How to Make Hot Compost (Start to Finish)
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Date: 2022-09-28
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Comments and reviews: 14
Ottawajames
When I used to live somewhere I could have a compost pile, I started one but I had really poor sandy soil underneath it and after a couple of weeks nothing was really happening in there so I went over to a section of the yard where I had healthy bioactive soil and dug up a few shovelfuls and I made sure to get a bunch of earth worms in there too and dumped it all into the middle of the pile and that really seemed to kick start it. within a few weeks I began to be actually be able to feel the warmth coming off of the pile (in the cold mornings in autumn it would literally be steaming)
One thing I'd be careful about composting though is potatoes, even just the peels. If you get a bit too much 'eye' in there they could take off. My compost pile became a potato pile sometime around the third year I had it going. Great for the potatoes but not so much for my beds as they wanted compost too.
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When I used to live somewhere I could have a compost pile, I started one but I had really poor sandy soil underneath it and after a couple of weeks nothing was really happening in there so I went over to a section of the yard where I had healthy bioactive soil and dug up a few shovelfuls and I made sure to get a bunch of earth worms in there too and dumped it all into the middle of the pile and that really seemed to kick start it. within a few weeks I began to be actually be able to feel the warmth coming off of the pile (in the cold mornings in autumn it would literally be steaming)
One thing I'd be careful about composting though is potatoes, even just the peels. If you get a bit too much 'eye' in there they could take off. My compost pile became a potato pile sometime around the third year I had it going. Great for the potatoes but not so much for my beds as they wanted compost too.
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Elizabeth
i guess, in San Diego with a garden not so big, the best way would be to use the green waste bins and fill them up, then create a pile from that? My dad has used shredded paper as browns and it worked well (he gets a LOT of junk mail. Now just need to convince the others in the house to let me use at least six feet of out-of-the-way space for bins (i'd pile, but i have big dogs; don't want digging and rooting. Would pallets make good bin-sides? (This is the other issue - can't afford to spring too much on this. May use spare chicken-wire i have from an attempt at rat deterrence)
eta - also, it seems i have seemingly opposing issues of not being able to keep the thing damp, and it not being able to heat up. i'm close enough to the coast (west of the 5) that most of the year marine layer screens the sun, but at the same time, this IS a semi-desert area.
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i guess, in San Diego with a garden not so big, the best way would be to use the green waste bins and fill them up, then create a pile from that? My dad has used shredded paper as browns and it worked well (he gets a LOT of junk mail. Now just need to convince the others in the house to let me use at least six feet of out-of-the-way space for bins (i'd pile, but i have big dogs; don't want digging and rooting. Would pallets make good bin-sides? (This is the other issue - can't afford to spring too much on this. May use spare chicken-wire i have from an attempt at rat deterrence)
eta - also, it seems i have seemingly opposing issues of not being able to keep the thing damp, and it not being able to heat up. i'm close enough to the coast (west of the 5) that most of the year marine layer screens the sun, but at the same time, this IS a semi-desert area.
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Donna
What does Jacques mean when he says it takes a long time for sunflower stalks to break down? When I used to be able to grow sunflowers, I would cut most of the stalks down; but, I would leave standing those that still had flower heads with seeds. I would cut the stalks into manageable sizes, about 5 or 6 inches long. Then I would bury the stalks in the garden among the fall flowers. By May, any stalks that didn't get buried, were hard like wood from a tree; but, those that were buried would crumble in my hand.
Red wigglers help with breaking down materials; but, my favorite are the black soldier fly larva.
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What does Jacques mean when he says it takes a long time for sunflower stalks to break down? When I used to be able to grow sunflowers, I would cut most of the stalks down; but, I would leave standing those that still had flower heads with seeds. I would cut the stalks into manageable sizes, about 5 or 6 inches long. Then I would bury the stalks in the garden among the fall flowers. By May, any stalks that didn't get buried, were hard like wood from a tree; but, those that were buried would crumble in my hand.
Red wigglers help with breaking down materials; but, my favorite are the black soldier fly larva.
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KT
Hi. Cool video. You've done Bokasi, now compost piles. Why not combine the 2 and you will get it heating up and ready in a fraction of the time. Do your bokashi as usual (organic waste and bokashi bran layered, then left for a few weeks) and then after your bokashi is done add it to your pile where you added food scraps like in your video. The fermented bokashi mix will add that extra bacteria to the mix and speed things up.
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Hi. Cool video. You've done Bokasi, now compost piles. Why not combine the 2 and you will get it heating up and ready in a fraction of the time. Do your bokashi as usual (organic waste and bokashi bran layered, then left for a few weeks) and then after your bokashi is done add it to your pile where you added food scraps like in your video. The fermented bokashi mix will add that extra bacteria to the mix and speed things up.
