Composting Issues

[gjensen]

I live in SC and compost my poultry bedding. I use pine chips. I use the deep litter method, and it is more "ready" when I clean out. Wood chips take time on their own. If you clean out frequently, and want to compost, chopped straw would compost faster. Also finer ground shavings, if you turn it regularly. It packs down, and needs to be aerated frequently. One problem with wood shavings, is that it outlasts the nitrogen. My bedding compost breaks down (for the most part) in three months. Only the newest bedding has not finished. It sits until a garden portion is empty. Then I till it in. It finishes breaking down in the soil, over the next growing period. What I do not need then, is used as mulch on my fruit trees, vines, and bushes. Everything less my blueberries.

 

[happyhippiechik]

Thanks so much. I'm going to see where I can find some. I don't recall seeing it at any of the garden centers. I am certainly going to look into it. Thanks so much again!

 

[quarrymaster]

I agree pine breaks down slowly.....find some hay from a farmer nearby , you might ask about cow manure ( I give mine away for free if you come with shovels and load yourself) , this will speed up the process. I usually stack 1/2 manure and 1/2 hay with grass clippings etc....I bolted 6 wood pallets together 2 on each side and 2 across back (makes about 8ft x 8ft box , with open front to make it easy to stir up with forks on loader) , I stir just 2 or 3 times a year , and 6 mos after the last stir it is broken down perfect for plants or pots. I add chicken liter (poop) and kitchen scraps ( the chickens get first pick , but leave the rind from watermelons , oranges , grapefruit etc , all this is raked up and thrown on compost 4 or 5 times a year , then turned or stirred up) I put just about anything into the compost except newspaper mags etc (even non-toxic ink is NOT good)
I also have a turning composter the hand crank type , it breaks down a lot quicker ( IF I remember to turn it everyday) then the compost pile , but it takes a lot of time and energy to turn everyday.

 

[happyhippiechik]

Thanks for all the good info. I'm not sure where you're located but I'd love some manure. I think one of my problems is that I'm putting newspaper in that I use to line the coops. I get the poop, but there's a lot of newspaper too. Guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow!

 

[shayneochoa]

Pine is slow to decompose. I have a compost bin amd have take. A few.composting classes it sounds like you have alot of "browns" and not enough "greens". Try adding some veggies and fruits, grass clippings and worms. You dont wanna have all "paper" in the compost. It needs to be layered. Hope this helps.

 

[zazouse]

Add fresh grass clipping to the compost the heat and moisture will speed up the decomp process.
we purchased a cyclone rake in 2009 and it is the best investment we have made in a long while, i now have plent of mulch for my gardens and my compost piles are always full and ready for the next growing season

Makes a good snack too.







.

 

[mickey328]

If you use oak pallets as your base for a compost bin, they'll compost too...after about 10 or 15 years, LOL. A pile will work fine, but it does tend to take longer. Besides the moisture, you also need to keep the "green to brown" ratio right. Too much green and it stinks to high heaven and too much brown and there's no action. If you get rain, the compost can be too wet...it should just be moist, not soggy. Here in the high desert of Colorado, it's very arid but we still cover ours with a tarp, and just water as necessary.

We use straw bedding for our girls and pull the old stuff out, toss good kitchen scraps and weeds in it and let them scratch through it for 2 or 3 days, then scoop it all into the compost. The fresh droppings and uneaten goodies are green, and the straw is brown, so the mix works really well.

I didn't realize that Comfrey was such a good activator! I work with a lot of herbs for medicinal purposes and put in a couple Comfrey plants this spring. They've really taken off and I'll use some for the compost now that I know...thanks! Oh, and btw...our chickens LOVE the stuff! A common name for the plant is "boneset"...which is a good indicator of some of its properties. It shouldn't be taken internally by people unless under the direct supervision of a certified herbologist or wholistic doctor, but compress applied externally are wonderful for all sorts of tissue injuries...from cuts and bee stings to broken bones.

 

[quarrymaster]

Yes the pallets do compost over time......so I now line the inside of the pallet frame with used roofing tin , it slows the pallet break down. I have also made a frame of cattle panels ( heavy wire approx 4 foot tall and 16 foot long ) I use two panels bent in an L shape ,wired together to form a U shape approx 8ft x 8ft , but quite airy , so have lined them with old used rusty barn tin also , 2 yrs and so far so good......have several bins going on....just takes time to meld down......have cattle so have access to hay ,manure , grass etc....also use my tractor forks ( bale spears) to stir the pile.......

 

[Bobbykiki]

im in so cal. HOT and DRY, i use 3 pallets in a U shape and pile my stuff in there. keeping it moist but not wet is key(works for me) also make sure the pile is on the soil, not concrete/asphalt, plywood. i put a sheet of black plastic over mine for a coulpe weeks every now and then and the Greenhouse heat makes it take OFF. i get temps over 150 degrees. just my .02

 

[smilingcat]

Really should not use newspaper. the ink is toxic unless it used soybased ink. Cardboard and white paper are also chemically treated with bleach and other stuff so I don't recommend. Read the following http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=793

If you have lot of wood shaving and not enough green, another suggestion is to add coffee grounds. It is high in nitrogen so it would be in place of cow manure or cut green grass. Coffee grounds can be had at your local coffee house. Another important thing about coffee grounds is that it tends to be very acidic on its own so you need to neutralize it by adding lime. Something like 4 parts coffee ground to one part lime in weight I think it was. Your resulting compost then will have the needed organic nutrients as well as calcium. If you want to grow lots of tomatoes, I would also add Epsom salt for the magnesium. Keeps tomatoes from developing blossom end rot. Also for zukes as well.

Anyway, for pile rich in wood shaving, add lots of coffee grounds. It will compost faster and more completely. Coffee grounds also hold moisture better, so it promotes rot.