This past summer, I composted in a 45 gallon drum with wire mesh on the bottom. It worked well, but the compost supply was limited. I have now constructed a 4' X 8' compost pile inside a wire mesh fence.
I've filled it with hay and cow manure gathered from around a cattle feeding ring. Most of the hay was urine soaked and ground up by the cattles hoofs. The hay and manure comprise about 25% of the total. The remainder is made up of garden waste, grass clippings, house waste, leaves, pine needles, and other organic materials.
I'm pretty sure the material would break down pretty quickly in a hot summer. I'm curious if it will break down or compost much during the winter. It is about four feet deep and pretty much compacted. I am keeping it damp in our exceedingly dry fall weather. I have space to add about two more feet in depth to the pile but I'm not sure if I should. I have plenty of hay and manure to add it to the pile.
Ted
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applestar
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Unless you are using a front loader to turn the 4'x8 pile, you might want to consider burying drain... Tile? ... is that what they're called? Perforated tube ... Hmmm now that I think about it, they're made of PVC and you may not want leaching chem in fast breakdown environment like a compost pile -- but base it on a similar idea.
The ventilation devices can be stood upright like a chimney or sideways sticking out at multiple depths.
Hmmm... Clay chimney pots would have added benefit of acting to absorb and release moisture and nutes and providing pores for microbes to live in....
I bury whole branches with leaves, but now that the idea came to me, I think I'll be on the lookout for clay chimney pots. 
I think during winter months, sideways would be better so as not to lose heat too fast. I insulate my piles by mulching with straw flakes, but if you have the room, you could use whole bales.
The ventilation devices can be stood upright like a chimney or sideways sticking out at multiple depths.
Hmmm... Clay chimney pots would have added benefit of acting to absorb and release moisture and nutes and providing pores for microbes to live in....
I bury whole branches with leaves, but now that the idea came to me, I think I'll be on the lookout for clay chimney pots. I think during winter months, sideways would be better so as not to lose heat too fast. I insulate my piles by mulching with straw flakes, but if you have the room, you could use whole bales.
SHould see some worm action in the bottom third as it would be well insulated. Last winter before the solid freeze, I was able to keep the pile "heated" as long as I could get some air in it and keep it moist.
The hard freeze this year brought it down to a halt except for the very bottom. I think that has now stopped as we have had 2 weeks of freexe.
The hard freeze this year brought it down to a halt except for the very bottom. I think that has now stopped as we have had 2 weeks of freexe.
Sounds like I shouldn't expect much action in my compost pile during the cold months. I though it possible the bacteria may create their own environment and create heat, overcoming the winter cold.
I dug into one of my raised beds yesterday and found the worms at about ten inches of depth. Weve had some freezing nights this week so I guess they also have an optimum soil temperature. It would be nice if the worms could find enough warmth in my compost pile to continue working it through the winter.
Since my beds are ready for spring planting, I'm not really in a hurry for the compost to finish. I would like for the material to be ready for use by midsummer when I start replacing plants and building my beds for a fall garden. I think I will continue adding the manure/hay mix, leaves, and grass clippings through the winter. It should be interesting to see what has developed at the bottom of the pile a few months from now.
Since little material will be available to add to the pile in the early spring, I may experiment and see what I can grow directly planted in the compost pile. It will be something like straw bale gardening
Ted
I dug into one of my raised beds yesterday and found the worms at about ten inches of depth. Weve had some freezing nights this week so I guess they also have an optimum soil temperature. It would be nice if the worms could find enough warmth in my compost pile to continue working it through the winter.
Since my beds are ready for spring planting, I'm not really in a hurry for the compost to finish. I would like for the material to be ready for use by midsummer when I start replacing plants and building my beds for a fall garden. I think I will continue adding the manure/hay mix, leaves, and grass clippings through the winter. It should be interesting to see what has developed at the bottom of the pile a few months from now.
Since little material will be available to add to the pile in the early spring, I may experiment and see what I can grow directly planted in the compost pile. It will be something like straw bale gardening
Ted
Not to worry, Ted, your pile should steam right along this winter and likely be ready by spring. At least the bottom 1/3-1/2. I like to do a big pile in the fall with shredded leaves, garden waste from fall cleanup, manure, and the usual kitchen scraps and what not. I may or may not turn it in the winter, but the bottom half is usually ready by the time I'm ready for any spring bed top up anyway.
I had piles steaming right through that heavy snow we got last winter. Keep things moist and it'll do fine. I didn't have any trouble digging down to bury scraps. My pile never froze even a little bit, even when the top inch or so of the garden beds did.
