Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Scott Berkey" <berkeyscott@hotmail.com>]

For a couple of years I composted the scrapings from bussing the tables at
my restaurant, i.e. all food and paper.  My piles were each about a cubic
card (3' x 3' x 3').  I turned them a couple of times a week.  The pile was
often so hot I had trouble standing over it when turning it.  I'd added some
chicken manure once in a while too.

The pile reacted in the classic ways described: it wouldn't cook if too wet,
too dry, or too short/small.

The materials I composted were often loaded with maggots when I added them
but I never had flies to speak of.  It seems like they don't develop very
well at 160F and hotter.

None of this is to say that a compost pile must be hot.  Now a days I
compost mostly yard and garden waste and I only turn my pile a couple of
times a year, but it's not done for two years and even then it's not as
"done" as my hot piles were.  It's a hell of a lot less work though.

Scott

  
-----Original Message-----
From: livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
blademan25@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 5:37 PM
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Heating up a compost pile

I want to point out that pretty much ALL of your
ingredients (except the dry leaves) are HIGH NITROGEN
- NOT carbon!!!  This pile SHOULD be hot - and likely
stinky.  Your moisture content is either too high -
and made the pile anaerobic - or too low and not
enough to turn on your thermophilic bacteria.

I noticed you also wrote that you were "Turning the
pile a few MONTHS ago" - a pile will go cold from the
lack of oxygen being infused into your pile.  I would
recommend aggresively stirring up your pile with a
pitchfork and checking the moisture content and once
both of these issues are re-balanced - if there is
still nitrogen that hasn't burned off - your pile
should rocket the temps.  Just to let you know - I
personally attempt to mix my piles every week for a
month to keep the oxygen in there - check the moisture
contents and the pile is usually done in less than two
months.  Your pile needs attention to stay hot!