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  • From: BCLuton AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cotton Burr Composting
  • Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:12:49 EST

The sites under construction - hopefully some pics when its up and running.
 
Moisture management tends to be more of an issue for us prior to screening and use and/or sale.  Our sales primary sales season is of course early spring which also tends to be somewhat rainy and often times we're complicated by snowmelt.  We use compost covers on the finished piles that will be screened first thing in spring.  The covers (I believe Compost Tec or something) are like Goretex jackets for the piles they breath but shed rain.  We don't worry about the active piles to much.  We tend to have plenty of moisture based on our feedstocks and weather.  If things are little to wet we'll turn more.  If there is a lot of free water under the piles (leachate) that has less to do with moisture and more to do with the pile C:N ratio.  In that case you'd need more carbon.  A pile with good C:N ratio (30:1 to 40:1) will typically maintain itself at proper moisture levels.  This is upstate NY though and conditions are certainly different than Texas.
 
We don't add anything for nitrogen but blend our feedstocks to achieve the desired C:N ratio.  I've heard you can add Nitrogen if necessary but I think I would tend to try to do so with another compostable material and not Urea.  It seems Urea would be a little overly "hot" and might harm the bacteria you're hoping to do the composting work for you.
 
I don't have any experience with Cotton Hulls but would suggest you try to send a sample out to a lab for analysis that includes C:N ratio.
 
Brian
In a message dated 2/12/2008 10:48:23 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, TxBeeFarmer AT HotPop.com writes:
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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