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Brian
It heats up a lot quicker with more moisture as you add the different components. The compost at the 1st turning should be that of a wrung out sponge, if not, needs more H2O.
I prefer to cage compost, it is a lot easier to turn the pile properly from a cage as apposed to a bin. I guess there many ways to compost just as there are many ways to garden.
Enjoy your videos.
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It heats up a lot quicker with more moisture as you add the different components. The compost at the 1st turning should be that of a wrung out sponge, if not, needs more H2O.
I prefer to cage compost, it is a lot easier to turn the pile properly from a cage as apposed to a bin. I guess there many ways to compost just as there are many ways to garden.
Enjoy your videos.
reply
Ezekiel
As someone who has tried making fancy compost many times I have learned climate is the factor that is normally left out when discussing ratios. Here in the northeast the easiest thing to have happen is the pile gets too wet if it s a small one although if you can shelter it that helps obviously. But I would say dry climates actually have the advantage at small scale
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As someone who has tried making fancy compost many times I have learned climate is the factor that is normally left out when discussing ratios. Here in the northeast the easiest thing to have happen is the pile gets too wet if it s a small one although if you can shelter it that helps obviously. But I would say dry climates actually have the advantage at small scale
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epic_gardening
Well at least now I feel less bad about so many tomatoes going in the compost lol. This year when my parents were doing their spring leaf cleanup, I asked for a few bags of leaves. Then I took them home and mowed over them with the lawnmower bag on. Great way to get a lot of brown material and it put all those leaves to good use!
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Well at least now I feel less bad about so many tomatoes going in the compost lol. This year when my parents were doing their spring leaf cleanup, I asked for a few bags of leaves. Then I took them home and mowed over them with the lawnmower bag on. Great way to get a lot of brown material and it put all those leaves to good use!
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What s
Thanks for the video, nice to see the new compost system in action.
I ve never made a compost pile all at once. I ve always just added material as I go so it takes a few months to fill the bin. It would be fun to try making the pile all at once, seems like it would compost faster that way.
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Thanks for the video, nice to see the new compost system in action.
I ve never made a compost pile all at once. I ve always just added material as I go so it takes a few months to fill the bin. It would be fun to try making the pile all at once, seems like it would compost faster that way.
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Jan
i personal have made a couple compost bins out of wood pallets. and everything that i have that is organic will be thrown on those piles, from kitchen scraps to dead animals to grass clippings. have done that for 10 years and it works like a charm.
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i personal have made a couple compost bins out of wood pallets. and everything that i have that is organic will be thrown on those piles, from kitchen scraps to dead animals to grass clippings. have done that for 10 years and it works like a charm.
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Kneenibble
The first time I got a truly hot pile working, and could not recognize nearly any trace of the original material in the dark brown fragrant soil that resulted, was magical! It's worth attempting just to marvel at the transformation.
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The first time I got a truly hot pile working, and could not recognize nearly any trace of the original material in the dark brown fragrant soil that resulted, was magical! It's worth attempting just to marvel at the transformation.
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wormulous
I'd love to get more into composting but I fear the most two things.
1, it wouldnt be worth it for the space i have and
2 i dont know if I would be able to get enough brown material to be able to constantly have a supply.
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I'd love to get more into composting but I fear the most two things.
1, it wouldnt be worth it for the space i have and
2 i dont know if I would be able to get enough brown material to be able to constantly have a supply.
reply
TangoDown-141
Ive found lots of success in increasing the speed of breakdown using homemade lacto and fermented fruit juice, very easy and high production value to time investment ratio, I highly recommend checking out a recipe for both
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Ive found lots of success in increasing the speed of breakdown using homemade lacto and fermented fruit juice, very easy and high production value to time investment ratio, I highly recommend checking out a recipe for both
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Vee
Thank you for refreshing me how easy is really starting compost, perfect timing for me when I m getting ready to start cleaning the garden, is always fun watching your videos apart from the much knowledge you guys share
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Thank you for refreshing me how easy is really starting compost, perfect timing for me when I m getting ready to start cleaning the garden, is always fun watching your videos apart from the much knowledge you guys share
reply
My
I have always hated composting. It always seemed like a hot, stinky, maggot filled mess. With soil and fertilizer cost rising, I think I may try with a QUALITY bin before its time to rake leaves and mow again.
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I have always hated composting. It always seemed like a hot, stinky, maggot filled mess. With soil and fertilizer cost rising, I think I may try with a QUALITY bin before its time to rake leaves and mow again.
reply
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