Composting tip.

[Woodznutz]

If you have a rear bagger mulching mower you have the perfect composting tool.

Allow grass to grow long as leaves fall. If you don't have trees, get leaves from neighbors. Leaves are rich in carbon and other nutrients.

Without attaching the bag, mow/mulch the leaves and grass together. This will reduce the leaves and mix the grass and leaves together for a uniform green/brown (nitrogen/carbon) mix. More grass=more heat, more leaves=less heat. Shoot for 50/50 mix if possible. Too much grass will overheat the compost and destroy nutrients.

Now attach the collection bag to the mower and go over the lawn at least twice. What is left will feed your lawn.

Place the mix in an enclosure that has vertical sides to retain heat within the mix. A round cage made of fencing wire works well. Dampen the mix with water but don't make it soggy. As this is a fall activity your compost won't be ready until spring. However, if you want to make compost during the summer, store the leaves out of the weather for the winter, then spread them on the 'overgrown' lawn and follow the same process. Your summer compost will be ready in a few weeks to give a timely boost to your garden.

 

[toobfreak]

If you have a rear bagger mulching mower you have the perfect composting tool.

Allow grass to grow long as leaves fall. If you don't have trees, get leaves from neighbors. Leaves are rich in carbon and other nutrients.

Without attaching the bag, mow/mulch the leaves and grass together. This will reduce the leaves and mix the grass and leaves together for a uniform green/brown (nitrogen/carbon) mix. More grass=more heat, more leaves=less heat. Shoot for 50/50 mix if possible. Too much grass will overheat the compost and destroy nutrients.

Now attach the collection bag to the mower and go over the lawn at least twice. What is left will feed your lawn.

Place the mix in an enclosure that has vertical sides to retain heat within the mix. A round cage made of fencing wire works well. Dampen the mix with water but don't make it soggy. As this is a fall activity your compost won't be ready until spring. However, if you want to make compost during the summer, store the leaves out of the weather for the winter, then spread them on the 'overgrown' lawn and follow the same process. Your summer compost will be ready in a few weeks to give a timely boost to your garden.

Thing is that you want it to compost evenly. Bacteria turns the matter inside brown, so as the center composts (it gets hot) you want to on occasion toss it over with a spading fork so that the outside of the pile gets to spend time inside composting too.

It is done when all of it has rotted to a brown/black and is no longer producing heat inside. This will take longer in the winter.

 

[Muhammed]

If you have a rear bagger mulching mower you have the perfect composting tool.

Allow grass to grow long as leaves fall. If you don't have trees, get leaves from neighbors. Leaves are rich in carbon and other nutrients.

Without attaching the bag, mow/mulch the leaves and grass together. This will reduce the leaves and mix the grass and leaves together for a uniform green/brown (nitrogen/carbon) mix. More grass=more heat, more leaves=less heat. Shoot for 50/50 mix if possible. Too much grass will overheat the compost and destroy nutrients.

Now attach the collection bag to the mower and go over the lawn at least twice. What is left will feed your lawn.

Place the mix in an enclosure that has vertical sides to retain heat within the mix. A round cage made of fencing wire works well. Dampen the mix with water but don't make it soggy. As this is a fall activity your compost won't be ready until spring. However, if you want to make compost during the summer, store the leaves out of the weather for the winter, then spread them on the 'overgrown' lawn and follow the same process. Your summer compost will be ready in a few weeks to give a timely boost to your garden.

Why not just mulch it with no bag? That's what I do. It just chops everything up and spreads it out on the lawn.

I think you are overcomplicating.

 

[Woodznutz]

Thing is that you want it to compost evenly. Bacteria turns the matter inside brown, so as the center composts (it gets hot) you want to on occasion toss it over with a spading fork so that the outside of the pile gets to spend time inside composting too.

It is done when all of it has rotted to a brown/black and is no longer producing heat inside. This will take longer in the winter.

True. I have two large compost piles. Both will settle to half filled. Next spring I will remove the wire cages, mix the compost up good adding some fresh cut grass, and put the mix into one cage to finish composting. Both piles shown here have already shrunk quite a bit. I have lots of leaves and a huge lawn, so I can make lots of compost. These cages are four feet high and four feet across.

I'm getting good heat even 6 inches from the edge, this with maybe 20 percent grass to 80 percent leaves. Chopping the mix pretty fine speeds up the process. Temperature in the center of the pile is in the red zone. Thermometer has 20-inch probe.

 

[Woodznutz]

Why not just mulch it with no bag? That's what I do. It just chops everything up and spreads it out on the lawn.

I think you are overcomplicating.

I want the compost.

 

[toobfreak]

I'm getting good heat even 6 inches from the edge, this with maybe 20 percent grass to 80 percent leaves. Chopping the mix pretty fine speeds up the process. Temperature in the center of the pile is in the red zone. Thermometer has 20-inch probe.

I never got that fancy even though I have several types of thermocouple temperature probes (they connect to a multimeter). I just stuck my hand in. If it feels hot and a little damp or moist), you are good. Them bacterias are happy.

