Ok where does the green go

[chuck.johnson3]

I put a truck load (F-150) of horse manure on my pile about a week, maybe a week and a half ago. I turned the pile today and could not find a horse apple in the pile. I also could not find any of the straw that was with it. Where does it go. The pile is still hot, hot enough there is no way to keep your hand in the middle, but no sign of any horse at all. I was thinking about putting more on the pile as I mixed it seemed to still have many leaves in the pile. Is this normal for the green to disappear? SHould I continue to add green even thought the pile is still hot? Lots of fungus, fungus everywhere, it smells good until I start to turn then it smells like fungus, from the fungus. This is a huge pile of chopped up leaves. 5 ft high, 6 feet wide, and 10 feet long.

[cynthia_h]

The greens are generating a LOT of heat, it appears. Terrific! Sounds like you hit a perfect combination of Greens + Browns.

If/when you add the new horse material, it would be good to add some browns as well (e.g., dry leaves from last fall, shredded paper, shredded twigs/small branches).

If the material from last week (wow!) is completely composted, it will be unrecognizable. However, the composting process isn't over until the temp falls. So let that pile cool, then turn it. If it heats up again *without* new material being added, it's not quite done.

Sounds like a resounding success! Congratulations!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[bogydave]

SWEET!

[chuck.johnson3]

Ok I checked the pile this morning cold as Ice. Seems I had the top of the pile perfect and the bottem to brown and cooled the pile after mixing. I will add anouther truck load of manure today and see what happens. If the next truck load is gone as quick as the first I will be very happy.