Compost pile thread!!!

[chickkrzi]

I think the most important things are adding water when needed and turning pile. I just use my tiller about once a month. My garden area is mostly sand, we're talking beach type sand. And what I'll do for most plants is just dig a hole about 1'-1 1/2' wide and 8-10" deep and just pile my compost in that, plant my plants or seeds and sit back a watch them grow.

 

[EnnisLakeFarm]

I just bought one of those double tumblers that are supposed to hold ~50 gallons in each side. I am hoping to speed up the composting process for the compostables we produce at my house. I have 6 hens and five rabbits that use straw bedding plus I add in kitchen scraps and I have an enormous pile of leaves from last fall (with only a few short months until fall comes again).
So far I'm not having any luck getting my compost to heat up in the tumblers. It seems to be moist enough so I'm guessing my mixture is wrong. I added some compost tea I got from a guy to see if I could jump start it but it doesn't appear to have worked. I don't bother with the leaf pile, its just a place to pile yard waste for now as I thought I would have more success with the tumblers.
I'm pretty new to the whole composting world, but so far it seems like some strange mystical science.

 

[chickkrzi]

Yeah I've never been able to get mine hot either. Thinking the balance is off. Some say hay is a brown additive others say it's a green. Just know mine will break down some what fast with no odd smell or a lot of flys hanging around. I just make sure I don't put my compost on anything my fruit can touch. I always have 3 piles going. One I'm adding to (fresh chicken manure). And one that's at least 4 months old and looks like freshly dug dirt. And a 3rd older pile left over from last springs pile. Was thinking about using my oldest pile for compost tea. But haven't worked out just how it want to make it. WAY to many combination on how make it.

 

[chicken farmer]

When we make coffee and if we don't drink it all I'll take the pot out and pour the remaining coffee over the compost pile,does anyone else do this?

 

[chickkrzi]

I do put my coffee grounds on my compost pile. Not the liquid coffee it's self. Guess it couldn't hurt.

 

[chicken farmer]

I'm gonna start putting the coffee grounds on my pile too

 

[JSossong]

We dump our coffee grounds straight in the garden. Everything else we put in the compost. Have 3 bins- I juice a ton which makes tons of compost! Love the rich soil it produces!

Does anyone put paper products in their compost? I've seen a lot of people putting paper towels and newspaper in theirs and they claim it breaks down fine. This just makes me a bit nervous for whatever reason. Was wondering if anyone tries it? I started putting tea bags in ours and that seems to be okay.

 

[chickens88]

tomato plants for my garden so excited to have some fresh home grown tomatoes!

 

[katatonic123]

Am going to attempt composting this summer. I've been reading a lot about it. Hope I can manage it.

 

[chickkrzi]

tomato plants for my garden so excited to have some fresh home grown tomatoes!

I know... it's the best you'll ever have!!!