We make really nice compost here with very little work. Here I have finished off this compost pile for the winter. We started adding to this receptacle in the spring, and we are hoping it will be ready next summer. There is all kinds of kitchen scraps, garden waste, leaves, straw and other organic materials under a layer of leaves, straw and even chicken manure. To 'finish off' the compost, I add a really good layer of brown leaves from the yard, cover that with a few scoops of manure from the manure pile and top with a good layer of straw. Our bins, constructed from pallets, are positioned under a lot of trees, so after the compost is finished, Mother Nature herself adds another layer of leaves on top. The compost is then left alone until early spring time when I can then start to turn the compost frequently, once the weather has warmed up and biological activity increases. The pile has already shrunk down considerably from the time I 'finished' it, as it was to the very top and heaped in the middle. The compost doesn't do too much over the winter months, although if you dug into the middle of the pile you would find it quite warm and somewhat 'active', then quickly starts breaking down again in the spring. There's a large debate as to whether compost needs to be stirred or not, with some claiming it essential and others claiming it detrimental. I truly don't believe it is necessary, I dug into this pile the other day and it was surprisingly soil-like on the inside. I will stir mine to try and accelerate the process, so I may use my own compost to dress my crops in the late spring/early summer. The chicken manure acts as an accelerant, due to it's very high nitrogen content, which will help the pile break down quicker, however you do not want to use too much. Balancing your nitrogen and carbon content of your compost is key for decomposition, although again there is different perspectives on this, usually a ratio of 3:1, browns (carbon) to greens (nitrogen) is recommended. Fallen leaves are a great source of carbon and around the time they fall is around the time my compost receives them, although some people will save them year round to add regularly. During the rest of the year I add other sources of carbon to balance things.
Moisture content is important for compost, you do not want the pile to be too dry as biological activity will be greatly reduced. The same is true for too much moisture, usually damp to the touch, almost like a wrung out sponge, is best.
The pallet receptacle behind this one is our current compost pile that we will continue to add to all winter.
Nicely done. We have 3 large compost piles in our yard and my husband has a vermicomposting bin in his office. Compost is a huge part of his job with UW-Extension (he teaches about it) and composting invasive species seeds is his current research project for grad school.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to turn compost; it just doesn't "finish" as fast. You also don't need to be super picky about the ratios-I let my nose tell me if there's too much green (we once had a compost pile under our bedroom window-that ammonia smell was pretty obvious-ha ha).
Great job on your compost.
Thank you!! Wow, that's fantastic! He must have a large wealth of composting knowledge. I find mine naturally balances the ratios without any thought b/c I put paper products, different straws and dead plants in. Easy peasy, we've never put much effort into making it and always achieved great results! I should have added that I pasteurize it in my cold frame on hot summer days to kill any large seeds that may have survived, like squash, I'd love to hear how your husband deals with that. His compost probably runs warm enough that nothing survives.
ReplyDeleteHis seed research is being done on a commercial scale to see what communities can to do combat garlic mustard and...ugh, I can't remember the other (it's a shrub that begins with a "b" and has berries). Those piles are 6 feet wide, 4 feet tall, and about 12 feet long. They get warm. :-) As for our backyard piles, I usually have some tomatoe or squash volunteers every spring. ;-)
DeleteBuckthorn! He's composting Buckthorn seeds. ha ha I remembered.
It is amazing how quickly it settles down. I have a somewhat simlar system.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it something else? No wonder it is so nutrient rich!
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