Jennifer M asked:
We are getting ready to put together a compost pile. My question is whether you continuously add materials such as lawn clippings (spring and summer) and kitchen scaps to it, or is there a point where you let it sit and start a new pile? I don’t want 20 piles going at once, but if you keep adding, how is it ever ready?
composting
We are getting ready to put together a compost pile. My question is whether you continuously add materials such as lawn clippings (spring and summer) and kitchen scaps to it, or is there a point where you let it sit and start a new pile? I don’t want 20 piles going at once, but if you keep adding, how is it ever ready?
composting
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Tags: Compost Pile, Piles, Scaps
February 7th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Kansieo.com
Hey Jennifer,
Yes, do that. Each time you add scraps, cover the scraps with some old compost, or a layer of dirt, or a layer of cut up yard waste and some dirt. That will keep the smell down and the compost pile active.
My piles have been yard waste, maple leaves, oak leaves, old compost (to keep the action going), kitchen scraps (NO MEAT or Dairy – forms wrong type of growth and attracts pests). Typically, I had 4 piles. The one I am currently using to fertilize my plants (oldest), the next one – which I am not adding to any more, and is due for maybe another turn over, the last one, no more stuff – active composting, and my new pile. Once my current one is completely used, I have a new location to start my current one to contribut to. Basically a rotation.
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February 8th, 2009 at 6:21 am
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Yes you can continually add matter to the pile. When it starts overflowing you will need to remove the composted matter on the bottom for use or start a new pile and let the old one mature. If the pile has the correct moisture and temperature it will break down pretty quick. The smaller the matter you add the quicker it will break down as well.
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February 9th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
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if you can shovel out the bottom stuff before you turn it, you gots the goodies!!…
lots of folks use three piles… new stuff, semi-cooked, and well done…… it’s pretty easy then, to put fresh trimmings, clippings, etc into the ‘new’ one…..then when it’s had a little time to cook, lift off the undone, move the done-r stuff from the bottom over to the ’semi’ pile, put the new/undone stuff back and keep adding to it….. over in ’semi’, add goodies, like soil, alfalfa, extra fertilzer, and keep it mixed and moist… very soon that will be ‘done’ and can be moved to the last pile…. and from there, you use it…. this also keeps you from having a pile so big you cannot turn it!!!….. three by three is a good pile and building your bins that size help it work best…..
just remember in the NEW pile, to have shredded leaves or newspapers or other ‘brown’s to add when you add all the new greens to it… and don’t skimp on the water!!… should feel like a wet sponge…just not drippy….. and when y ou add something really ‘tasty’ like lettuce, cover it over with soil so the critters don’t all come a-runnin’!!!……
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February 10th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Kansieo.com
No, not if you want really nice compost that doesn’t have orange peels and uncomposted coffee ground et. al.
gather together all the stuff you want to compost and make a pile, keep adding to the pile until you deem it is big enough than add some water 9if it is dry out) and turn it and once it has been turned and is heating up add nothing else. Continue to turn it every 10 days or so OR when ever the temp drops below 100F (it should be warm to very warm to the touch or buy a compost/garden thermometer).
If you continue to add material the new stuff will fight with the stuff that has already started to break down and the compost will never become high quality.
So when you turn the compost pile it is time to start a new pile.
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