Hot composting with chicken bedding and garden waste

[islandgirl82]

They should overwinter in cold climates too. Chop some shallots or onions, fry on low heat. Add the chokes, a couple potatoes, some white wine and chicken stock. When it's cooked, throw it through a food processor, and serve with roasted prosciutto. Oh, and remember to peel the taters and chokes before you use them in the soup, but that should be pretty obvious.

*Edit* Cream! I forgot the cream. You'll need to add some of that before the food processor, and then bring the soup to a boil once it's puréed.

Yum! I have some sunchokes that were tossed behind my compost before I moved in. I wanted to transplant them but I'm glad I read this before doing so...I have plenty of deep pots to toss them in instead!

 

[lazy gardener]

Lol
Yeah it only bugs some people and is lessoned by cooking

Does that gas bug the people who eat the chokes, or the ones who happen to be in the same room with the folks who eat the chokes?

 

[islandgirl82]

I've never eaten them but parsley should help counter the gassy effect.

 

[hennible]

Does that gas bug the people who eat the chokes, or the ones who happen to be in the same room with the folks who eat the chokes?

Lol
Both...

 

[enola]

The compost pile consisted of half goat manure (with straw bedding) and half chipped branches and brush from the electric company. They brought a whole dumptruck full and dumped in the field. The goat manure was added to it in layers. We knew it was heating up because we could see the steam early in the mornings. When we decided it needed to be 'stirred', we started at the top and removed by pitchfork to make another pile. It was very hot and really smelly.

Some how later in the afternoon we noticed smoke! The remainder of the old pile apparently was hotter than we thought and had ignited the straw and chips that were on the outside of the pile. There wasn't much dry grass so it never became a wild fire.

So, just beware, folks. That stuff can really get HOT!

 

[hennible]

Thanks for the info enola, I was wonder that just before your original post on the compost fire subject...

 

[enola]

I am a little late finding this neat thread.....

 

[aart]

The compost pile consisted of half goat manure (with straw bedding) and half chipped branches and brush from the electric company. They brought a whole dumptruck full and dumped in the field. The goat manure was added to it in layers. We knew it was heating up because we could see the steam early in the mornings. When we decided it needed to be 'stirred', we started at the top and removed by pitchfork to make another pile. It was very hot and really smelly.

Some how later in the afternoon we noticed smoke! The remainder of the old pile apparently was hotter than we thought and had ignited the straw and chips that were on the outside of the pile. There wasn't much dry grass so it never became a wild fire.

So, just beware, folks. That stuff can really get HOT!

Thanks...I'd bet the green wood chips(and probably lots of green leaves too) was the main culprit for overheating.

 

[enola]

There were no green leaves, it was probably November. Imam pretty sure when we stirred up the HOT inside of the pile, the dry straw from the outside of the pile is what caught on fire. It just spread to the dry grass in the field.

By the way, when we spread the finished compost on the field we could really see a difference in the grass!

 

[aart]

There were no green leaves, it was probably November. Imam pretty sure when we stirred up the HOT inside of the pile, the dry straw from the outside of the pile is what caught on fire. It just spread to the dry grass in the field.

By the way, when we spread the finished compost on the field we could really see a difference in the grass!

Ahh... that makes sense.