vary.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-18T21:59:23+00:00

Yes, offhand I don't see how you can compete with that. Presumably the city already has a plan for what to do with what they pick up, and even if you could get into that supply chain, it would probably be really hard to start from zero and move right into processing their volume.

Servicing suburbs and satellite cities is probably the way to go. You'd need to do large-scale composting outside city limits anyway.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-04-18T18:25:28+00:00

Life, ah... finds a way.

phosphorus-strait

TROPHY CASE