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Post by paquebot on Jul 21, 2019 10:42:12 GMT -5
Keeping the heat in goes along with keeping the moisture in. With water and greens being limited, use that plastic to cover the pile. That will keep the moisture in and trap what is constantly being released by the soil below. You really don't need a lot of water to make good compost out there. You are not far from Cleveland National Forest. I remember when authorities had to put a halt to people collecting "leaf mold" which was often 3 or 4 feet deep in places. It was really compost which was taking years rather than months to break down.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 21, 2019 11:28:33 GMT -5
As they say, you can't stop compost/decomposition from happening. You can only affect the speed of it.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 25, 2019 14:20:55 GMT -5
This pile was built July 21 and got up to about 150*. Just turned it this morning, the 25th. The temp after turning 3 or so hours later is at 130. Air temp, around 80. I'll try to turn it again in a few more days. That will depend on the weather and other commitments. Turning the pile - about 1 yard - took a non-rushed 2 hours or so. The heat/steam it was generating was noticeable.
'The stuff', a nice fluffy brown color, already looks like it's made good headway - as good as some 'finished' stuff on YouTube - but in my opinion, it's still got a long way to go. Some of those YT gardening videos are entertaining, but some are just awful.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 25, 2019 18:24:00 GMT -5
Isn't it amazing how you can make soil? My pile is not that hot but it always turns to soil.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 26, 2019 20:33:40 GMT -5
It would be better if what one makes has similar properties as soil. If only compost is added year after year, what it becomes is carbon humus. I'm running into that after 50+ years. I've almost made what it took Nature 10,000 years to create after the ice melted. In Nature, it's called duff. It's all organic and no actual soil. I would be in bigger trouble if I had not often added prairie silt. So what's the potential problem? No plant root support.It also has little food value after a couple years. System works as long as there is a fresh supply of nutrients each year.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 26, 2019 22:01:53 GMT -5
Crikey... the pile got up to just over 160*F. That's the hottest that I've built ..or seen that high a reading. 150-55 has been common, but this one is going gang-busters. Must have hit the sweet spot. I checked it with 2 different thermometers. I had the top covered with plastic and decided to take that off. I wanted this pile to go fast, lol, and it is. I might turn it again tomorrow or Sunday.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 26, 2019 23:05:42 GMT -5
Gianna,sounds great! 165º is common in the tumbler but I've never seen it above that. Keep it up and remember IALBTC, it all leads back to compost. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 27, 2019 7:11:55 GMT -5
I add all of my kitchen scraps, some grass clippings, manure and straw from the chicken coop and weeds without seeds and I get a LOT of weeds in this climate. It becomes something resembling really fluffy soil with some fibrous material in it. My hubby enjoys turning it with his garden tractor that has a bucket on the front so it breaks down fairly quickly.
My problem is that after years of adding it back to the garden, my soil test nutrient values are off of the chart excessive so now I am cutting back on adding it to the garden. I add it to the asparagus bed in the spring and fall since asparagus is a heavy feeder and I have been spreading it around the fruit trees or using it to repair areas in the yard where we have been planting grass seed.
