Garden -- Compost

[La Quinta]

And that would make...you...uh...chicken excrement? :) (Did I spell that right?) :)

[iceman]

And that would make...you...uh...chicken excrement? :) (Did I spell that right?) :)

Spell check...............................Everything OK LQ. Continue to post  :D

[La Quinta]

heh...heh...heh...:) thanks Ice...now I'm good with excrement...:)

[huhwhatliar]

And that would make...you...uh...chicken excrement? :) (Did I spell that right?) :)

Just very, very careful  :P :P

Domenick

[La Quinta]

Does Chris ever get on the forum? Just a question...doesn't mean anything...:) uh...really doesn't!! :)

[huhwhatliar]

Does Chris ever get on the forum? Just a question...doesn't mean anything...:) uh...really doesn't!! :)

First off I don't believe you  ;) We have an agreement, I don't bother with her forms and she don't bother mine. When she is in town on chat nite she will sit with me. She was here this past tuesday and will be here this tuesday. NO, NO, NO LQ you will not be able to chat with her  :o

Domenick

[La Quinta]

Now that I am fully confidant how to spell "that word" I will only use it when appropriate...now would be a good time...:)

[Smoking Duck]

heh...heh...heh...:) thanks Ice...now I'm good with excrement...:)

I don't think there was any doubt to that at all LQ  :o ;D :-*

[huhwhatliar]

And that would make...you...uh...chicken excrement? :) (Did I spell that right?) :)

Spell check...............................Everything OK LQ. Continue to post  :D

Thanks Ice. Wait untill I send Ann a add on to her spell check, when she used it it changes all the words to Shinney Carrots  :D ;)

[Oldman]

Back to subject....

Now these images are of the pile when we turned it today. It has been two weeks.

In this image you will see that just after 2 weeks the course stuff is greatly reduced. The white stuff is steam coming off of the pile.


In this image you will see the steam more clearly:


The trick to building a pile is  a balance of carbon and nitrogen. To much nitrogen and the pile will go over 160 -165 F and kill the microbes  that do the work of breaking down the pile. I've been keeping and eye  on the pile and it is running a good 155-158F.

You turn a hot pile (like this one) every 14 days to add back air and water. Or it can sour and if that happens it is all but game over man.  Correcting a sour pile is a bitch. I know I created one many years ago.

It looks like 90 more days and the cook will done and I will be adding the composting worms...

Now as to the value of this I suggest for starters if a member here is interested to do a search on compost tea.  If a member does have interest and does look it up I will be glad to further my knowledge.
Olds

[Smoking Duck]

Olds,

Is the correct balance 3 green to 1 brown?  I think I remember reading that somewhere but wasn't sure if it was more complicated than that or not.  Also, how do you know if you have the correct balance?  Is there a test kit available that measures the balance?  I imagine when I get the books, I'll know a lot more but was really wanting to get my pile started today as I'm just out the door to cut the grass.

SD

[La Quinta]

That is amazing...I think I read somewhere (or somebody told me) that if that was in some sort of enclosure the compost could actually explode? Is that accurate?

[westexasmoker]

LQ I could be off (Olds will answer!) I don't think it will explode, but it could catch fire..We've seen cotton bales do that...not pretty cause you can't put them out..

C

[La Quinta]

It only really made any sense to me at all because of the "brewing" gases...I'm interested in the earthworm part tho...really...

[Oldman]

Olds,

Is the correct balance 3 green to 1 brown?  I think I remember reading that somewhere but wasn't sure if it was more complicated than that or not.  Also, how do you know if you have the correct balance?  Is there a test kit available that measures the balance?  I imagine when I get the books, I'll know a lot more but was really wanting to get my pile started today as I'm just out the door to cut the grass.

SD

I go 50 -50 mixture, and I don't care for layering it. I like it well mixed instead. While there are as many ways to compost as there are ways to fix chicken this my preferred method. Today the pile took that young man 4 1/2 hours to turn. My rule of thumb is once the carbon pieces (wood) has been reduced to a fine feeling soil I will allow it to cook out by not adding any more nitrogen. Once it is cold I will add the worms. Normally I do not add them directly to the pile. I have set up several earthworm farms. This time I'm going to add them directly. The pile will be moved to a more shaded area and there will a "tent" over it to keep out the rain water. I will also add some clean builders sand as the worms need it to break up the food in their guts. After a few months that pile will become a living Micro-Society that makes everything grow.

Never heard of a pile exploding, but I've seen photos of a fence that caught fire. This is due to to much nitrogen. This is one reason I go a little light on the nitrogen in the beginning, so as turn it I can see where more is needed.

Like I said there are about as many ways to build a pile as there are ways to cook chicken. Also keep in mind that by me using blood meal for nitrogen it releases fastest the food that the microbes need.
Olds