compost bin

[hetty]

We have a small garden, only had 4 chickens for one month and all the poo, straw, hemp and veg peelings etc are filling up the compost bin quickly, but it has a high amornia smell , what can i do about this? as soon our the weather will gets warm and I dont want complaints from the neighbours?
any suggestions on how to manage my compost bin would be good
many thanks
Linda

 

[rdranch]

Hi hetty!

It sounds like you may need some more "brown" stuff in your compost pile. With a strong ammonia smell you have lots of "green" stuff but not enough brown to balance it out. I would suggest some leaves from last year or anything brown and dried. Mix as equally as possible and keep the pile water so it is like a damp sponge. Moist but not dripping with water. Hope this helps.

 

[RocketDad]

You can also turn it more often for the first few weeks when you get a lot of "hot" stuff. Keeping the pile more aerobic than anaerobic seems to keep the smell down for a hot pile of really fresh "greens".

BTW, how do you have hemp in your pile? Is that something you should really be mentioning in a public forum?

 

[OwensMom]

Hetty, I agree with Rocketdad. You need to turn the pile. It will become HOT when it becomes aerobic and this is a good thing. If you turn it every other day you can have finished compost in 2 weeks. Good time of year for compost. Have fun, Lynn

 

[lindseythefork]

Quote:
Hemp's not a big deal, especially in California where it's legal to grow for medicinal uses.

If you're not in California or another legal state, then, well, I don't know. Probably not a good idea to broadcast.

 

[rancher hicks]

go to the home store and buy some cheap top soil or get some peat moss. You want your compost to be light and fluffy anyhow. Not wet and heavy.

 

[hetty]

hi many thanks for your help.L,ll give it a go for the compost bin
as to the answer to hemp in the uk is a type of white sawdust that is used in horses stable it is very absorbent ( much easier and take seconds to clean out) and not a green plant that some of you are thinking of.
cheers for your help

 

[RocketDad]

Is it wood wool? Or is it like this: http://www.shavings.com/images/shavings.jpg

I'm curious now.

 

[sixinva]

so for those who compost those pine shavings/chips,,,,how long do those take to 'break down'.....im thinking quite a while, and I believe I am going to put them in a separate area, not in my main compost bin.....sometimes when i go and get horse manure, it is full of those chips....and that doesnt really breakdown nicely....thoughts appreciated

 

[OwensMom]

Sixinva, The chips are fine to compost. It does take longer to compost but the chip do not havr to be completely broken down in order for you to use the compost. Horse manure and chip make the perfect mix. And the not completed composted chips add to the tilth(light and fluff) feel of the pile. They prevent the ground that you work them into from compacting which is the main problem with most soil types-especially clay soils. They compact easily. I do not agree with buying topsoil. In the US there is no legal definition for top soil. Therefore, someone can scrape any old stuff together and label it top soil. A number of people in our area have bought top soil much to their dismay and now have worst problems than they started with-contaminated with salts and other things. If you have any questions call or go to your local extension office and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. They will have specific advice for your local. Enjoy Spring, Lynn