Have I got a compost pile starting ?

Discussion in 'Soils, Fertilizers and Composting' started by comradea, Jul 6, 2008.

  1. comradea

    comradea Member

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    I have a bunch of leaves and green branches (mainly trimings of morning glories and blackberry leaves / branches) piled 6" deep on one side of the concrete podium next to the backyard grass... One day I noticed a very lively looking shoot of morning glory rising out of the dead looking pile...

    When I yanked up the pile with a branch I saw a whole bunch of little critters hiding out of the sun... It was during the warm streak of last week... those black semi-spherical things, worms, slugs, spiders... all scurrying off in all directions...

    After a day of sunshine... what remains underneath is dried, black and crummbly, like what I see in pictures of compust on the net... The pile was there from mid-May... the top is still a bunch of branches... Just the underneath might be gone...

    Are those critters all good for the soil ? The black critter I see it on the ground all the time... worms I am sure is good... not sure about slugs... Should I move the pile over on to the field, maybe in a spot not sunny enough for growing but near the plants... or is it OK on the raised podium, with it getting some water over it everytime and rinsing some of the content onto the field next to it... ??...

    Please enlighten me... I have not composted before and would rather now get a compost bin because of the small volume I generate...

    Thanks and cheers, Anne

    I will take some picture next time I go to flip the top over...
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2008
  2. chemicalx

    chemicalx Active Member

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    Yup, the black crumbly stuff sounds like compost to me. Since you just had a pile that was left alone, you have a slow (cold) compost pile, whereas if you're really making an effort to compost, you would need to tend it more. Cold compost piles will take a long time to develop into finished compost, and also they won't kill off any weed seeds in the pile, like hot piles do. Even infrequent turning of the compost pile will help speed things along, though you can certainly go gung ho with compost recipes and building the pile based on ratios of green/wet materials to brown/dry materials, etc etc. I put in just a moderate level of effort into mine, adding water and turning it as needed, keeping a decent balance between the dry and green materials/kitchen scraps, and I've had good success. The worms are quite happy.

    If you have a lot of material to compost, and plan to start turning the pile occasionally, a compost bin is pretty essential. There's a wide variety of options - from a cheap and simple bin rigged out of chicken wire to more elaborate 3-bin systems. What I have is an inexpensive plastic model ("Bio-Stack") I got through my city, and it works great.

    Oh, and the bugs, spiders and worms in the compost - all fine. But kill the slugs.
     
  3. comradea

    comradea Member

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    Thanks for the assuring advice !! ... and the explanation and tips...

    I am thinking about a small pile, but adding some more stuff other than the result of pruning... Can I throw in the small weed seedlings I pull out from the patch if I do a "hot" pile ?... or are the seedlings too strong to be killed already ?

    I hope to get a more proper mix of stuff in there... our house eat too much processed food so the kitchen scrap supply is not that big... can get some saw dust from the shop... manure and urine... egg shells, ... I don't mow the lawn so maybe I'll ask next door's gardener for their grass clippings... You suppose a pile like that on a corner of the patch, with a clear plastic tarp over it... with a bit of watering and stirring... will do decent speed ?

    Cheers !!
     
  4. chemicalx

    chemicalx Active Member

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    For a hot pile, the items you mentioned will work well. Manure in particular can heat a pile up pretty quick!

    Some tips to keep in mind (these are recommendations from the little backyard composting book that came with my bin):

    Brown materials (high carbon content) are things like leaves, straw, woody material (sawdust would go in this category), dry grass, etc.

    Green materials (high in nitrogen) would be fresh grass clippings, food scraps, manure/urine, weeds, coffee grounds, even wet paper towels can go in.

    You want to put these materials down in layers, for best results. Turning/stirring will help to keep it aerated (since the microbes need oxygen to work), and also keep it evenly moist, like a squeezed out sponge.

    You only want something like 25% to 50% of the pile to be green materials (75% to 50% brown) for a good balance; too much green, and it can get smelly, or even get TOO hot (over 140F). Never add dog/cat waste or meat/fatty products to the pile, since these can carry pathogens or attract vermin.

    Most weeds are fine to add, though if you have particularly hard-to-kill weeds, like Bermuda grass, which regrows from its roots/stolons, I always leave those out just to be safe. But most leafy/grassy weeds are good to use, and the heat will take care of them.

    Good luck and have fun! :)
     
  5. comradea

    comradea Member

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    Thanks a lot !! Just one more thing : Do you think I should keept the pile on the concrete podium just above the potatos? or on a corner of the soil ? I am only going to stay in Vancouver till next summer... and renting... so don't want to get a real composter ?... Or can I use one of those big (5 gallon ?) oil container from restaurants so its easy to stir ?...

    Thanks again... Off I go with my Safeway bags to the stables !!
     
  6. chemicalx

    chemicalx Active Member

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    I would put the pile directly on the soil - that way worms and microbes that are already in the soil underneath will easily access your pile for their lunch...

    I'm not sure about the oil container - not sure if I'm picturing it correctly, but 5-gallons seems a bit small. I'd stick with covering it with a plastic tarp like you had before.
     
  7. comradea

    comradea Member

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    Thanks a lot, chemicalx !! Really appreciate your tips !!
     

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