How to save my compost pile?

[mari.beth]

I started a compost pile back in March - admittedly without doing enough research on how to successfully create compost. My hubby has been adding grass clippings like crazy. I have added straw and cedar shavings (recommended as "dead material" by guy at garden store) and veggie scraps from kitchen. I now am worried that we have too much grass and not enough of everything else. I turned the pile today and the bottom seemed to be turning dirt-like. However, the top layers still just seem like grass. Any suggestions for salvaging my pile so I will have compost for next year's garden would be appreciated greatly! (Any suggestions for how to use in next year's garden also will be appreciated, e.g., ratio of compost to dirt, etc.)

[Darren Abbey]

Any material on the top of the pile won't change. Turning the top layers under every now and again will allow that material to process faster. Cedar chips will take years to degrade effectively, but the degradation can complete in the main garden.

As to ratio... My family's strategy has always been to put as much compost as we have into the garden when we're preparing the soil.

[habitat_gardener]

You're doing fine. I don't turn my compost, and in the summer it's done in less than 3 months. I add kitchen and garden waste, water it as needed (so that it's as moist as a wrung-out sponge), and add a layer of dry material once in a while.

Once or twice I've had a pile that was too wet, so I turned it, adding mulchy material or shredded newspaper as I went.

I haven't used grass clippings, but one of the cautions is to mix it with other materials rather than creating a thick layer of just grass.

When my compost is "done," it's still not ready to use. Since I use some woody materials in the pile (branches, peach pits, avocado pits, various woody stems of garden plants), it takes more than one cycle for them to break down. So I sift it before using it. I use a garden flat (the black plastic thing with holes an inch apart or less). Or you can tack hardware cloth to a frame. For general garden use, I don't try to pick out the pieces that fall through the 1-inch holes. If I'm using it for seedlings, I sift it with a finer screen. It doesn't have to take a lot of time.

As for how much to use: when I was making lots of compost and had only one garden, I used as much as one 5-gallon container of compost per tomato plant at planting time. But recently I've read a couple books on soil building that recommend no more than one-sixth of an inch of compost per year or less! It depends on your soil and what you want to grow. I've also used my own compost to pot up seedlings. It holds a little more water than is optimal, so now I mix it with potting mix if I have it. It doesn't work for starting most seeds because my pile doesn't get hot enough to kill existing seeds, so I can't tell if a tomato sprout is what I planted or what was in my compost. I still use it for large seeds such as beans, though.

[COMPOSTER]

Originally Posted by mari.beth

I started a compost pile back in March - admittedly without doing enough research on how to successfully create compost. My hubby has been adding grass clippings like crazy. I have added straw and cedar shavings (recommended as "dead material" by guy at garden store) and veggie scraps from kitchen. I now am worried that we have too much grass and not enough of everything else. I turned the pile today and the bottom seemed to be turning dirt-like. However, the top layers still just seem like grass. Any suggestions for salvaging my pile so I will have compost for next year's garden would be appreciated greatly! (Any suggestions for how to use in next year's garden also will be appreciated, e.g., ratio of compost to dirt, etc.)

The first thing I would want to know is how dry is the pile? As habitat gardener pointed out it should have a decent level of moisture. Not soaked but definately not dry either. I would also stop adding new materials to that particular pile and let those materials fully compost. I have room for several piles so I make piles spring and Fall and have a bin for kitchen scraps. I never stop collecting materials but with the exception of my kitchen scrap compost I do not continuously add them to actively composting piles.There are many different thoughts on how to compost. I am a pile turner. You don't have to be, but that's what works for me. I collect materials and make a large pile all at once. I then let the pile start decomposing for 3-4 weeks and then I turn it. Turning it helps get oxygen to the microbes that are working to break down the pile. When I turn it I try to put the top layers on the bottom and the bottom layers on the top. If I notice there are dry spots when I'm turning I water them with a watering can. I then cover the pile with landscape fabric to protect it from heavy rains. I repeat this process again in another 4-5 weeks. Unless I feel particularly ambitious I will not turn the pile again until early the following Spring or Fall. Although the pile I made this Spring will not be completely broken down until the following spring (will definately break down faster for you in TN) I can sift plenty of useable compost from the pile in the Fall. I think Composting takes a little experience and trial and error. And I know it takes time and patience. Don't get discouraged, it is definately worth the effort.