I have a flower bed where I have planted a lot of beautiful daylilies so maybe I should add compost to that area in the Fall. I have never added compost to my flower beds before but it seems like a good idea.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 27, 2019 15:24:07 GMT -5
Gianna,sounds great! 165º is common in the tumbler but I've never seen it above that. Keep it up and remember IALBTC, it all leads back to compost. yes. I think composting is one of the more fun things to do in a garden. That pile got up to 165 this morning. Hard to read the little divisions on the thermometer. I really dont want it to get much hotter. I think I'll turn it tomorrow. I'd do it later this evening, but I've already put in my hard labor for the day. I have a veg bed in the back I think 18ft long X 4 feet in which I had yacon (aka gopher magnet) growing. I took all that lush, rank vegetation out this morning, chopped it up, put it on top of the bed, and added other material, and hosed it down. Then I put some of the municipal mulch on top and wet that too. lightly. It all was loosely piled, not packed, and was about a foot thick. Then I covered that with black UV resistant yard fabric and weighted it down. I'll leave that for a month or so, but will check what's going on periodically. When I was using the wheel barrow along a walkway, movement caught my eye. Snake! Thought at first it was a rattler because it was dark and dullish and thick, but as I watched it slither further away, realized it was a gopher snake with a duller than usual skin. Probably is about to shed soon. The snake had probably been hanging around the yacon waiting for a luncheon gopher to appear.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 27, 2019 20:36:42 GMT -5
My tumbler will be 160º in a couple days. About 30 gallons of grass clippings just went in. Friend stops by every 2 weeks to mow the back lawn. This batch started with one bag of shredded oak leaves and one of whole green ash leaves. After two mowings, that was two heat cycles and the ash leaves are breaking down. One more heat cycle and everything should be small and on it's path to becoming compost.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 29, 2019 11:29:35 GMT -5
Pile built July 21 turned July 25 turned July 28, yesterday.
Temperature after turning yesterday was about 100*, airtemp about 75. Temperature just now was about 140.
I might turn it again tomorrow or Wed.
Since my veg beds have been 'no dig' for a few years now, I no longer work compost into the soil, but use the stuff I make in container mix, moving up seedlings, etc. I dont use it for mulch either, but rather use the raw municipal mulch for that, which breaks down eventually. Or gets eaten by critters.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 30, 2019 10:22:45 GMT -5
Pile built July 21 turned July 25 turned July 28, ... July 30, think I'll turn the pile again today. It's back up to 165* this morning. It doesnt take long and is good exercise. And I love to use this fork - it's a 6 tined 'clamming' fork from a yardsale. Round, sharp tines. Relatively light weight too. Short-handled with a standard D-handle (or whatever those are called). I've had one of these before, but it was badly rusted from the salt water and eventually broke. This one is in very good shape. When I turned it the other day it was gorgeous. Mostly light and fluffy, grayish, steaming, and with a nice fresh smell.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 30, 2019 11:27:54 GMT -5
Sure sounds good. There obviously was a lot of nitrogen at the start in order to keep it returning to maximum heat after each turning. Heat cycles are generally around 2 weeks so it should start to taper off in a few days.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 30, 2019 19:10:55 GMT -5
Most of my previous piles over the years have been larger, and I didnt turn them as frequently. They reached 150 or so, and I was pleased. Then I'd turn them a couple times or so, and let them sit and mature since I was not in a hurry to use them. This pile was built for speed and heat, and that's what I'm getting. But the temps are higher and I'm needing to turn more often. Using municipal mulch, you never know what its composition is going to be. When we were in the prolonged drought, there simply was less green material in it because things just were both drier and growing more slowly. This past winter, there was good rain, and even now, months later, trees and shrubs are more green. In part because of nature, but also watering restrictions have been reduced and people are watering their yards more freely. I think that has contributed to the make-up of this particular green waste. No matter why, I like it. The original large pile on the driveway started heating shortly after being dropped off 2 weeks ago. It too got hot at 150 or so just sitting there. Today that unturned pile was at about 140-145*. So it's doing almost as good, but not as hot, as the one I'm working hard on... This morning I turned the 'small' pile. And now a few hours later, it's already back to 125*. Next time I turn it, I'll sprinkle it with a wee bit more water since it was looking a bit dry. We'll see. I hope the heat does taper off in a few days. Earthworms love this stuff even uncomposted. But even more when it is. Our earthworm populations were negatively affected by the drought. There are some out there in select places, but I might inoculate this new pile with some after cooling.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 30, 2019 23:39:48 GMT -5
Smelled something different when I neared the tumbler today. Then noted the the left clasp was shut on the door when I normally only have the right one hooked when at rest. Being a hot batch, time to cull a few of the pigeons. Either that or some squirrels since son now has the live trap. Odor definitely was of slow-cooking meat of some kind. There was a rabbit but he is totally consumed by now. Going to be another great batch.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by bestofour on Aug 2, 2019 19:19:45 GMT -5
I need to start working on my compost pile. Ive been negligent.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 18, 2019 21:58:30 GMT -5
Pile built July 21 turned July 25 turned July 28 turned July 30 turned Aug 16 Turned the pile day before yesterday in the evening. The compost was looking lovely. Much breakdown of material was evident. I moistened it a small amount since it was on the dry side. The temperature as of today is not rising much at all, so I'm now going to let it sit another month or so unless I need compost before that time. Next time I come across a bunch of earthworms, I may inoculate the pile now that it's no longer very hot. Where the pile is now, the soil has never had many worms. I liked so much how this pile went, and the metal 'fancy' sides I used worked very well, I'm thinking of starting another pile, this time right on the concrete drive next to the very large pile of mulch from the county. I dont plan to turn it that often, but slower decomposition will be OK. The large pile itself has remained hot. Not as hot as the pile I was turning, but it's still close to 140*. I love making compost - fun and great exercise.
