I need the honest to goodness truth

Post by **WLLady** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:27 am

You could always just pee on the pile!! Lol
Compost is the thing that needs the least work on my place. But everything i read anout "will compost down in 6 weeks" is crap. It takes a year because we are cold or frozen for a good 1/3 of it.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:43 am

I asked about tarping because I see a lot of farmers tarp their mountains. Come the spring they take the tarp off and the likes are steaming. Mind you, it's usually cattle farms.

Brebis · Post by **Brebis** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 9:27 am

I agree WWL that the timing is too optimistic and a year works best. One mild winter I was cleaning out the barn in February and had a pile about 8 ft high that steamed for a good month or so even when the weather got freezing cold again!

I suspect they covered the piles to prevent leachate from escaping from the piles....if it gets too wet and is on concrete it can have quite a bit run off that could contaminate waterways etc. Some of the really big composting operations are indoors and have systems for controlling run off. Small piles and ones on bare ground don't pose the same problem.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 10:00 am

Those tarps Sandy are probably over feed /silage /insilage . When I had horses just put in pile behind barn no cover & spread on pasture following year . Luck

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 6:35 pm

If manure is left flat it gets processed by anaerobic bacteria (they live without oxygen: causing a surface crust..break through, whooeee). If flipped, or air injected then aerobic bacteria does the job. I don't know why, but I do know compost is better if processed by aerobic (oxygen loving) bacteria. I read a piece by Joel Salatin, thinker, farmer, and writer. He keeps cows in a barn for the winter and spreads whole corn on the straw/manure so it layers in and ferments. Then the cows go to pasture and pigs go in. They spend two months or so rooting for the fermented corn (candy) and turning the manure in the process and encouraging the aerobic bacteria. Then the manure is well composted and ready for the field. Animals can do a job if we let them.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 6:45 pm

Out west we used to winter a couple a young bulls on the saddle/heavy horse manure pile . Warm & they rooted thru the pile of straw hay & digested grain from horses which they are good at doin.First step in decomposition , recycleing .

Luck

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:02 pm

Doin some diggin:

"Another problem: When our salads and stews decompose in the absence of oxygen, they release significant amounts of methane — a potent greenhouse gas.
On the other hand, when scraps are shaken and stirred with ample oxygen, they degenerate into carbon dioxide, moisture, heat and great fertilizer." From an article from Burlington (VT) Free Press

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:09 pm

"Another example is the Vermont Compost Company (VCC). This compost company's address is Main Street, in Montpelier, the state capital of Vermont. It's located within the city limits on 5 acres of steep hillside. The VCC takes in about 750 tons on food "waste" from about 49 food residue producing institutions including schools, prison, restaurants, etc. They mix the food scraps in with wood chips, old hay, just about any source of carbon and create organic compost and potting soil. What is even more remarkable is that the VCC employs about 1,200 chickens as compost workers. The chickens clean the compost piles, keep the bugs and varmints down, and by scratching, literally bring down and aerate mountains of compost.

The VCC estimates that the working chickens are worth about 6 tons of heavy, fuel-free equipment. The flock doesn't even work for chicken feed because they get all of their ration from the compost mountains."
Here's the whole article.
https://www.chickensandyou.com/Bio_Recyclers_Civic.html

Vermont is on the forefront of good ideas we need to check out.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:30 pm

My compost bins, back to front, 2year old, 1 year old and the front one will get filled by next spring clean up.
They start out about 4' tall and by the time they are ready for the garden they are about a foot tall, but only go on next years potato bed, because they aren't fully composted yet. the potatoes go in to a shallow ditch and get covered with deep mulch of straw.
By the end of that season the bed is lovely and full of busy worms, finishing what is left of the compost.
BTW I never turn, way too lazy for that.

Shnookie · Post by **Shnookie** » Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:54 pm

I have this document about composting.

Composting

A compost pile needs air, to be moist without being over wet, and to retain the heat it generates. When adding ingredients, make shallow layers, or else completely mix everything, so air can get in between. Manure can be used as an activator, or you can buy an organic activator from a garden shop. A handful of lime can be added every foot or so to reduce acidity. The compost material should be moist, but not soaked. Cover it to keep the heat in, and rain water out. You can use plastic for this. When turning the compost, move the outside material to the center of the bin. Compost that is ready to use is crumbly and not smelly.

Passive Compost
Randomly pile up organic materials, keep them moist, and otherwise ignore it. This method takes four months to a year to compost, and it doesn’t heat up to high temperatures, so weed seeds and plant disease organisms are not killed.