Glenn

[COMPOSTER]

Originally Posted by mari.beth

I started a compost pile back in March - admittedly without doing enough research on how to successfully create compost. My hubby has been adding grass clippings like crazy. I have added straw and cedar shavings (recommended as "dead material" by guy at garden store) and veggie scraps from kitchen. I now am worried that we have too much grass and not enough of everything else. I turned the pile today and the bottom seemed to be turning dirt-like. However, the top layers still just seem like grass. Any suggestions for salvaging my pile so I will have compost for next year's garden would be appreciated greatly! (Any suggestions for how to use in next year's garden also will be appreciated, e.g., ratio of compost to dirt, etc.)

Sorry, forgot to address the too much grass clippings situation. First of all I hope they have not been treated with herbacide or pestacide. When collecting ingredients for compost the ingredients are usually referred to as browns and greens. Browns would be your straw, cedar shavings and things like leaves. Greens would be your grass clippings, produce scraps, coffee grinds and herbivore animal manures. You should be looking to assemble similar volumes of greens and browns in your pile. Maybe go a little heavier on the greens but not too much.

Glenn

[Redbaron]

A sprinkle of soil helps usually

[KarenO]

grass clippings make good compost when they break down but fresh green clippings do tend to form thick slimy smelly mats in between layers in a compost pile. What will help is if you allow even some of your clippings to dry into "hay" before adding them. now they are "browns" instead of "greens" use a long rake handle or pole to poke down through the layers from the top right through to the bottom to let some air in and water your pile if it's dry. should always be moist, not wet. A good sprinkle of high nitrogen granular fertilizer watered in will help your pile to heat and adding a little soil between layers as Redbaron suggests adds microbes which will speed up the composting process.
your compost will be like black gold for your tomatoes
.
KarenO

[COMPOSTER]

In regards to application ratios there are many different thoughts also. What works for me is working in about 3/4 inch layer of finished compost into the top inch or so of soil in the Fall. When planting individual plants I mix a couple of generous handfuls into the soil in my planting hole. When I direct seed I put about an 1/8 or inch or less (depending on the size of seed sown) over the top of the area I seeded. If I am using an area to grow both Spring and Fall crops I will work about a 1/4 inch or so into the soil when I remove my Spring crop.

Glenn

[tjg911]

do you have any leaves from fall? i'd give you some but it's a long ride from TN. i add equal parts green and browns, turn every week (i seldom do it other than every 3-4 weeks too lazy), cover the pile from rain. a pile needs to be a minimum size to get cooking (hot) so making many little piles isn't as good as a large one. iirc 3' X 3' X 3' was minimum. smaller piles will break down just takes longer.

tom

[Crandrew]

Think: Layers and constant turning

Brown
Green
Brown
Green
Brown
Green

[mari.beth]

Thank you all for the advice. I appreciate it greatly! I feel a bit better about the potential success of my pile. Hopefully, I will have some nice, rich compost for next year!!!

[ScottinAtlanta]

Invest in a shredder or chipper - that added enormous volumes of material to my composting, and sped it up hugely. I can now use branches, vines, pruned materials - they all come out finely chopped. Chopped materials compost much more quickly.

[Heyyou]

Crandrew nailed it. You need browns and greens. No leaves in summer? Shred your news papers and cardboard boxes and toss in your pile. For best results avoid the glossy flyers.

My problem is too many browns. I have lots of laurel and live oak leaves. Hopefully with spring here I can get some grass clippings to mix when I turn the pile.

[ScottinAtlanta]

I use coffee grounds from my local coffee shop - much easier than collecting greens. 15 gallons of coffee grounds mixed in well (with some water - most compost beds are too dry) will heat up a large pile of browns (500 pounds or so) right fast. Also, I find that the worms love the coffee grounds when the pile cools down. My pile now is so full of worms that they literally jump out when I grab a handful.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I find that the worms love the coffee grounds when the pile cools down. My pile now is so full of worms that they literally jump out when I grab a handful.

You would too having just had that much coffee! Which reminds me ...time to make a new pot.