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Post by brownrexx on Aug 19, 2019 5:54:59 GMT -5
I am always amazed at how all of my junky looking stuff and kitchen scraps turn into such beautiful soil. I don't have a tumbler or containment, just a big pule on the ground that hubby turns every once in a while when he has his lawn tractor out. He likes doing this so composting is simple for me. DSC01742 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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Post by bestofour on Aug 19, 2019 21:04:06 GMT -5
So pretty. I've pretty much stopped working on mine but this makes me want to start back.
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Post by paquebot on Aug 19, 2019 22:54:44 GMT -5
brownrexx, remember IALBTC. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Aug 20, 2019 7:00:57 GMT -5
Sorry but I don't know what that means.
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Post by paquebot on Aug 20, 2019 8:10:42 GMT -5
Sorry but I don't know what that means. This thread, 7/26, one post ahead of yours. It All Leads Back To Compost. Martim The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Aug 20, 2019 8:17:35 GMT -5
I don't have a really hot pile but as you can see it turns into really pretty soil.
Hubby turning it frequently really helps and it's quite amazing to see those weeds and other plant debris disappear.
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Post by paquebot on Aug 20, 2019 23:34:48 GMT -5
brownrexx,jumping back to IALBTC, the original or first person that I know who used that was a Garden Web member years ago who was a professor at one of the NC universities. That was when the Soil & Compost Forum was very active. I knew his name then but can't remember it now. He and I were both defenders of using sand to lighten heavy soils. One of his favorite sayings was that he never found a soil which could not be made better by adding sand. If anyone wants to know everything possible about compost, I think that "The Complete Book Of Composting" by J. I. Rodale may still be in print. It's over 1,000 pages and I've had it since 1967. I had already been composting 4 years by then and welcomed the many facts presented in that book. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 22, 2019 18:49:32 GMT -5
I just set up and built the next compost pile. This one, like the last, is 3.5 feet square, and about 3 feet tall. It's in the front yard, so making a really large pile is out of character for the area. This one is also from screened municipal mulch - from the same pile delivered last month. Internal temperature of the still big pile is currently 140*F. I had to moisten the mulch cuz the materials had gotten too dry. It only took about 2 leisurely hours to tie the sides together, put the black fabric to the sides to hold the bits in, and moisten and fill it. This one is on the concrete drive. It's so cute! The 4 side supports, tied together, are fake wrought iron railing pieces collected from someone's curbside trash. 8 of them. Silly people. There was a nice medium sized gopher snake out there too. We startled each other. edit: just 2 days later, with just the addition of some moisture and oxygen from turning, this new pile is up to 160*. When I have a nice block of time, and have nothing else to do, I want to build another of these quick, hot piles so I'll have ample compost, or near compost, to put on top of the trimmed cover cropped beds.
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