Your compost will be a good source of potassium, which is good for root development of plants, but I like composting horse manure as well, as that is rich in phosphorous (good for flower development) and nitrogen (good for leaves and stem growth). Adding some ground limestone can help raise the pH which is always good if your soil is acidic.

When I was a kid, my dad always made horse compost way out back. We went out to a farm where we got all the free horse manure we could take. We took the older stuff which was already composting from laying there. I remember one funny day when a few of my friends were over and my father was showing them the compost pile telling them how hot it got inside and told them to feel. One of them stuck his arm deep inside the compost to feel it for himself as my father told him it was made out of horse manure--- you never saw a kid yank his arm out so fast in your life!

We all laughed.

 

[Woodznutz]

I never got that fancy even though I have several types of thermocouple temperature probes (they connect to a multimeter). I just stuck my hand in. If it feels hot and a little damp or moist), you are good. Them bacterias are happy.

Your compost will be a good source of potassium, which is good for root development of plants, but I like composting horse manure as well, as that is rich in phosphorous (good for flower development) and nitrogen (good for leaves and stem growth. Adding some ground limestone can help raise the pH which is always good if your soil is acidic.

When I was a kid, my dad always made horse compost way out back. We went out to a farm where we got all the free horse manure we could take. We took the older stuff which was already composting from laying there. I remember one funny day when a few of my friends were over and my father was showing them the compost pile telling them how hot it got inside and told them to feel. One of them stuck his arm deep inside the compost to feel it for himself as my father told him it was made out of horse manure--- you never saw a kid yank his arm out so fast in your life!

We all laughed.

I've used the 'hand' method as well, but my fingers aren't calibrated very accurately. Knowing the exact temp is useful. I also buy composted manure from the garden center to be used for patching and top dressing. Pretty cheap if bought late in the season.

 

[toobfreak]

I've used the 'hand' method as well, but my fingers aren't calibrated very accurately. Knowing the exact temp is useful. I also buy composted manure from the garden center to be used for patching and top dressing. Pretty cheap if bought late in the season.

If your compost gets TOO hot inside, it can actually hurt the bacteria slowing down the composting. It feels really hot. All you need to do is open up the sides of the pile a little bit (spading fork works well for this!) to let a little air in.

 

[Woodznutz]

If your compost gets TOO hot inside, it can actually hurt the bacteria slowing down the composting. It feels really hot. All you need to do is open up the sides of the pile a little bit (spading fork works well for this!) to let a little air in.

I purposely created a weak nitrogen mix for that reason. It might take longer but fewer nutrients will be lost. The hottest my piles have gotten is in the middle of the red zone. I won't need the compost until the growing season starts next spring. Then I sift the finished compost out for use and pile the unfinished stuff up to continue composting.

This screen is 1/4-inch mesh but I'm going to make a 1/2-inch mesh screen this winter. Screen box fits on my 'kimchi kart' for easy sifting and transport.

 

[toobfreak]

I purposely created a weak nitrogen mix for that reason. It might take longer but fewer nutrients will be lost.

That is right! You seem to know what you're doing! The compost process actually consumers a little nitrogen and if added to the garden too fresh, the compost can actually LOWER the soil nitrogen rather than boost it!

 

[Dekster]

"Heat" just has to do with how fast it breaks down. You can pile up just your leaves and they will compost eventually

 

[ReinyDays]

I use the same system, so just a couple of suggestions:

1] Put a floor in your compose bins ... either more fencing or a wooden pallet ... something to get air to the underneath part of your compost ...

2] Save back some of last year's compost and add that to this year's ... kinda like inoculating the system with the good bacteria ...

 

[Woodznutz]

I use the same system, so just a couple of suggestions:

1] Put a floor in your compose bins ... either more fencing or a wooden pallet ... something to get air to the underneath part of your compost ...

2] Save back some of last year's compost and add that to this year's ... kinda like inoculating the system with the good bacteria ...

I have a theory that heat within the pile helps to aspirated it. Rising heat draws air into the pile from all sides.

 

[whoisit]

Good to know people are still gardening either way.

 

[whoisit]

I use the same system, so just a couple of suggestions:

1] Put a floor in your compose bins ... either more fencing or a wooden pallet ... something to get air to the underneath part of your compost ...

2] Save back some of last year's compost and add that to this year's ... kinda like inoculating the system with the good bacteria ...

We just use a compost bin on the ground, but a floor would be wise too, either works.

 

[Woodznutz]

We just use a compost bin on the ground, but a floor would be wise too, either works.

Contact with soil speeds up the process.

 

[toobfreak]

Contact with soil speeds up the process.

Sure, that allows natural soil bacteria to migrate towards the compost--- food.

 

[Woodznutz]

Sure, that allows natural soil bacteria to migrate towards the compost--- food.

Mixing some soil with the green and brown matter speeds it up as well.

 

[ReinyDays]

Contact with soil speeds up the process.

I add regular layers of soil ... plus what clings to the weed roots ... never really had a problem with things not composting ...