Hot composting with chicken bedding and garden waste

[vehve]

Okay, time for a photo update.

Here's the pile 10 days ago:


And this is today:


I'd say there's a bit of a difference. Most of the stuff on the left in the first picture was still added to batch 2 a few days later when it had sunk a bit.

 

[LindaB220]

Welcome, hopefully you'll enjoy the thread. My method is a bit labor intensive, but it would work with a lot less turning as well - it only makes it take a bit longer. If using a pitchfork is awkward for you, there are compost turning tools available as well, which I think might be a bit easier on the back.

This one is made by a Finnish company, Biolan. I'm sure there are similar models available worldwide from different manufacturers.

When pushing it down, the head folds back to go in easily, when pulling up, the hooks fold back out, pulling up matter from the bottom. You just work it up and down in the compost. I haven't tried one myself, but it should work pretty nicely.

I just checked on Amazon and they have dozens. Around $20-$30

 

[LindaB220]

Do you need some horse poo to add to your pile? I know where you can get it by the truck load!

Scott

I'm 20 minutes away from La Downs racetrack in Bossier City, La I have never made it over and I keep kicking myself. Too old now.

 

[perchie.girl]

At The mobile home where used to live I had one of each of every kind of Citrus... Valencia Orange, Grapefruit, Navel Orange, Lemon, Tangerine. Plus about fifteen rose bushes a Juvenile Avocado and a Plum tree.... So I decided to load up a pickup bed load of composted horse manure from bandini mountain at the ranch...

My friend offered to lend me a hand. We shoveled directly from the truck to the grow beds. What I didnt realize was they were having a wedding reception next door.....

Needless to say someone came over and had a discussion with me.... Gawd we were filthy from head to toe...

Even composted over a year it still had weeds in it.... I had a Bumper crop...

deb

 

[vehve]

Linda, don't ever let anyone tell you you're too old for something. (Except for booty shorts. At some point, people should just stop using those.)

Deb, I wish we could grow citrus trees here, it would be really nice. I wonder if you could graft a citrus branch to an apple tree. Something like that might live here.

And I'm sure the wedding reception went well even with the manure. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, a bit of poo."

 

[perchie.girl]

Linda, don't ever let anyone tell you you're too old for something. (Except for booty shorts. At some point, people should just stop using those.)

Deb, I wish we could grow citrus trees here, it would be really nice. I wonder if you could graft a citrus branch to an apple tree. Something like that might live here.

And I'm sure the wedding reception went well even with the manure. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, a bit of poo."

Bwhaahahahaha.... You are a poet...

There are a few dwarf varieties that grow well in pots some of those are cold hearty down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Lemon comes to mind as your best choice... But they have to be brought in for your temps and grown indoors with a good amount of full spectrum light.

When I moved in that mobile home the Tangerine tree hadnt been harvested in a good two years. I stripped it out and came away with about two bushels full. Nice part about Citrus as long as it stays on the tree its good for quite a long time. Every one knew got Tangerine bags.... LOL... neglect was an understatement for that tree. Never been pruned either. I went through the tree stripped all the fruit. Then pruned out the dead wood then pruned out the interfering branches then pruned it for shape. I didnt get many tangerines that Winter. But the next winter they were twice the size and very very sweet. And of course I culled some out of heavy groupings.

All my citrus doubled their fruit output after I got done with them. Good pruning, Good feeding, Good proper watering.... Good fruit.

Definately could give a lemon a try... If you had a spot to put it inside with extra light.

deb

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote: MY-DEAR, You are NEVER 'TOO' old!!! Just go and do it!
Scott

 

[vehve]

I had a mini citrus at one point, but they're so tiny that there's no point. A huge orange tree is what I'd want.

 

[vehve]

Batch two has not been putting out any heat for about a week, so I'm pretty sure it's about as cooked as it's going to be. I'm not entirely happy with the consistency, I think I'm going to have to separate soil out of the second potato tower better when we harvest it so that there is less inert matter in what I put into the compost. This time it did burn hot for a short while, but I didn't get the same long burn as I did with batch 1. Still, mixing this batch together with the stuff from batch 1 should make for perfectly good soil to plant in. Batch 3 has also gained a bit of bedding into it, so I went ahead and moistened it today. I'm hoping the heat from that will help dry batch 2 out to make it easier to move into storage. Still a long way to go before batch 3 is full, so I'm in no hurry to empty out batch 2, but it doesn't hurt to get the process started.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I watched this short video yesterday and it is absolutely amazing!

I'm trying to figure out a way to incorporate something like this in my situation.

Have a look see:

http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/64322-chicken-tractor-on-steroids