Things I Have Learned About Composting

GregJ · Jan 2, 2004

When I bought my tractor in September 2002, I purchased a Bearcat chipper/shredder with it. I wanted to be able to create my own compost/mulch to be used around our place for landscaping. I thought I would share what I've learned as I enter my second season of composting. The purpose of my post is to hear what others have learned as well.

1. Pile it high and turn it often. I have found that it packs down and the heat will actually dry out the pile even here in the rainy NW. The oxygen also helps the composting process. Also, the higher the pile, the less surface area there is to be contaminated by weed seed.

2. There is no need for compost bins if you are doing piles. It actually makes it easier to move the piles. When I turn the piles I pick up a little dirt from the bottom and this is actually good for the compost.

3. Make sure that your pile is out in the open and not under a tree. My first year I made my pile under trees and even with record rainfalls, it dried out.

4. Never add shredded paper to your pile. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif This is the BIG one I learned this year. I was reading on a soil/compost forum about adding shredded paper to compost. Last summer, we had a lengthy burn ban and my shredded paper started to pile up. Our local recycle company will not take shredded paper. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif So, I thought I'd just mix it into my pile. After 4 months, it hasn't even started to breakdown.

5. The mulch that I have composted for 8-9 months is beautiful, fine and dark. Any less time and it seems that the larger wood chips have not broken down yet.

These are the things that I have learned so far. I have attached a picture of my current pile that I started in August. I hope that others will add to my list of things you have learned about composting.

Greg

RalphVa · Jan 2, 2004

This will be one use for my planned new tractor with FEL, to mound up my shredded/sawdust/leaf piles. I've a bunch of stuff back there now, but it's maybe only about 2' high. Needs to be a minimum of 3' and needs to be turned periodically. So much easier to do it with the tractor and FEL.

I've 2 shredders: a MacKissic w/o chippers (only hammers) that goes on my Gravely and an old Troy Bilt Tomahawk with chipper/hammers. I'd like to replace these sometime with a 3pt chipper, as it'll be easier to move around than either of the two that I have. I think they're too top heavy and don't have very good wheels for moving very far, particularly down my hill and into the woods. It'd be easier to take the shredder to the bush rather than the bush to the shredder and then later haul the shredded stuff to my piles.

Have you taken yours to any hilly/bushy area? (Anyone else do this?) I'm thinking you'd have to have an FEL on to help counter-balance the weight and keep both it and shredder low down during transport.

Ralph

pajoube · Jan 2, 2004

Thanks for the info regarding paper.
Keep us posted on your success and failures, as this is an area that I will be heading in short order. I have so far built 4 compost piles mixed with dirt and greens then winter hit. Not sure I will be able to turn any piles until spring. I was thinking of using my forks to go in from the bottom and raise up. Do you think this would be enough?
PJ

GregJ · Jan 2, 2004

Ralph,
Actually I have done both. For around my property I built some bolt on forks out of 4x4's to haul small trees and limbs to my work area. These keeps the mess from chipping just in the compost area. I have also driven my tractor to another property that we have about 2 miles away and chipped there, loaded it into my utility trailer, hauled it back and unloaded by hand. As far as stability, I always raise it all the way for clearance. Most of the weight is down low on the Bearcat, so it really isn't a top heavy issue.

Greg

GregJ · Jan 2, 2004

Pajoube,
If your compost is working, it should be hot inside the pile. I have put a temperature probe in mine when the outside temps were in the 20's and it was 140+ inside the pile. I forgot to check your profile, but with a FEL you should be able to penetrate and mix it up easy enough. If you don't, some 3 pt. forks would definitely loosen it up and introduce oxygen and moisture. When I do turn mine, I take a big scoop and raise it as high as possible and dump slowly in order to break everything up and keep the pile loose.

Greg

pajoube · Jan 2, 2004

It gets down to -20 some nights but I will check the piles and see if I can turn them. Do you add any moisture when turning?
PJ

GregJ · Jan 2, 2004

I haven't ever added moisture when I have turned it. In the Pacific NW, it just doesn't seem right to add water to anything... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif What I have found is there are dry pockets in the pile and when I turn it and break it up, the moisture from the rest of the pile spreads out. I was amazed at how dry one side of my pile was when I turned it yesterday. I hadn't turned it for a couple of months though. We have had quite a bit of rain this fall/early winter and it was still dry. I know that Mother Nature will provide adequate moisture if I give it time.

Greg

mrcaptainbob · Jan 3, 2004

I like that idea of the compost piles. We'll be starting that this summer. I would rather keep the paper out of the compost pile, too. If nothing else, because of the chemicals in the print. I'd be reluctant to scatter that in the vege garden. I'm sure plants have a unique way of filtering, but I don't want to push the luck. Not to mention any ground contamination. There's an awful lot of zincs and coppers and such, especially in the shiny advertising......

shoppintractors · Jan 3, 2004

I have a fairly large contingent of oak trees on my property and after a couple years of bagging, burning (not allowed), shredding and mulching, composting was the answer for me.

I have found mixing some of last years pile with the fresh compost material gets the pile 'cooking' quicker than starting from scratch. Turning the pile on a monthly basis speeds the decomposition process. The more blending and mixing of the pile ingredients gets the entire pile cooking opposed to certain areas of the pile. And there's no question you can bake potatoes from the heat inside a compost pile. Moisture and aeration are the key. I also like to have a compost pile with just grass clippings. It breaks down fast and is an excellent source of rich black top soil for planting grass seed. The grass clipping pile needs to be turned often to keep it from matting down and stinkin'. Oak leaves are rather acidic just by there nature. I use limestone pellets to neutralize the acidity of the leaf compost pile. I have found compost from wood chips will have tendency to produce mushrooms until it is thoroughly broken down. Leaves will break down much quicker if fed through a mower deck, trac-vac, cyclone rake, etc. before depositing on the compost pile(also stops them from blowing around). And the most utilized piece of equipment to manage a compost pile is a front end loader. See attachment for my current compost pile.

Don

RalphVa · Jan 3, 2004

If you have a source of sawdust like I do (from my cabinet maker), it's good stuff for compost. However, it needs nitrogen to bring the C:N ratio down. I did a bunch of research and figured out that it takes a bag of 10-10-10 for 2 barrels of sawdust to compost it. This, plus water and a little dirt will have the sawdust turn to dirt in no time. If you're not getting much rain, it'll take a water lance or turning and applying water at the same time to get the water into it.

If you have lots of chipping and not much grass or leaves, this stuff could probably use a little bit of nitrogen. I haven't researched this to figure out how much, probably about half of what is needed for the sawdust. A little dirt mixed it will give it the enzymes it needs.

Ralph