What did you do in the garden today?

[wyoDreamer]

@BReeder! It sounds like you have done about all you can do.
I had a huge pile of old hay, leaves and coop cleanings that sat out all winter one year. the pile was about 6 feet high and probably 10 feet in diameter at the ground. The outer foot of the pile was mostly frozen, but the inside composted along all winter. I turned it in spring and tried to put the outside stuff into the center of the new pile and it was mostly composted about 2 months later, so ready by early summer.
I am just north of Green Bay, so cold - snowy winters here.

 

[ackie]

@BReeder! @BullChick
oh good! I dont know much about turkeys but I had two peafowl with blackhead so now I'm cognizant that turkeys are susceptible to some things.
I didn't realize that poults are considered more stupid though! we had a turkey sit a clutch of unfertilized eggs so we ordered poults from a hatchery & USPS screwed up and left them right under a massive air vent so they started dying fairly quickly & a large enough % died that they just refunded us, but the rest of them were with mom in a coop with an attached run & it started to rain and mom went inside and the babies kept trying to walk from where they were to mom, despite there being a wall there, and the rest died.
we ended up with 6 somehow...they might have been ones that didnt attach to her so we had them inside or something...
4 grew up to be beautiful males & got arrested.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Anybody have success keeping compost warm in the winter? I'm in IL, so Winter here is 20-35 degrees F lately. I don't expect the piles to be piping hot (although I would love that), but I'd like to know that they're active. I would really like more compost ready for Spring. I spread all my compost in the Fall. I have two large piles I built with shredded leaves, garden waste, kitchen scraps and chicken manure. I've turned the piles twice recently and I still add manure and kitchen scraps. There's plenty of shredded leaves in there to handle the added nitrogen rich material. My piles are in a 3 bin setup. They are moist but not wet. Each bin is roughly 4ft L x 3ft W x 3ft H. The two bins I'm focused on are next to each other so the piles insulate each other on one side. There's a privacy fence on the north side (back of the bins) and a semi-private fence (spaced pickets) on and east side. They face south to maximize the bit of warmth from the sun. I have them covered on the top but the front is exposed.

Any tips? If you are having success in heating piles in the winter, what are you doing that seems to be working?

How are you measuring the heat they are putting out now? Are you using a long stem thermometer? I took an online compost class with a master gardener a while back. I remember him saying that adding nitrogen source will increase the temp.

But from what you've described, it sounds like you are doing the right things.

 

[TJAnonymous]

So you guys just inspired me enough to go check my own compost piles. The big pile I had in the corner of the pasture was about 15' x 15' but only 4 - 12" deep in most places. I went ahead and turned everything. Piled it up in an 8' x 8' area that is easily 3'+ now. Lots of very rich, dark compost out there on the bottom.... I swear it could have put most garden compost porn to shame...ha ha. I should have taken a picture but I didn't have my phone with me. I had let the chickens out to free range today and they were going to town on the compost pile.

Oh..ETA - I had tossed a dozen eggs out in the compost that I took out of the incubator at Day 14 because they weren't fertilized. Today is Day 18 (Lockdown! Yay!). The eggs are gone....ha ha. Something must have eaten them....

 

[TJAnonymous]

OOOOOO.........My Seven Springs Farm Catalog came today!!! I have ordered kaolin clay from them in the past. This year I'm thinking about ordering some seaweed fertilizer and Neem Seed meal. Just to try it.

Lots of cool stuff in this catalog.

 

[BReeder!]

How are you measuring the heat they are putting out now? Are you using a long stem thermometer? I took an online compost class with a master gardener a while back. I remember him saying that adding nitrogen source will increase the temp.

But from what you've described, it sounds like you are doing the right things.

I do not own a long stem thermometer. I tend to just go off of touch. When I open the pile I stick my hand near the center of the pile. If it's cooking, I can feel the heat. When it really gets hot, it's uncomfortable to keep my hand close to the compost. Right now it's cold. The insulation properties of the pile keep it above freezing inside. I'm sure there's some bio-activity contributing heat that's preventing the freeze as well, but not very much. As for adding nitrogen... I just supplied each of the two piles with 5 gallons of chicken manure the other day and still they are cool. The manure was from cleaning the poop boards that were frozen for some time until recently.

 

[BReeder!]

I got an Arbor Day Foundation survey in the mail. For answering 17 questions and a $10 donation, they are sending me all of this:
- 2 crabapples
- 3 redbuds
- 2 washington hawthorns
- 3 white dogwoods
- 2 purple lilacs
- a copy of The Tree Book
- and possibly, but not likely, a free Kindle (only if I'm one of the first 50 responses)

I'm guessing all the plants will be small bare roots, but that's an incredible bargain still.

Now the problem is I don't know where I'm going to plant all of these. That's a lot of trees for my lot. I'll likely list them on FB and in the IL forum here as free giveaways after planting what I want and seeing if some nearby relatives want anything. I think I'll add the crabapples to my mini orchard. The lilacs will be welcomed additions to our flower beds. Beyond that, I'll likely only be able to plant one or two of the other trees.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I do not own a long stem thermometer. I tend to just go off of touch. When I open the pile I stick my hand near the center of the pile. If it's cooking, I can feel the heat. When it really gets hot, it's uncomfortable to keep my hand close to the compost. Right now it's cold. The insulation properties of the pile keep it above freezing inside. I'm sure there's some bio-activity contributing heat that's preventing the freeze as well, but not very much. As for adding nitrogen... I just supplied each of the two piles with 5 gallons of chicken manure the other day and still they are cool. The manure was from cleaning the poop boards that were frozen for some time until recently.

Gotcha...I was just wondering about the thermometer so you could tell how far off you are from optimal range. As for gaining some heat, I'm not sure what else to mention.... Sounds like you are doing everything right. If it were me, I'd probably look at some clear visqueen or something similar to create a mini-greenhouse effect to help build the heat to restart activity if you think it has stopped.

Perhaps one of the others can pipe in and give some of their ideas??? I wish I was better help....

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would never be able to give up the lilacs. That is my very favorite shrub/flower/scent. In the spring, I can be found standing out in the yard with my nose up in the air just smelling the lilacs, lol.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I got an Arbor Day Foundation survey in the mail. For answering 17 questions and a $10 donation, they are sending me all of this:
- 2 crabapples
- 3 redbuds
- 2 washington hawthorns
- 3 white dogwoods
- 2 purple lilacs
- a copy of The Tree Book
- and possibly, but not likely, a free Kindle (only if I'm one of the first 50 responses)

I'm guessing all the plants will be small bare roots, but that's an incredible bargain still.

Now the problem is I don't know where I'm going to plant all of these. That's a lot of trees for my lot. I'll likely list them on FB and in the IL forum here as free giveaways after planting what I want and seeing if some nearby relatives want anything. I think I'll add the crabapples to my mini orchard. The lilacs will be welcomed additions to our flower beds. Beyond that, I'll likely only be able to plant one or two of the other trees.

ha ha....I did the same thing. Only they are sending me 2 Crepe Myrtle instead of Lilacs. I would have preferred Lilacs so I'm jealous..... All the rest of my "freebies" are the same except that....