Things I Have Learned About Composting

[higgy]

I compost all of my green and horse waste. When ever I turn a pile i toss in a few hand fulls of 10/10/10 or other close ratio fert. This gets the pile hot faster and avoids the possibility of the temperature inside the pile from getting to cold and stalling the compost.

I have had no problem composting paper, but it takes longer and conditions need to be more controlled as paper is made of materials that are harder to breakdown biologically.

 

[Bird]

Higgy, when I was raising rabbits, I initially used hay for nesting material, but later bought a paper shredder, ran our old newspapers through it, and that made the best bedding or nesting material. And after it was used, I tilled it into the garden along with the manure. Don't know how long it would take to "compost" or decompose in a composting pile, but it sure disappeared fast in the dirt.

 

[shoppintractors]

Wood chips are also good to intermix throughout the compost pile. They help keep the pile aerated and keep it from matting down.

Don

 

[higgy]

Bird,

I agree, never had a problem with it either, but with rabbits there was plenty of nitrogen in with the paper and some moisture.

This helps the compost to start and continue to run.

I was suggesting that just tilling it in might slow the process down, or it there was to much paper in one area it might not compost.

 

[GregJ]

Kevin,
I am always adding rotten and dry wood to my pile. I did read where the important thing in composting is the carbon/nitrogen mix. In simpler terms ( I like simple ) carbon/nitrogen = brown / green. So I have tried to get as much soft green debris with the wood chips as possible. One of the best piles I started was last summer when I cleared about 50 - 4" x 30' alders that were covered with leaves. It really took off quick. I am always a little long on the carbon and short on nitrogen, so I may try the 10-10-10 to speed things up. Basically a longwinded response with the theory that if you add some green stuff, you'll probably be just fine.

On the paper topic, the paper I used was computer/copier paper, not newsprint. As far as I can tell, they seem to use some space age preservative on that stuff...... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I have heard that newspaper will compost fairly quickly.

Greg

 

[shoppintractors]

The compost pile is still 'cooking' in mid-winter. After receiving 3" of snow and freezing rain earlier this week and the weather getting down into the single digits the last few nights the compost pile is still putting out heat as evidenced by the disappearing snow on the pile. See attachment.

Don

 

[OkieG]

Ralph,
<font color="blue"> ...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... </font>

Have you considered towing your chipper to where you need it? My chipper is also a TroyBilt Tomahawk. I believe TroyBilt has marketed several different models with the Tomahawk moniker, so our machines are probably not alike. But, if it has a handle, you can probably tow it. If you are otherwise satisfied with the performance of your current chipper, a hitch arrangement would save your back, and could save a few dollars in trading to a 3PH unit.

<font color="blue"> 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. Have you taken yours to any hilly/bushy area? (Anyone else do this?) </font>

My chipper manuevers very well on a level hard surface, but moving up or down hill is a different story. Forget it!! Not worth the trouble!!

Attached is a picture of a hitch I use to transport the chipper. A 3PH chipper will probably be more manueverable than a tow behind, but if you occasionally have someone helping you, being able to unhitch the chipper so you can gather limbs with the tractor while a friend is feeding the chipper is nice.

Anyway, just a thought.

OkieG

 

[JerryG]

That is like mine. When it is cold and I move compost, the steam goes up 15-20'.

 

[RalphVa]

OkieG,

I've a hitch on my TroyBilt. It's just too heavy and too top heavy for me to pull it safety through the woods with my Gravely. Also, I don't think the Gravely has the traction to pull it up my hill in the back.

So, one option WHEN I get my 4wd tractor will be to pull it into the woods, as that tractor would have the weight and traction to do it.

My CFO has agreed to my getting a tractor for my April birthday long as I stay around $10k for the kit and kaboodle. Figure I can get a BX1500/1800, FEL and rear hog and ballast for about that.

Ralph