I compost in pretty big piles. Usually around 4' tall and 8' across. I use a tractor with a bucket to turn them. In the past, I have been using chicken manure as a "heater" so to speak, to get the pile hot enough to kill the weed seeds and of course break down the browns. Well, I don't think I got it hot enough. This year I seeded some dead patches using compost as a top soil and I was overwhelmed with weeds.
So my question is, will covering the pile with clear plastic help heat it up enough to kill them?
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Covering it with plastic seems like it would cut off the air circulation leading to anerobic composting which is not a good thing. And you might succeed in cooking the microbial life out of your compost, also not a good thing.
The heat you want is the heat OF composting, which shows that all the processes are working properly. If it isn't heating up, add more greens (including your chicken manure) and/or turn more.
Or you can do cooler composting and just let it sit longer.....
The heat you want is the heat OF composting, which shows that all the processes are working properly. If it isn't heating up, add more greens (including your chicken manure) and/or turn more.
Or you can do cooler composting and just let it sit longer.....
Thanks. Coller won't kill the weed seeds so I'll look to the "greens" to helprainbowgardener wrote:Covering it with plastic seems like it would cut off the air circulation leading to anerobic composting which is not a good thing. And you might succeed in cooking the microbial life out of your compost, also not a good thing.
The heat you want is the heat OF composting, which shows that all the processes are working properly. If it isn't heating up, add more greens (including your chicken manure) and/or turn more.
Or you can do cooler composting and just let it sit longer.....