Bob's Basics Compost

by Bob Flowerdew

Composting (Bob's Basics) [Hardcover] Bob Flowerdew

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Environment

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Aprilleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the good, which does outweigh the bad. The book covers an outstanding array of techniques and options without attempting to overwhelm the reader with too much detail. The book starts with the usual topics about the benefits of composting, a basic description of how it works, and descriptions of what you should and shouldn't put in your compost pile. It also covers a variety of approaches and containers and discusses how to choose which ones best suit your needs. It's amazing how many different options are in such a short book, including a few I hadn't seen before. The author also discussed the use of snails (apparently they work a lot like worms) and the benefits of chickens for preprocessing. There are several beautiful watercolor illustrations sprinkled through the pages - they're one of the things that really set this book apart from rest.

The bad comes down to only one thing, but it's a biggie. The book is poorly formatted for the subject matter and the way most people would use it. There are no lists of materials you should and shouldn't compost, just paragraph after paragraph describing these materials. There are no charts comparing the various methods and bins to help you choose the ones that will meet your needs. This would serve as a great introduction to composting, but for a useful reference to actually doing composting you'd be better off looking elsewhere.

[Max Harvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was fairly informative about composting, but the writing was off putting as it was often punctuated by vaguely right-wing remarks. The bloke who wrote this is definitely a countryside Tory. The author also mentions on 4 or 5 occasions that human urine makes an excellent addition to any compost heap. I'm sure it does, but the frequency and detail of his descriptions of the effects of human urine on compost leads me to believe he probably has a repressed fetish of some sort. 2 stars.

[James Kinsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is super-repetitive, but sometimes that's a plus when it comes to retaining information (believe me, after you've read this, you'll never again need to be told that bigger compost heaps cook better). Bob's a little forthright in his disdain for rules & regulations. All that said, for a simple primer on better composting practices, this is very handy.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars, Really?? Yes, simply because the author, Bob Flowerdew (I just love that name), reminds us that it is all in the details- the basics.
Some folks don't want to have to "go back to the beginning" and take inventory of their own gardening processes developed over the years, but Bob strips it down to the basics and the reader can compare what he says to what we are actually doing in our own gardens and compost piles.
I had to understand that there is more to it than the proper ration of green to brown, grass clippings to leaves.
Bob reminds us of the value of lime in the garden, to use those wonderful and nasty mulch teas, and the need for a good "activator".
Several different types of bins are explored.

[Robin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply a superbly informative book about composting. Mr. Flowerdew has done the hard yards so that we may benefit from his clearly extensive and well-tested experience. Essential reading if you have any interest in composting, and an ideal place for beginners to begin, it seems to me. Although, I'm a beginner, so only time will tell, however I feel thoroughly well-equipped to start the journey.

[Janette Metz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational, I just wish it was more organized. I get the main ifeas, but for the small details it may be diffucult to look through the book and reread stuff to find the info. I did highlight to help though. He knows his stuff about composting.

[Banshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid little book on the basics of composting.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who wouldn't read a garden book by a guy named Flowerdew?

Informative but not overwhelming, helpful and unexpectedly humorous. A good intro for the beginner composter (me).

[Zoë Siobhan Baillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and comprehensive guide, Bob also looks like a massive crusty and his garden looks boss

[Elva Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit, but also felt the book was a little overwhelming. I'm glad I already had some experience successfully composting.

[Ela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordy, lots of commas, and weirdly worded sentences. Some decent pictures, but overall not very cohesive.

[Morgan Eckstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Bob's Basics books, Composting is obviously about composting, building bins, mixing debris to create the perfect mix to easily compost, etc. The most important thing I learned from the book, oh yeah, dear Dad was doing it wrong. And considering I learned my gardening skills from Dad (and less so, from my mom), I am also doing it wrong. Opps, well, at least, I now know better.

It is actually not surprising that both me and my Dad are guilty of composting in the wrong way. After all, we both learned though example, and in conditions where compost bins were frowned upon. Essentially we learned to use trenches (which Bob Flowerdew calls a lazy way) and a single bin. I am not sure what my neighbors, or my wife for that matter, will think if I set up an additional bin--and I think that I really two more after reading this book.

One thing that this book has talked me out of is the idea that the small rotary (self-mixing) and "dalek" bins will do any good given the amount of plant debris that I have to deal with. If I am understanding the mechanics of composting properly, they are just not big enough to generate enough heat to properly cook the compost, as well as lacking proper air circulation. This bit of information probably saved me some money--I say "probably" because there always seem to be better things to spend the money on...I am never sure what I would do if I actually had money to spare.

So I am hoping that the information in this book helps me. Time will tell. I did reset my compost bin today, and utilized some of the information from this book.

On a sidenote, my wife has read a few pages of this book also, and she finds it interesting. That counts for a lot.

[This book was brought at Tattered Cover, a local Denver bookstore. It was found on the bargain shelves.]

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer informatief. Nu weet ik precies wat ik moet doen met mijn eerste compostbakken. Er had nog ietsje meer aandacht mogen worden besteed aan het toepassen van de zelfgemaakte compost, hoewel ook dat onderwerp wel tot op zekere hoogte is behandeld. Ik ben in ieder geval zeer geholpen met dit boekje.

[Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for a first timer. Not a whole lot of details but the book is well illustrated and has lots of pictures and is easy to read. It is a good introduction to composting especially for newbies.

Enjoyed reading it :-)

[Meconopsis Lingholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this author, he sneaks a little wit here in there in just the right places. good info since I knew very little about composting before.

[Oakhands · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple but interesting how-to book on composting. Helped along with with a little humour, a tad repetitive at times.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful as an intro to composting, but I feel geared more for the serious rural gardener (with tons of space) than for the suburban novice.

[Netradičně tradiční · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jako základní seznámení se způsoby kompostování to jde, ale autor se jim věnuje moc povšechně. Když se člověk pro některý způsob rozhodne, musí si informace dohledat ještě jinde...