Conference 7.286::home_work

We have three compost bins that are just big tubes of chicken wire,
say about 4' high and 3' to 4' across.  Sure, you can build much 
fancier compost bins, but these work.

My wife is the family expert on composting, but one thing I know is 
that just dumping in leaves won't work - it's best to have green stuff
mixed in with them (eg lawn clippings). 

You know your compost pile is working when its warmer inside the pile
than it is on the surface.

	Luck,
	Larry

    I haven't been there recently, but there's bound to be a good deal of
discussion about compost and bins in the PICA::GARDEN notes conference.  Press
keypad 7 to add it to your personal notebook.

    You may also want to look into what should be added to the compost.
    I was at Weston Nurseries yesterday for a "tour", contected with
    a lanscaping class, and the instructor should us the nurseries compost
    heap.  He mentioned that they add lime and fertilizer, 5-5-5 or 8-8-8.
    

    I found that you don't need to add lime or fertilizer.  It doesn't
    hurt if you do though.  I had heard that oak leaves were acidic
    and my pile was nearly 100% oak leaves.  After it had composted
    enough I measured the PH and it was perfectly nuetral - 7 ?? (It's
    been a while).
    
    What I found was the most important was that you add some soil from
    the garden to the pile.  I would put a 3-4" layer of leaves and
    a �" layer of sifted soil.  Moisten the pile as you build.  The
    water content should be just enough so that it's wet though but
    does not drain too much.  Th emore it drains, the more 'juice' leaches
    out of the pile.  Let this set for a week or two and then re-build
    the pile.  I do this by setting my wire cage next to the existing
    pile and just shovel the pile into the cage.  If you cut vertical
    slices from the pile this mixes all the material that you put in
    horizontal layers when you originally built it.  Moisten again.
    You can do this again in 2 weeks if you have the energy.  Some folks
    aereate the pile by poking sticks and moistening it again.
    
    I found I could make decent compost in about 6 weeks if the leaves
    were shredded, one season if not.  If I didn't mix in dirt, the
    leaves would come out just as they went in.  They'd eventually rot,
    but it takes several seasons.
    
    The pile should be a minumum of 4' in any direction.  Any less and
    it doesn't insulate itself well enough to build up heat.  Don't
    use anything but PT lumber if you make a frame for the wire.  That
    will rot real quick right along with the compost. (voice of experience)
    I don't think any of the PT wood chemicals leach into the pile.
    I use well seasoned PT just to be sure (It's been sitting in the
    yard for 2 seasons before I built a compost bin out of it.
    
    My pile consists of hardware cloth on 2x6 pt lumber.  There are
    4 frames: 2 4x4 end frames and 2 4x8 side frames.  These are put
    together with large gate hooks.  After the pile is built, and let
    sit for a few days, you can remove the frame without disturbing
    it much.  When I turn it I just set up the frame right next to the
    pile.
    
    As mentioned, this is a little fancy and not necessary.  I found
    the rewards of composting so great that I got tired of the frail
    alternatives.
    
    The best use I found so far for the compost was when I planted the
    garden and spread a 1" layer of shredded compost around the seedlings.
    I had about a dozen weeds the whole season.  Course the next year
    we didn't plant a garden and didn't til in the compost and the weed
    seeds that had landed on top the previous season grew like gangbusters.
    
    As mentioned before the green grass clippings (CAREFUL WHAT CHEMICALS
    ARE ON THESE!  Broad leaf weedkillers do wonders for a garden!)
    really heat up a pile.  These should be mixed in real good with
    something like leaves though.
    
    I had the opportunity to help and old farmer clean out an old chicken
    coop that he was no longer using.  There was about a 4" layer of
    10 year old 'stuff' on a cement floor that was just superb.  Well
    composted, rich,..  You could crumple some up in your hand and right
    under your nose there was no smell.  I put some in when I planted
    corn and made some compost tea.  I mixed some in the compost pile
    to give it a little jolt.  Well, when I broke open the pile to turn
    it what with all that moisture I added and the heat from the pile,
    it was just like it was straight out of the chicken all over again!!
    I had some right friendly neighbors that day.

    
    Go to your local garden supply/feed store and get a packet of nitrogen-
    fixing bacteria (I don't remember the brand name). It's normally
    used to improve soil for growing legumes but I used it once in a
    compost heap. The little buggers went nuts! It reduced a pile of
    leaves, garden clippings, and kitchen scraps to a steaming pile
    of dirt in a couple of months.
    

    Sounds good, Steve. I'll give it a try. I checked out PICA::GARDEN
    as well. Lots of good ideas in there. 
    
    John