I had piles steaming right through that heavy snow we got last winter. Keep things moist and it'll do fine. I didn't have any trouble digging down to bury scraps. My pile never froze even a little bit, even when the top inch or so of the garden beds did.
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toxcrusadr
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If I had a half done pile and more material, I'd stir up half the pile a bit, turn the other half of the pile onto the stirred up half, and make a new pile in the resulting space. The first pile will be ready to use sooner in the spring, and the second pile will be cooking along behind it. This is called a "continuous batch" process.
If you never turn or aerate the pile, and just keep adding more on top, it's likely that the material on the bottom will eventually be starved of oxygen; which will put a stop to the aerobic microorganisms that are desired to do the composting.tedln wrote:What will happen if I just keep adding to the pile for a year or so. Will the material at the bottom become compost with the actual compost depth becoing deeper and deeper with the bin eventually filling with compost?
Ted
You'll still have some decomposition going on down there, but it might not be of the speed or quality that you desire.
I built a large 3-bin composter this year (4'x4'x14' long), and filled it completely full of leaves this Fall. It's not really composting yet, because the carbon content of the material is so high, and it's all a bit too dry right now. As the leaves continue to settle/compress, I will start turning in more Green (nitrogen rich) materials as I have them... and hopefully have some respectable compost brewing before too long.
Your mix of materials sounds really good ... best of luck!
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rot
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I have a couple of 3' x3' x3' bins from pallets on two year cycles. I just keep filling for a year and then let it set for another. Just adding water along the way.
Over time the worms move in and by the end it's worm city. Once they go fungal the volume reduction really kicks in. If the rate you keep adding isn't too much, you can keep going on adding and watch it reduce for ever. I typically top mine off several times before I finally stop feeding.
Keep it covered during the rainy season, while keeping it moist, and the worms move in in a big way as they escape that water saturated ground.
I put my bins on pavers. The worms get in but the moles and the tree roots do not.
It sounds like you have a good mix of materials not too hard to digest and I bet you could keep feeding through the winter if you like and still have something pretty good by mid summer.
two cents
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I have a couple of 3' x3' x3' bins from pallets on two year cycles. I just keep filling for a year and then let it set for another. Just adding water along the way.
Over time the worms move in and by the end it's worm city. Once they go fungal the volume reduction really kicks in. If the rate you keep adding isn't too much, you can keep going on adding and watch it reduce for ever. I typically top mine off several times before I finally stop feeding.
Keep it covered during the rainy season, while keeping it moist, and the worms move in in a big way as they escape that water saturated ground.
I put my bins on pavers. The worms get in but the moles and the tree roots do not.
It sounds like you have a good mix of materials not too hard to digest and I bet you could keep feeding through the winter if you like and still have something pretty good by mid summer.
two cents
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toxcrusadr
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Use it or lose it, is my philosophy. Compost keeps decomposing, so you'll lose some of the nutrients, but even more important, the organic matter continues to degrade away, and microbial action - which is key to healthy soil - decreases. If you're trying to improve your soil, it needs to get into the soil sooner rather than later. In fact, many people are moving to composting right in the garden (layering materials as mulches), as nature does.
OTOH if you're just trying to dispose of wastes, that doesn't matter. I know people who are willing to put their kitchen scraps into a bin, but they don't care if they get compost out of it. A small family can do that for a LONG time before the bin gets full.
I try to use it within a year from the pile's birth date.
OTOH if you're just trying to dispose of wastes, that doesn't matter. I know people who are willing to put their kitchen scraps into a bin, but they don't care if they get compost out of it. A small family can do that for a LONG time before the bin gets full.
I try to use it within a year from the pile's birth date.
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Gary350
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The larger your compost pile is the better it does during cold weather.
I have 3 compost piles. One is sheet metal circle 3 ft tall 4.5 ft diameter.
The other two compost piles are 4 ft tall 5 ft diameter made with fence wire.
The sheet metal compost pile is doing the best I think because it holds heat better. I had it piled up a foot above the metal ring now it is down 6" below the metal ring. The compost pile has gone down 18" in about 2 months. I need to refill it I put kitchen scraps in it every day. Temperature has been below freezing in the teens and 20s at night and 30s during the day.
I have 3 compost piles. One is sheet metal circle 3 ft tall 4.5 ft diameter.
The other two compost piles are 4 ft tall 5 ft diameter made with fence wire.
The sheet metal compost pile is doing the best I think because it holds heat better. I had it piled up a foot above the metal ring now it is down 6" below the metal ring. The compost pile has gone down 18" in about 2 months. I need to refill it I put kitchen scraps in it every day. Temperature has been below freezing in the teens and 20s at night and 30s during the day.