What can I add to my compost pile of hay and goat/rabbit manure and some
leaves to speed up the composting time.
I did layer it somewhat with older compost/dirt from an older pile,did wet
it and have covered it up with a tarp(I found out that does help speed up
the breakdown process as the pile doesn't dry out)
Thanks all you composters
Jerome

In article ,
"JRYezierski" wrote:

What can I add to my compost pile of hay and goat/rabbit manure and some
leaves to speed up the composting time.
I did layer it somewhat with older compost/dirt from an older pile,did wet
it and have covered it up with a tarp(I found out that does help speed up
the breakdown process as the pile doesn't dry out)
Thanks all you composters
Jerome



1) Build a henyard and buy some chickens

2) Put the compost heap inside of the chicken yard in a corner

Works for me. ;-) I never have to "turn" compost. The chooks
keep it all stirred up, especially the kitchen scraps.

By the time they rake it thru the wire, it's ready for the garden. 2
weeks tops for most stuff...

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 09:55:30 -0400 in
, "JRYezierski"
graced the world with this thought:

What can I add to my compost pile of hay and goat/rabbit manure and some
leaves to speed up the composting time.
I did layer it somewhat with older compost/dirt from an older pile,did wet
it and have covered it up with a tarp(I found out that does help speed up
the breakdown process as the pile doesn't dry out)
Thanks all you composters
Jerome

Grass clippings won't hurt, but that rabbit and goat crap should get
it going pretty quickly. Keep the pile damp, toss it once a week, and
get yourself a pitchfork, go around the sides every couple days, and
loosen it up with the pitchfork around the sides, so it gets air.
Covering it with a tarp might help raise the temperature, but it needs
air to live.

JRYezierski said:

What can I add to my compost pile of hay and goat/rabbit manure and some
leaves to speed up the composting time.

Air -- ideally, the base of the pile should be constructed in some way to let
air enter at the bottom, and then convection will carry it up through the composting
matter.

I did layer it somewhat with older compost/dirt from an older pile,did wet
it and have covered it up with a tarp (I found out that does help speed up
the breakdown process as the pile doesn't dry out)

Mix the pile up thoroughly. Get air into the bottom. Put some airways up
through the pile. The tarp may help keep the pile from drying out, but make
sure it isn't also preventing the pile from breathing -- you may need to suspend
it over the pile somehow. A fast, hot composting pile needs to breathe.

Send me an email (see sig for correction) and I can send you some information
on hot, batch composting.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

this is the first year I tried to get compost going quickly. Usually, I turn
in about 1 month in, and use it about a month after that as mulch!

This year, I came into a lot of organics all at once, so was able to build 2
piles right away! And BIG ones, about 6' tall, and in 6' diameter steel wire
enclosures.

one more thing I did, that i never did before, is to install right in the
center of each stack, a 2" pvc pipe, that i drilled 3/8" holes in, about every
6" around the pipe.
The pipe is good for 2 things. First, it keeps a good, fresh supply of air to
the core of the pile. Second, it is VERY easy to test the temperature--I just
drop an old candy thermometer on the end of a string into the pile to test the
temp.

Another thing I did, was instead of watering it like normal, while building, I
made sort of a slurry of nice, fresh hog manure from a buddy. I had mostly
carbon based stuff (some old straw bales left over from last halloween!), some
veggie scraps, but kind of layered the straw with fresh grass clippings from my
mower with a collection bag on it.

I'll tell you, it topped and stayed at 160 degrees for about 3 days. I turned
the piles, they topped at 160 again., but by then had reduced in volume that
when I turned them again, they topped at 160 again--after I combined them.

When I turned it last, it topped out at 120, so I think I'm getting close to
finished with this batch.

I think the trick is SURFACE AREA. The bacteria cannot enter throught tough
veggie skins, branches, bark, and stuff like that.

The mower with collector did a fine job on the lawn clippings--especially the
leaves I didn't get around to raking last fall! The straw I didn't worry so
much about--sort of shook it loose and airy. My hedge trimmings (and there
were plenty of those in the pile) were cut up into smaller pieces. I used a
lopper on bigger chuncks, to cut them down to short lengths, and the smaller
ones with a hand shears. most likely they won't break down durning this run,
but will help innoculate the next one.

Also, I added as much kitchen waste as possible. but this time i used an old
clunker of a blender from a resale shop to grind it up. It's kind of a nasty
process, but seems to help really get the pile going. I add my egg shells,
veggie peelings, rotten veggies, stuff that I get from the local produce
place.... and I cube them up, add some water, then set it to "pulse" to blend
it up into a nasty looking sludge.

Then I use a turning fork (the best investment I ever made), open the pile
about a foot deep, then dump it in and cover it back up with working compost.

no smell, no bugs, no sweat!

If you get to it, chekc out "let it rot"--the ultimate guide to composint!

Later
John

On 22 Apr 2004 21:31:39 GMT, (Bpyboy) wrote:

this is the first year I tried to get compost going quickly. Usually, I turn
in about 1 month in, and use it about a month after that as mulch!

This year, I came into a lot of organics all at once, so was able to build 2
piles right away! And BIG ones, about 6' tall, and in 6' diameter steel wire
enclosures.

one more thing I did, that i never did before, is to install right in the
center of each stack, a 2" pvc pipe, that i drilled 3/8" holes in, about every
6" around the pipe.
The pipe is good for 2 things. First, it keeps a good, fresh supply of air to
the core of the pile. Second, it is VERY easy to test the temperature--I just
drop an old candy thermometer on the end of a string into the pile to test the
temp.

