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Soil, Compost & Mulch

How much water and how often

13 years ago

I live in the city so I've got no option but to use chlorinated, fluoridated (purity of essence) water. I'm less concerned about that than I am about knowing how you "measure" how much water is the right amount to add to your compost. I have a pretty much done pile, then I have a halfway there pile, both in turkey wire bins, with tarp underneath to keep the tree roots out of it. Then I have a new free-standing pile in a chicken wire hoop that was pretty dry when I put it together. I soaked it yesterday, but probably ended up putting too much water. So I don't want to either waste water or leave my pile dry. Just looking for any way to "measure" the amount of water I'm putting on there. I don't think it is too simple to stick my hand into the middle of the pile to see the moisture. Thanks, doowad.

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Comments (4)

User
13 years ago
Get a moisture meter that is used for potted plants and stab that into the pile.

You want it to be "medium" on the scale.
robertz6
13 years ago
The only time I am concerned with chlorine is when planting my seeds in the basement. It is probably even unnecessary to worry about this, but I use rain water for the seeds. If you don't have easy access to rain water, you can set a 5 gallon bucket with tap water outside for three days and the chlorine residual will drop from 2.0 to 3.0 ppm down to near zero (maybe not if the chlorine is added as chlorimines (spelling).

One learns from experience about watering. You can follow the core temp. as one indication. I find a $15 or $20 compost thermometer a valuable tool. When the core temp. cools off, either the center is low on moisture and air; or the material has completed this part of the composting process and needs to be turned. This applies more to 'hot' or 'warm' composting rather than a 'cold' method where the person just 'lets it rot'.
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jonas302
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If it was a sponge it would be a moist one not dripping not dry

I have had to add hundreds of gallons and none at all

One thing that I found helps is to have mid summer piles in shade and pull a tarp over them during the hottest cycles of the pile to keep the steam in
Kimmsr
13 years ago
There is always some confusion about how much moisture a working compost pile needs and that is just what a well wrung out sponge would have. When that sponge still feels a bit moist but you can squeeze no more water from it.
Too much water in a compost pile displaces air which the aerobic bacteria also need to function.

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