I have a few qestions about compost.
1. isn't a compost heap full of seeds from the vegetables?
Don't they grow when you mix it with the earth?
2. Instead of waiting for it to decompose, why can't you dig peelings etc. staight into the earth?
3. What can be used instead of manure and compost?
thnx
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opabinia51
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Compost heaps can be full of vegetable seeds but, that depends on what you add. Hot composting solves this problem though, as all seeds are destroyed from the heat.
Your next point brings up an excellant topic. This is called trench composting, where you dig a trench and add compostables to the trench (vegetable remains, grass clippings, manure and so on) followed by a brown (leaves, shredded newspaper) and finally some dirt.
I always do this followed by sheet compost on top of the soil which is the same thing but, no layer of dirt and no trench.
Manure is a green (C:N ratio closer to or less than one) so any green will suffice. This list is endless but some favourites are cofee grounds (used), grass clippings, vegetable scraps, corn meal, seaweed and so on.
Just be sure to balance your greens with your browns or the compost will smell bad (having gone anaerobic). Also, turn your compost (pile) regularly to keep it aerated.
Your next point brings up an excellant topic. This is called trench composting, where you dig a trench and add compostables to the trench (vegetable remains, grass clippings, manure and so on) followed by a brown (leaves, shredded newspaper) and finally some dirt.
I always do this followed by sheet compost on top of the soil which is the same thing but, no layer of dirt and no trench.
Manure is a green (C:N ratio closer to or less than one) so any green will suffice. This list is endless but some favourites are cofee grounds (used), grass clippings, vegetable scraps, corn meal, seaweed and so on.
Just be sure to balance your greens with your browns or the compost will smell bad (having gone anaerobic). Also, turn your compost (pile) regularly to keep it aerated.
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opabinia51
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- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Sure!
Just have a 50:50 mix of greens and browns and turn it at least every two days. Preferably every day. In a month you will have soil.
Also, keep the mix well watered. My gardening mentor recommends that you soak each layer with the hose as you are adding them.
I usually do something like this:
Manure
Leaves
grass clippings
Leaves
seaweed
Leaves
Weeds
Leaves
and so on... (I also like to vary the types of leaves that I put in the pile so as to add as many different types of nutrients as possible. If you plan on growing any grasses (corn is actually a grass) don't use Oak leaves as they contain a chemical called coumarin that inhibits the growth of grass)
Oh and mulched up corn husks are a great green to use for hot composting.
Just have a 50:50 mix of greens and browns and turn it at least every two days. Preferably every day. In a month you will have soil.
Also, keep the mix well watered. My gardening mentor recommends that you soak each layer with the hose as you are adding them.
I usually do something like this:
Manure
Leaves
grass clippings
Leaves
seaweed
Leaves
Weeds
Leaves
and so on... (I also like to vary the types of leaves that I put in the pile so as to add as many different types of nutrients as possible. If you plan on growing any grasses (corn is actually a grass) don't use Oak leaves as they contain a chemical called coumarin that inhibits the growth of grass)
Oh and mulched up corn husks are a great green to use for hot composting.
Thanks for saying how to make hot compost.. I thought you had to cook it!
If you don't mind I have a couple questions about soil.
I read that all soil is basically 4 ingredients - sand, clay, chalk and humus, and that when the balance is just right, it's called loam. My question is what is the ideal combination of these ingredients that makes loam?
The other question is about lime, which I read can be added to soil (from building rubble) to neutralize acidity and provide calcium. But I thought that lime is an acid - so doesn't it burn the plants? How much lime should be added.
thank you
If you don't mind I have a couple questions about soil.
I read that all soil is basically 4 ingredients - sand, clay, chalk and humus, and that when the balance is just right, it's called loam. My question is what is the ideal combination of these ingredients that makes loam?
The other question is about lime, which I read can be added to soil (from building rubble) to neutralize acidity and provide calcium. But I thought that lime is an acid - so doesn't it burn the plants? How much lime should be added.
thank you
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Lime is usually Calcium bicarbonate/Calcium carbonate and other calcium compounds which are actually bases (the opposite of an acid).
I personally prefer to add eggshells but, lime works perfectly well.
Anyway, if you do have acidic soil; adding a base will neutralize the acid(s) in your soil. That's how that works.
Yes, I'm not totally adept at the process of making loam. But, soil building always starts with an inorganic substrate (non carbon) usually of either sand or clay. Your recipe below gives both sand and clay (which would be ideal). Chalk is a form of clay that is high in calcium (chalk is the the remains of fossilized bones). Anyway, Humus is a highly complex, highly branched organic (carbon containing) acid that binds and holds onto various nutrients.
The short of the long is that to create humus you need to add carbon containing consituents in the form of greens and browns. Greens, contain higher amounts of nitrogen compounds and browns contain lower amounts of nitrogen containing compounds. Usually, a 50:50 mix is best for a faster breakdown of these substances into humic substances. If there are more greens that browns, the mixture can become anaerobic which means that it will smell and harbour bacteria that can be detrimental to plants. If there are more browns that greens, then it will compost slower.
I also have leaf mold piles (just browns) that consist of multiple types of leaves that are mulched up (to speed the decomposition). These usually take a little over a year to turn to soil.
I personally prefer to add eggshells but, lime works perfectly well.
Anyway, if you do have acidic soil; adding a base will neutralize the acid(s) in your soil. That's how that works.
Yes, I'm not totally adept at the process of making loam. But, soil building always starts with an inorganic substrate (non carbon) usually of either sand or clay. Your recipe below gives both sand and clay (which would be ideal). Chalk is a form of clay that is high in calcium (chalk is the the remains of fossilized bones). Anyway, Humus is a highly complex, highly branched organic (carbon containing) acid that binds and holds onto various nutrients.
The short of the long is that to create humus you need to add carbon containing consituents in the form of greens and browns. Greens, contain higher amounts of nitrogen compounds and browns contain lower amounts of nitrogen containing compounds. Usually, a 50:50 mix is best for a faster breakdown of these substances into humic substances. If there are more greens that browns, the mixture can become anaerobic which means that it will smell and harbour bacteria that can be detrimental to plants. If there are more browns that greens, then it will compost slower.
I also have leaf mold piles (just browns) that consist of multiple types of leaves that are mulched up (to speed the decomposition). These usually take a little over a year to turn to soil.
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC