Green Landscaping and Gardening - Compost help
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racefan
06-14-08, 11:15 AM
I am new at composting & my pile is not heating up.I think it's too small(3x3x2 about)I got ahold of some horse barn cleanings(manure,hay,worms)from a co worker.I added some of that but I think I need to add some browns? being it's spring there's not a lot of dead leaves to add,will some hay work? Thanks,Mike
twelvepole
06-14-08, 11:50 AM
Here's a link to a recent compost discussion: http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=343980&highlight=compost You can click the search button and type 'compost' to find other discussions here.
You will need to maintain the brown to green ratio. That's carbon to nitrogen ratio. 30:1 preferred. That's brown stuff (leaves, saw dust, paper, straw, etc.) to green stuff (grass clippings, kitchen waste, etc.) Grinding speeds up composting, although all organic material in the compost pile will eventually decompose. Frequent turning of compost helps speed up process.
You need at least a 3x3' pile to cook. If pile is higher than 5', it will compress itself. Layer the compost pile with topsoil, dampen with water hose, mix, add the next layer, repeat... Top off with soil. Make sure leaves are wet when added to the compost pile. This helps getting them started and prevents their absorbing the moisture you added to the pile. Adding fertilizer to each layer helps speed up the process. Once you get the pile cooking, turn once a month. There are compost thermometers available to monitor temperature. Don't over water. Don't forget to turn. Don't over pack the pile. To prevent overwetting of compost during wet periods, cover with tarp. Too wet compost produces an odor. Turn to help with drying out. If you smell ammonia, turn and add brown stuff.
Compost should age for at least a year before using. If not fully decomposed, use in garden and around plants can rob soil of nitrogen and cook plants.
You will need to maintain the brown to green ratio. That's carbon to nitrogen ratio. 30:1 preferred. That's brown stuff (leaves, saw dust, paper, straw, etc.) to green stuff (grass clippings, kitchen waste, etc.) Grinding speeds up composting, although all organic material in the compost pile will eventually decompose. Frequent turning of compost helps speed up process.
You need at least a 3x3' pile to cook. If pile is higher than 5', it will compress itself. Layer the compost pile with topsoil, dampen with water hose, mix, add the next layer, repeat... Top off with soil. Make sure leaves are wet when added to the compost pile. This helps getting them started and prevents their absorbing the moisture you added to the pile. Adding fertilizer to each layer helps speed up the process. Once you get the pile cooking, turn once a month. There are compost thermometers available to monitor temperature. Don't over water. Don't forget to turn. Don't over pack the pile. To prevent overwetting of compost during wet periods, cover with tarp. Too wet compost produces an odor. Turn to help with drying out. If you smell ammonia, turn and add brown stuff.
Compost should age for at least a year before using. If not fully decomposed, use in garden and around plants can rob soil of nitrogen and cook plants.
handy1018
06-24-08, 12:00 PM
the pile twelvepole describes is ideal. however, if it is not practically possible for you to have a 3x3x3 pile don't stress too much about the temp. a cooler pile will just break down more slowly and will not kill as many bacteria/pests/weed seeds.
now if it is not breaking down at all or if it is smelly :thumbdn: that is a different story.
if you need some extra browns, shredded newspaper will work. just use the standard black&white pages. hay will also work but i don't use too much of it because it seems to take a while to break down.
now if it is not breaking down at all or if it is smelly :thumbdn: that is a different story.
if you need some extra browns, shredded newspaper will work. just use the standard black&white pages. hay will also work but i don't use too much of it because it seems to take a while to break down.