Getting a Compost to Seed Killing Temperatures

[wisconsindead]

Hey guys, I have really struggled (though not put much effort into) getting my compost thermophilic. Or to a point where the heat loving bacteria take over. I turn my compost once every 1-2 weeks and add things as they come. Things break down relatively fast so that is good. I've started a new pile now that I have one nearing completion. But I know it will be full of seeds. Is there any way to heat it up to kill off some seeds before using it without having to add the perfect amount of nitrogen/carbon (more material)? I was thinking some kind of greenhouse/tarp thing. It is roughly 2 ft x 3.5 ft x 3 ft

[xtron]

black trash bags. my neighbor "donates" his grass clippings in exchange for a few cucks and ears of corn. he bags his clippings in 35 gallon heavy duty black trash bags and sets them out for me to pick up. on a few occasions, I have not got them picked up and/or left them unopened for a week or two. when I have opened them, they were too hot to handle, at least without heavy gloves.
don't know how much mulch you are dealing with, so don't know if this would work for you.
another method I have seen is to use black plastic barrels. these are filled 3/4 full and the lid installed. I don't remember if vent holes were used, or if the process was anaerobic. every coupe of days the barrel is rolled over a couple ov times to mix things up, and of course, it is left in full sun, so there is solar heat cooking going on.

[ID jit]

Big thing for me getting my low maintenance pets up to temp is remembering to give them enough water. They go cold is they are not rung-out-sponge wet or a little wetter.

I cover mine with black plastic mulch more so for water retention than anything else. Heat retention too when it cools down in the fall.

What I found is keeping them good and damp and turning every other day or so really picks up the internal temp... the exact C:N ratio doesn't seem to matter all that much so long as it is close and there is enough water and air in the mix.

I read somewhere that cooking compost in black plastic bags really accelerates the N gassing off. Could be wrong on that, but I stopped doing it. I do use the technique to be sure things like morning glory root is good-n-dead though.

[imafan26]

You know composts that are built a little at a time are hard to get to heat up. It is easier if you build your pile all at once with the right ratio of browns and greens and water. It needs to be a minimum of 3'x3'x3' or 1 cubic yard. If it is built right, then it 4 days it should be smoking and reach the thermophillic range. After that the more you turn it the faster it will cook and make compost.

When you build a pile slowly and it is not big enough, greens will decompose slower, whithout the minimum volume and the proper mix of carbon, nitrogen, and water, it decomposes but does not become thermophillic.

[applestar]

I believe one way to process a lot of the weed seeds in the low maintenance compost pile is actually to create an environment conducive to seed germination -- a period of slightly dry, then over moisten. Then turn every three days or so to thoroughly disrupt germinated seeds. While they are germinating the pile heats up a bit, too. (Sprouted seeds have different level of nutrients) Once they have germinated and then killed, that's it.

It's the ones that resist germinating in the compost pile conditions that are harder to deal with. But similar reasoning apply -- just thoroughly disrupt sprouted weed seeds in the bed while they are small.

[wisconsindead]

There are a few issues. My old pile is near completion, so I can't just go back and start it over. I need something to will help that situation. Additionally, it is rare that I will have a cubic yard of material at one time.

[applestar]

Don't add anything, just treat it as if it were a pile of seed containing mix. Give them a period of drought -- not completely dry you understand -- then give them enough water and warmth to sprout... then kill them.

[imafan26]

Usually at the end of the plant cycle, I have a lot of greens from the veggies and tropical trees are not deciduous so there are plenty of greens. I don't have a lot of browns. I send most of my green waste to the composting facility and do worm composting instead. The worms do all the turning and they eat anything that sprouts.

[ID jit]

There are a few issues. My old pile is near completion, so I can't just go back and start it over. I need something to will help that situation. Additionally, it is rare that I will have a cubic yard of material at one time.

You sort of can start over with it if you want. Gather up what you need for Greens and Browns and start a new pile and as you build it spread the old, questionable pile through it. Have done that more than once.

[jeff84]

so layer finished cold compost with lawn clippings?

[ID jit]

If that is what you have, try it, and be sure each layer gets a drink. If you have residual carbon floating around, like the seeds, it will probably kick over. Would be better if you had some browns to layer in there too, shredded newspaper, wood chips, sawdust, even broken up sticks and twigs. There is a big list in the composting stickie.

Keep the layers thin, grass clippings like to form a mat which doesn't compost well.

Simple fact of the matter is that small batch composting is harder than big batch. Small batch (less than 3' x 3' x 3') needs to be closer the the perfect ratio and dries out faster. When you go bigger, you get a lot more room to work, so to speak.