Ok, now we're talking! Getting some really good ideas. Now, how
about this one - how do you manage the moisture content from rains, or do you
worry about it? Do you put urea on your pile to speed things along?
Got any pictures or a web site?
Thanks
TxBeeFarmer (Mark) West Texas Zone 7b
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:26
AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cotton Burr
Composting
In my opinion the best way to turn with a loader is what I'll call the
"Up and Over Method" Make the pile of such height and width that you can
position the tractor perpendicular to the pile, scoop in at the base and lift
the material up and dump it over onto the far side of the pile. You'd do
this repeatedly down the length of the pile. Your composting area should
take into account the fact that you'll need space to maneuver
you're loader forward and back and also the pile will move
laterally(about its width) each time you turn. You could turn twice in
one direction and then come back to save space. On the site here we
start fresh piles on one end of the pad and they all migrate in one direction
across the pad - ultimately being finished at the far side.(this allows
us to be constantly creating new piles and harvesting old piles)
Another really nice addition to the loader turning technique is a
dedicated turning bucket. You could look for an old bucket and
old round bale spears we've welded spears onto the bucket about every 8"
- 12" protruding about 12" - 18" off the front of the bucket. When
you dump the materials out of this bucket the protruding spears
really help to mix and aerate the material as it dumps.(a rock bucket
works pretty well to but begins to let all the compost flow through it
when it nears maturity and the particle size is reduced.)
Brian
Zone 5-ish
Nedrow, NY
(under construction!)
In a message dated 2/12/2008 9:39:18 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
TxBeeFarmer AT HotPop.com writes:
Thanks Bill. I do have a front end
loader. Figured there must be a way to use it to turn the piles,
but not sure how. Do you have any special technique?
TxBeeFarmer (Mark) West Texas Zone
7b
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:56
AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cotton
Burr Composting
Mark we have an old manure spreader, tractor pull type. We load it
with a front end loader. The loader would also be nice to turn your
compost pile. Bill (Texas)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
7:15 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Cotton
Burr Composting
I'm still trying to figure out how to
create and use compost for my garden. Two problems seem to have me
stumped. Number one - how do you turn the piles as the compostable
material breaks down? I'm guessing it'll take two cubic yards of
compostable material to get one of finished compost,
2:1. Any thoughts on that ratio? If that ratio holds
true, to create enough compost to cover one acre 4 inches
deep will take 1,046 cubic yards of compostable
material. Number two - how do you spread the compost
over the garden? Compost for one acre at 4 inches deep
is about 538 cubic yards. How do the rest of you do
it?
TxBeeFarmer (Mark) West Texas Zone
7b
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