Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

I watched a small flock of Chickadees harry a Barred Owl a few weeks ago - chased her right off into the woods. So cool.

Saw a small bird chase a hawk across the highway today,
it caught up to the hawk and bonked it on the back pretty hard.

 

[RaZ]

About compost piles. I started building one yesterday. I think I put too high of a percentage of chicken poop in it. How much does it matter? If I fork it over every other day, will I be able to add brown as I do that? And will I be able to see when I have enough?

I assume it will be a slimy, wet, stinky mess until I get it right. Right?

My brown is mostly piles of lawn clippings from last year. And some garden debris, like asparagus tops.

I have bags of maple leaves but I want those for bedding. I could rake up some leaves from the woods but I would rather not.

Most compost heaps do well with a mix of 3:1 (carbon : nitrogen) or 4 : 1.
Corn stalks are example of high carbon and chicken poop is classic nitrogen rich.
Moisture level should be similar to a wrung out sponge, about 25 - 30%. (If I remember correctly)

Where you place the heap affects the moisture content. Sandy soil will be drier and clay will be more damp. Sunny or shady will affect moisture level too. Turning the heap often will help speed up the process and aerate the pile.

Here are a couple of tips for monitoring your compost.

• f it smells like ammonia, you have too much nitrogen and need to turn the pile while adding more browns.
• If it smells putrid or like rotten eggs, that means it’s gone anaerobic and you need to turn it to add air, and probably also add browns to absorb moisture and hedge your bets on the ratio.
• When in doubt, add browns… the worst they’ll do is slow it down.

 

[RaZ]

Hello everyone! Sorry for falling off the face of the earth again. I have been busy!

Welcome back.

 

[RaZ]

Dh thought it a little fitting to be starting a method of dealing with the chicken poop today. The septic people called at noon to say they could be out this afternoon.

I had mine cleaned in 2018 about a year after I moved here. First time with a septic system for me too. The company that did it recommends every 3 - 5 for cleaning. Since it is only me using it it I think I can safely go the 5 years or even a little longer.

I think that this spring I will have the duct worked cleaned. I know that it has never been done here. I'm hoping that will help mitigate my dust level in the house. Living on a dirt road doesn't help. With no A/C my windows are open all the time.

 

[saysfaa]

I think I need to add some roughage too. The grass is pretty fine and already somewhat matted from laying under the snow all winter. Maybe take the machete to stalks (bush bean, tomato, marigold, and asparagus mostly) to break them up then add them.

I thought I would feel heat by now (as of yesterday afternoon - 24+ hours after starting it... not as of before dawn today, lol). Maybe it was too wet (as in needs oxygen). I put an inch (chicken poop) layer to 1 to 3 inch layer of grass with dirt sprinkled kind of randomly.

Thanks for the help, all

 

[Sally PB]

I should be able to turn the rest of the compost pile today. I got about 1/2 done on Wednesday, picking at it with a pitchfork and getting in there and prying up chunks with a trowel.

Then I can get the winter "poop pile" forked over with some thatch/leaves, make that start doing its thing.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

Welcome back.

Thank you! Didn't you have a knee injury? How is it, if so?

 

[1muttsfan]

Tomato stalks and debris such as decaying fruit should not go in mulch, as doing so can spread infections such as tomato mosaic virus, which are not destroyed by composting. That's also the reason behind rotating tomatoes regularly, not growing them in the same spot every year.

 

[RaZ]

Thank you! Didn't you have a knee injury? How is it, if so?

That's what they told me when I was in hospital last October. Saw a specialist and all it needed was a draining and a shot of steroids. Now it just old age arthritis like most of my other joints.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

That's what they told me when I was in hospital last October. Saw a specialist and all it needed was a draining and a shot of steroids. Now it just old age arthritis like most of my other joints.

Atleast it didn't need surgery, although I'm not a big fan of steroid shots... something about the thought of the needle in the joint ...

I will be getting a knee fixed in April. Not too sure about the whole, "rest" thing.