BS: Compost Question

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 May 04 - 12:54 PM

Depending on the kind of litter you use, you can put the cat droppings in compost also. But not if you're using the clay stuff. There are other materials, such a corn and newspaper pellets that can be nicely composted, along with the animal droppings.

If you buy bags of manure from the nursery, you'll find that it has no scent. It probably is also neutralized, as is just about any bagged product. But if you mix some into your active compost you can reenergize it and get the compost cooking hotter.

Years ago I took the Fort Worth Zoo's docent training program. I have been a professional naturalist for years, but I wanted to see what they were teaching the docents, so I took the course. At the end we each had to do a presentation that we worked up, and didn't need to be zoo related. One fellow was an ardent gardener and a master composter. He had a system with a 4' x 4' bin of hardware cloth (that heavy metal screen with 1/2 inch sized mesh) in the middle of which he placed an upright 3-4" tube also made of hardware cloth. The combination of regular water and the air that got down that tube combined with the anaerobic activity meant he had the hottest fastest compost I've ever seen. It was a sight to behold!

If you have the dollars for investing in a compost tumbler, you can have the cadillac of compost systems. It's kind of like a big cement mixer with a lid and air vents. You open the door, pop in the new vegetation, close it, then crank the handle a few turns to move it all around. Every day you go out and tumble it and regularly add water.

I'm sick to death of having this stupid cold. As I write this I want to spring up from my desk and go do all of my yard work, but I still have a few days of recuperation to go. Maybe just a little mulch today.

By the way, Howard Garrett is on the air right now, and I paid particular attention to his description for killing off Bermuda in the garden. He said you have to mechanically remove it (dig it out) then when the soil is ready put down a thin layer of finished compost, or even better, he said, worm castings, because they're so uniform. Put at least seven layers of newspaper down on top of that, then put two or three more inches of mulch. If Bermuda comes up through it, pull it out, or spray it with vinegar and orange oil with soap in the mix. (I think I've mentioned this before, but visit his site for the recipe). So maybe that is something to do today--go put out the worm castings and newspaper on the beds I dug last week. (Don't hit plants you want to keep with the vinegar mix, it kills foliage).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: dianavan
Date: 02 May 04 - 12:27 PM

Hey b.w. - throw that rabbit shit into the bin (not the cat shit, though). It will heat the compost nicely. Do you know about red wrigglers? These little worms can be purchased and do a great job in the compost.

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: black walnut
Date: 02 May 04 - 12:19 PM

Whoo! I have one rabbit and 3 cats, not cows and horses. I live in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the known universe. I'm not about to go out and purchase manure for my composter when my kitchen garbage fills up the bin quite nicely.

Robomatic, I guess what I mean by half-cooked is when there are still banana peel shapes and egg shells floating around. And UFOs.

Since I'm only growing flowers and trees in my little lot, dianavan, I'll make sure it's on the well-done side. Not sure I have room for 2 piles of compost though, but it sounds like a very handy idea in theory.

I have an indoor vermiculture bin also. It's easy to separate one half at a time - the worms just travel around where I plant the right conditions for them. Quite fun to think of them eating that much coffee - they can't possibly ever sleep.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: dianavan
Date: 02 May 04 - 12:37 AM

Compost piles do need to get hot before the seeds and weeds are destroyed. The best formula I have found is 1" animal manure, 2" green manure. To be safe, make two piles. Start them 6-10 months apart. Let them rot for a year and turn often to aerate. Yes, you can use half rotted compost but only in the vegetable garden. Works really well if you dig a trench and bury it or for squash and cucumbers, dig a hole and bury it. Don't top dress with unfinished compost. You will get all kinds of volunteers in with your flowers.

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 May 04 - 10:11 PM

Bobert, if you get your compost hot enough you can knock out the weeds along with everything else. Howard Garrett (http://www.dirtdoctor.com) even says you can put that @#**@ nutgrass in the compost! (geez, but I am tired of pulling nutgrass--it's right up there next to Bermuda as a horrible weed). I haven't gotten a system in place yet to really do the compost the hot fast way; it sits out there long enough to break down, and if I remember to set the sprinkler on it every so often it works faster. I designed my big compost area so that I would pile it on one side then turn it and move it to the other side. Who'd have thought that I'd have so much stuff that I'd completely fill the pen? So I need to build another one next door. Meanwhile, I turn it out onto the ground and scoop the good stuff out of the bottom then pile the unfinished stuff back in (and throw a few shovels full of the good finished stuff on top to percolate through).

It works.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: robomatic
Date: 01 May 04 - 09:49 PM

Depends on what you mean by half composted. That high temperature you reach is mostly in the center, so unless you have tossed and let it re-heat, there is a good chance you haven't killed off weeds and other seeds.

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: Bobert
Date: 01 May 04 - 07:44 PM

Wo, wo.... First of all, don't compost weeds! That's in the Bible! Okay, it might not be but should!

If you have some stuff that's about hald composted and want to use it in yer garden, fine, but till it in and don't top dress with it. The whole idea of compost is three fold: weed control, food and holding moisture in the soil and it half composted stuff won't accomplish all three so why do it???

And like I've said, don't make compost out of bad stuff, especially since there no shortage of good stuff...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: MarkS
Date: 01 May 04 - 07:28 PM

The way to be most certain is to make up two compost piles, and use last years in this years garden. We do much the same thing here with manure. With 4 horses, we get lots, and you must resist the temptation to use stuff too new. It can be so strong it will burn the plants to death!
Happy growing!
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: black walnut
Date: 01 May 04 - 06:08 PM

BS? That's funny! Call me b.w. next time, okay? Or B.W., or BW, or as Rick Fielding used to call me: 'Nut.

No, I don't have a compost thermometer. I never thought it took that much technology to rot my rubbish (brucie :-] ). However, I like the image of compost soup. Caution to the wind.

~'Nut

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 04 - 03:34 PM

Thank you. I am so happy this isn't another rubbish thread. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Subject: RE: BS: Compost Question
From: GUEST,tracy schwarz
Date: 01 May 04 - 03:09 PM

Do you have a compost thermometer, BS? The books say once the temperature drops below 90 degrees at the center of the pile you can use the compost in your garden. In fact, one author claimed the remaining breakdown process helps your plants.
Making good compost is like making soup imho - you can always look forward to the next time when you'll get it right!

Tracy (off the road at the moment, just composting).

Subject: BS: Compost Question
From: black walnut
Date: 01 May 04 - 11:27 AM

I've read some gardening books that say that you can spread half-ready compost right onto the garden, and let it finish curing right there on top of the soil. But my cousin had a year when zucchinis and cantalope started growing in her front flower bed, from seeds in her compost that hadn't broken down. So, how ready is ready enough for compost? I don't mind growing fruit and vegetables, but I put my foot down at planting dandelion or ragweed seeds.

~b.w.