I have maintained a whole food plant-based diet and lifestyle now for 7 years, live alone in a forest situation. By necessity of ordinances from our local building ordinances, I have had to use a standard septic tank and tile bed. Most of my food is organic and at least 50% is from my own raised bed gardens. Can I dip a bucket in my septic tank and use hay or straw in a pit, then dump the raw sewage into this holding tank covered with earth and keep it like this for at least two years before using it as an amendment on my veg garden? Here are some images of what the garden looks like at present.
This article may help you.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/composting-human-waste.htm
I want to plant new shrubs
As long as it is well aged and composted in a "hot" compost pile, it is fine. Otherwise it may have weed seeds in it, depending on what the animal ate. Do not use any manure that isn't fully composted! Check out this webpage on horse manure. Notice the links at the top, including how to tell if the manure is ready for garden use. http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/horsecompost.htm
Is it better to leaves weeds in empty garden space as a cover or to remove and let soil uncovered?
I recommend removing the weeds as much as possible, and covering the area with a black plastic material to kill off any seeds over the winter. Another way to help would be to plant things like clover, peas, beans, or any other legumes, as they add nitrogen to the soil. Here is an article that will help:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm
Hello, I just recently made grape wine. I have a lot of sediment from it. I was once told that I could use that as compost. Meaning I would just be mixing it in the soil for next years garden. It does have an alcohol content to it. Would that hurt my soil or my garden for next year?
I would recommend fully composting this before adding it to the garden. There will be alcohol content, but not for long at all. It has a very fast evaporation time and will leave the mixture fairly quickly.
This collection of articles will give you some very useful tips on composting: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting
I purchased a large plastic compost bin to which I placed my kitchen waste and cardboard into. I have layered it and turn it over at regular intervals and cover it with a piece of carpet. When I remove the carpet to add or turn over I keep finding large slugs underneath. Should I remove these
Slugs and snails are the number one enemy of many gardeners and some people believe the compost bin is a hothouse for slug and snail reproductive activity, creating massive populations that will invade the garden and devour the precious plants. Slugs and snails are decomposer organisms that help break down the organic matter in the compost bin so the bin acts as a great feeding ground for them. There is no guarantee that the slugs and snails will not be tempted to other areas of your garden, but the compost heap provides them with an ideal habitat they have no reason to leave as they have a constant food source and are protected from predators - they keep moving up the bin to get to the fresh material, and eventually die of old age.
I was wondering if it is safe to use computer paper that has laser jet ink on it.
The short answer is that using paper and ink in compost is generally considered safe. But this is still a somewhat controversial issue with several factors to consider.
Modern printing ink is generally considered non-toxic, but not all reviewer opinions take into account all aspects of the oils used, GMO soy crops, percentage of petroleum oil content and heavy metals that may be present. From what I have gathered in reviewing the published information, Organic purists say no, but there is a lot of opinion out there that says ok no problem.
Here are some articles that may help you decide for yourself.
https://www.the-compost-gardener.com/-composting-paper-is-it-safe-.html
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/composting-newspaper.htm
Is the correct order for adding material when building a compost heap brown (dry material), green ( nitrogen containing material) and then garden soil, or Green, followed by a layer of green and then garden soil?
There is no real sequence to adding. You will be mixing all of this up occasionally, and when you first get it set anyway.
There is a less effective, but less hands on way to compost in a "lasagna" fashion. This method requires layering materials, and will not require much maintenance, but there is a lot to be said about a well mixed, and maintained compost pile.
This article will help you with lasagna style composting: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/lasagna-gardening.htm
This article is a well rounded composting guide that will, also, give you many good tips to help you make the best of your compost: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/lasagna-gardening.htm