Basic Question?

[EBCIII]

What is a Good size Of Compost Bin to build? Is Chicken Wire OK to use? Thanks in advance, Beale.

[kath]

Depends on how much you've got to fill it up with and lots of other factors but I think a minimum size for the pile is 3' x 3' x 3' in order for it to heat up and 'cook' properly. Think I read that heights over 5' can compact too much because of weight and inhibit the necessary O2 that's needed within the pile. Chicken wire can work for containment but might need supports such as stakes around the outside to keep it from collapsing/tipping.

kath

[EBCIII]

Thank You Kath! Beale.

[bughunter99]

ECBIII you need to decide if you want to cold compost or hot compost. There are pluses and minuses to both.

Hot Compost: As Kath said you want a 3x3x3 pile at a minimum. This type of composting gives you much quicker results than cold composting. There is a cost to it though. It is more work, you have to turn and water it regularly. moving that amount of material around can be a lot of work. Hot composting burns more nutrients than cold composting so the end product can be less nutrient rich (but still great) than cold composting. In hot composting you also have to assure proper mix of green versus brown materials. One benefit, If this compost heats up properly, it will help kill some pathogens and weed seeds but not all. Main benefit It produces a lovely priceless soil amendment fairly quickly.

Cold Composting or Passive Composting: Pile can be any size. Essentially you just let materials degrade naturally. You just add stuff on top when the mood suits you. It doesn't matter if it is green or brown. You don't turn it. You don't do anything to it. It might heat up, it might not. It does tend to run cooler than hot compost piles so the end results tend to have more nutrients (hot composting burns up some nutrients in the process). This type of composting typically does not heat up enough to affect weed seeds or pathogens. It is lazy man's composting. I do it this way and love it.
This type of composting provides a lovely priceless soil amendment as well--it just takes longer.

Stacy

[EBCIII]

Originally Posted by bughunter99

ECBIII you need to decide if you want to cold compost or hot compost. There are pluses and minuses to both.

Hot Compost: As Kath said you want a 3x3x3 pile at a minimum. This type of composting gives you much quicker results than cold composting. There is a cost to it though. It is more work, you have to turn and water it regularly. moving that amount of material around can be a lot of work. Hot composting burns more nutrients than cold composting so the end product can be less nutrient rich (but still great) than cold composting. In hot composting you also have to assure proper mix of green versus brown materials. One benefit, If this compost heats up properly, it will help kill some pathogens and weed seeds but not all. Main benefit It produces a lovely priceless soil amendment fairly quickly.

Cold Composting or Passive Composting: Pile can be any size. Essentially you just let materials degrade naturally. You just add stuff on top when the mood suits you. It doesn't matter if it is green or brown. You don't turn it. You don't do anything to it. It might heat up, it might not. It does tend to run cooler than hot compost piles so the end results tend to have more nutrients (hot composting burns up some nutrients in the process). This type of composting typically does not heat up enough to affect weed seeds or pathogens. It is lazy man's composting. I do it this way and love it.
This type of composting provides a lovely priceless soil amendment as well--it just takes longer.

Stacy

Stacy I think I like the Cold Way! I will not be using it until next year any way? Will it be ready in a year that way? Beale.

[Worth1]

Beale I have had a cubic yard cold compost cage I have been using for a few years and it has yet to fill up.
I cant tell you how many times I have stacked weeds and leaves and all of my food scraps in that thing.
I think it may be half full now.
Yesterday I turned it all over again and added more weeds and leaves.
The stuff that is in it looks like soil not compost.
An opossum comes and does a nightly raid on the thing.

Worth

[snugglekitten]

And it will get hot!

Hell if my wife were one of those organic, permaculture hippie chicks I'd put the stuff in the basement to heat up the house, but she is more the slavic, high heel wearing chick who would see that as crass and peasant-like.

[EBCIII]

Question? Can or should I avoid wood ash id a compost pile? These come from Pecan Trees, thanks, Beale.

[Worth1]

Wood ash can raise the ph of soil.
If it is already high you dont want to use it at all.
I see no need to put it in the compost pile but I could be wrong.
You can make lye from wood ash by running water through it.
lye can eat your skin off it is so high in ph.

Worth

[EBCIII]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Wood ash can raise the ph of soil.
If it is already high you dont want to use it at all.
I see no need to put it in the compost pile but I could be wrong.
You can make lye from wood ash by running water through it.
lye can eat your skin off it is so high in ph.

Worth

Thanks Worth! I am just trying to figure what to do with the ash in my burn Barrel. The tend to fill up those 2 trees drop a lot of limbs, Beale.

[swordy]

Hello people I also have some questions about compost. I compost different kind of stuff like greens, porato peels, rotten fruit, bugs mixed with a small portion of soil in a huge plastic bag in my garden's corner. I started a month ago and I follow the hot composting process. I shuffle it every day and keep it wet adding water when necessary. Yesterday I added a portion of urine when I read somewhere here that it accelerates the compost process. If I stop adding stuff and only shuffle it frequently, when will it be ready for use? Now it stinks like sewer and attracts flies!
Thank you!

[FarmerShawn]

Originally Posted by EBCIII

Thanks Worth! I am just trying to figure what to do with the ash in my burn Barrel. The tend to fill up those 2 trees drop a lot of limbs, Beale.

Beale, just a suggestion, but you might look into finding a small (or not!) chipper/shredder and turn those fallen branches into real nice (and free) mulch. I did that for years until I expanded too much (into market gardening) and just haven't had time to do the chipping, but I really miss the nice small chips that decompose quickly into real nice soil amendment material. A shredder makes quick work of any garden extras to add to the compost bin, and shredded stuff turns more easily and breaks down more quickly than unshredded stuff. I still shred; it's just that running branches through the chipper I have takes more time. Plus, due to some recent wind storms that knocked lots of trees and branches down across roads and wires in the area, I got several large dump truck loads of chips from the state cleanup crew, who dumped them in my yard for nothing, as it was less road time than hauling them away. They're big chips, so some of them I'll run through my shredder to make them smaller, but that doesn't take much time - much less time than wrestling branches through the machine.

[EBCIII]

Thanks Worth! I will look into one! Beale.