Layered Compost
Alternate layers of green and brown material with an activator, such as manure. The brown layer should be twice as deep as the green layer, and topped with a thin layer of aged manure. Keep the pile moist, and let it sit. It will heat more than a Passive compost pile, but not as hot as an Aerated compost pile.

Aerated Compost
Aerating is the fastest and hottest method of making compost. It is also the most labor-intensive method. Alternate layers of green and brown material with an activator, such as manure. The brown layer should be twice as deep as the green layer, and topped with a thin layer of aged manure. Keep the pile moist. Monitor the temperature in the pile using a long compost thermometer. When it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit, turn the pile with a garden fork to introduce more oxygen. Once the pile cools to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, turn the pile again. Compost can break down in two to three weeks by using this aerating and turning process.

Three-pile Compost
Three-pile composting is very efficient and provides an ongoing supply of finished compost. It requires at least a 9 foot by 3 foot space, so may not be suitable for small yards. Put three standard-size compost bins end-to-end. Fill the first bin with layered compost ingredients. Keep the contents moist. When the first bin heats up to 100 degrees (feels hot at a depth of one foot), turn the material into the second bin. Refill the first bin with new ingredients. When the first bin heats to 100 degrees, turn the second bin material into the third bin, and then move the first bin material to the second bin. Refill the first bin with new ingredients. When the first bin is hot and ready to be moved, rotate the materials as before. The compost in the third bin will be ready, so it can be removed and used in the yard. Keep repeating this process for a continuous supply of compost.

Sheet Compost
Spread uncomposted organic ingredients over bare soil, and work them in. They will decompose over time. This method is best suited for a new flower bed or a food garden. Sheet composting after the bed or garden is cleaned in the fall, allows the ingredients to start composting over the winter.

Small-scale Compost
This a good method to use when appearances count and only a small area is available. You can compost in a garbage can by drilling air holes into it, filling it with compost ingredients, and rolling it on its side to turn and aerate the compost. You can cut the bottom out of a barrel or garbage can and partially bury it. This will put your compost in contact with the ground allowing earth worms and beneficial microbes to enter it. Stir the contents regularly to introduce air. You can buy a manufactured composting bin. When composting in a small container, it is most efficient to make a complete batch at one time. Fill the container all at once with layers of brown, green, and activator ingredients. Turn it daily, or every other day. Finished compost will be ready in about two weeks. Without turning, compost will be ready in about three months.

Worm Compost
Vermicomposting is the process of having redworms and other decomposer organisms process our organic waste and turn it into a great natural fertilizer (called vermicompost). Vermicompost contains: worm castings ("vermicastings"), good aerobic compost from other worm bin organisms, and some material (food waste, bedding, etc.) that's on its way to the worms or other critters. Vermicomposting is easy, requires very few supplies, and can be done by anyone. A simple box or container makes a fine worm bin and keeps worms and decomposing food scraps in one area. The worm bin is kept indoors or out, depending on your needs and preferences and may be fed most of your non-meat food scraps. They require very little attention, do not get sick, and don't mind if you go on vacation. In addition, redworms are voracious eaters that are extremely happy to spend the day eating organic waste, excreting worm castings and making more worms, providing you with high quality compost! Thus, in a few months, redworms will have turned your food scraps into vermicompost. For more information about worm composting, you can go to www.allthingsorganic.com.

Finished compost usually still has some lumps of material in it. Screen your compost by covering a wheelbarrow or bin with a piece of wire hardware cloth, bending it over the edge to secure it. Shovel compost onto the wire. Put on a pair of sturdy work gloves and work the compost through the wire into the wheelbarrow with your hands.

Some Compost Ingredients you Can Use
Green Ingredients
Coffee grounds Crushed egg shells Tea leaves and tea bags
Yard and garden trimmings (spoiled vegetables (raw only), cut flowers and bedding plants) Grass clippings
Freshly pulled weeds (without seeds) Fruit and vegetable scraps

Brown Ingredients
Dried leaves Shredded newspaper Pine needles Spoiled hay
Sawdust in small amounts (except black walnut or cedar which can inhibit plant growth) Straw (weed-free)

Do Not Put These In Your Compost
Any type of meat or animal product Perennial weeds or weeds with seeds on them
Dog or cat waste Cooked vegetables
Woody stems or branches (unless they have been crushed or shredded) Diseased plants