September - Can I start now with compost or is too late?

ionascus · Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:15 pm

Can I start now with compost this year,or is too late...and I have to wait till spring....
Sorry for my stupid questions....is my first year as gardener

SkyKero · Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:34 pm

You can always start on compost...

It can slow down over the winter and maybe freeze, but it will wake up in the spring and still continue to compost.

Silvia

engineeredgarden · Fri Sep 10, 2010 5:34 pm

There's never a bad time to start a compost pile.

EG

rainbowgardener · Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:25 pm

Agree... congratulations on starting to garden and starting to compost! I compost year round. Where I am, the compost freezes solid along about January. I still keep adding my kitchen scraps to it and covering them with saved fall leaves. They freeze too, but as soon as it warms up, it all starts working again.

If you get a fair sized pile going now, you will likely have some finished compost for spring planting.

Green Mantis · Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:43 am

I just put an ad on our local free ads forum, for Rotted cow manure, rabbit manure and chicken manure. As well as old hay ( rotted) Just got a response for the cow manure, we can go get pick-up truck loads on Sunday for $10.00 a load!!! They load we haul!---We used to do that, now I'm on the other end buying it!!!

But I'm sure going to start my compost pile now. I can't wait!!!!

farmerlon · Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:47 pm

Yep, I agree... it's never too late or too early to start composting.

And once you get started, if you're like most of us, you'll feel like you never have enough compost for your garden.

Green Mantis · Sun Sep 12, 2010 12:12 am

When I get the cow manure, What should go down next? or first? I'm going to have to sheet compost some of it I think? Thanks in advance for any replies. My first compost attempt as well.

toxcrusadr · Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:31 pm

Generally you can put down whatever you have available, and try to keep the green/brown mix as you go. If I'm making a pile on a garden bed - sheet composting - I tend to put down first whatever is closest to being compost, and the more fresh stuff on top. But nothing magic about that really, esp. if you won't use the bed till spring.

Mixing as much as possible is really better than layering. When I was new at this many years ago I thought layering was the right way, and it's OK but mixing browns and greens will work faster and better.

Halfway · Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:20 pm

My big lesson learned from last year is that I need to almost triple my composting this fall to get the needed compost early in spring.

Although it froze solid a few times last year, the pile cooked when it warmed above freezing and really took off once it completely thawed.

Pile it up!!!

gixxerific · Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:08 pm

I have been watching this thread and all I have to say is if you haven't starting composting yet you have waited too long.

Any time, anywhere, compost happens with or with our help.

Go into the woods sometime soon and you will see what I mean.

rainbowgardener · Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:51 am

My big lesson learned from last year is that I need to almost triple my composting this fall to get the needed compost early in spring.

If you don't have enough compost, browse around in the humongous thread on ACT (aerated/activated compost tea). By turning some of your compost into compost tea, you make it stretch a lot farther as well as giving it extra benefits from having micro-organisms that you want cultured.