Another thing I did, was instead of watering it like normal, while building, I
made sort of a slurry of nice, fresh hog manure from a buddy. I had mostly
carbon based stuff (some old straw bales left over from last halloween!), some
veggie scraps, but kind of layered the straw with fresh grass clippings from my
mower with a collection bag on it.

I'll tell you, it topped and stayed at 160 degrees for about 3 days. I turned
the piles, they topped at 160 again., but by then had reduced in volume that
when I turned them again, they topped at 160 again--after I combined them.

When I turned it last, it topped out at 120, so I think I'm getting close to
finished with this batch.

I think the trick is SURFACE AREA. The bacteria cannot enter throught tough
veggie skins, branches, bark, and stuff like that.

The mower with collector did a fine job on the lawn clippings--especially the
leaves I didn't get around to raking last fall! The straw I didn't worry so
much about--sort of shook it loose and airy. My hedge trimmings (and there
were plenty of those in the pile) were cut up into smaller pieces. I used a
lopper on bigger chuncks, to cut them down to short lengths, and the smaller
ones with a hand shears. most likely they won't break down durning this run,
but will help innoculate the next one.

Also, I added as much kitchen waste as possible. but this time i used an old
clunker of a blender from a resale shop to grind it up. It's kind of a nasty
process, but seems to help really get the pile going. I add my egg shells,
veggie peelings, rotten veggies, stuff that I get from the local produce
place.... and I cube them up, add some water, then set it to "pulse" to blend
it up into a nasty looking sludge.

Then I use a turning fork (the best investment I ever made), open the pile
about a foot deep, then dump it in and cover it back up with working compost.

no smell, no bugs, no sweat!

If you get to it, chekc out "let it rot"--the ultimate guide to composint!

Later
John

You're a Devoted man aren't you John? There are those guys who
*INVEST* in their lawns, but you are REALLY invested in your
composting! ;-D

I'd like to have a good compost supply myself, and if I were young or
had access to a pickup and some teenagers with too much energy I'd run
around and pick up as many leaves as I could in the fall and mow 'em
up and make at least a pile of leaves to use or let rot.. but I don't
think that I could go so far as to use a blender to grind up garbage..
shudder at least not in the quantities you seem to be talkin'
about!

But.. I can almost see ya out there with your fork leanin' on it just
a beamin' in your pride of achievement! And Congratulations in your
energy and dedication! It's a great energy burner, exercise, and
feeding your compost to feed the ground so you can feed yourself is
great! Now, could you come move this big pile o' stuff in my back
yard? ;-)

Janice

In article , Bpyboy
wrote:

this is the first year I tried to get compost going quickly. Usually, I turn
in about 1 month in, and use it about a month after that as mulch!

This year, I came into a lot of organics all at once, so was able to build 2
piles right away! And BIG ones, about 6' tall, and in 6' diameter steel wire
enclosures.
[SNIP]

no smell, no bugs, no sweat!

If you get to it, chekc out "let it rot"--the ultimate guide to composint!

Later
John

Great post John - a Œkeeper¹ if ever there was one.

Many thanks

Another thing to add to speed up the composting is COKE! I remember reading
about it in Organic Gardening a few years back. I don't know if it is the
carbonization, the sugar, or the phosphoric acid. I find that it does heat the
pile up. I also add stale beer. Don't limit your compost collecting to only
solids. Fishtank water is good as are many of the liquids we pour down the
drain.

Ed

(Laser6328) wrote in message ...
Another thing to add to speed up the composting is COKE! I remember reading
about it in Organic Gardening a few years back. I don't know if it is the
carbonization, the sugar, or the phosphoric acid. I find that it does heat the
pile up. I also add stale beer. Don't limit your compost collecting to only
solids. Fishtank water is good as are many of the liquids we pour down the
drain.

Ed

What about Mtn Dew, coffee, OJ, and/or milk?

Cinnamon L - Cincinnati OH

(Cinnamon) wrote in message om...
(Laser6328) wrote in message ...
Another thing to add to speed up the composting is COKE! I remember reading
about it in Organic Gardening a few years back. I don't know if it is the
carbonization, the sugar, or the phosphoric acid. I find that it does heat the
pile up. I also add stale beer. Don't limit your compost collecting to only
solids. Fishtank water is good as are many of the liquids we pour down the
drain.

Ed

What about Mtn Dew, coffee, OJ, and/or milk?

Cinnamon L - Cincinnati OH


I think the Dew, Coffee and OJ would all be fine. I'd worry about the
smell of the milk though it would obviously decompose in a compost
heap.

Phosphoric acid is high in phosphate so it seems that would be very
helpful for lots of green plants (i.e. after you composted the
material). As high school ecology students can attest, dumping Coke
into an aqueous community creates great algal blooms.

"Becca" wrote in message
m...
(Cinnamon) wrote in message
om...
(Laser6328) wrote in message
...
Another thing to add to speed up the composting is COKE! I remember
reading
about it in Organic Gardening a few years back. I don't know if it is
the
carbonization, the sugar, or the phosphoric acid. I find that it does
heat the
pile up. I also add stale beer. Don't limit your compost collecting
to only
solids. Fishtank water is good as are many of the liquids we pour
down the
drain.

Ed

What about Mtn Dew, coffee, OJ, and/or milk?

Cinnamon L - Cincinnati OH


I think the Dew, Coffee and OJ would all be fine. I'd worry about the
smell of the milk though it would obviously decompose in a compost
heap.

Everything in a compost heap is decomposing. That's what makes it compost.
But in the garden and mixed with the other compost, it's not going to smell
bad like you spilt the milk in the boot of the car.

Steve