How to get compost hot?

11 years ago

So I have leaves, mulch, grass, weeds, moss, and all kitchen scraps. I keep it a little moist with urine dissolved in water about 2:10. It's kept in a bottomless compost bin. It's been 2 days but its not steaming yet. Tips please!

-Mike

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Comments (5)

gumby_ct
11 years ago
You need a balance of green & brown materials to get things hot. BUT if you were to just pile up fresh cut grass (keeping it damp) it will heat up all by itself, NO Starter is needed. So maybe start there then add some browns?

I like to use rain water on my compost cuz it doesn't contain chlorine. I keep a water can by the pile to make the materials moist as I am building the pile.

Investing in a compost thermometer may help. Hopefully you have coffee grounds (a green) in your kitchen scraps?
Raw_Nature
11 years ago
Mike my friend, gardening is as complicated is you want to make it.. Stuff rots all by itself.. Get a compost thermometer and start experimenting with different mixtures, trial and error.. start with 1-2 parts carbon/brown(leaves,straw,woodchips,dead dry plant matter) to 1 part nitrogen/green(grass clippings/weeds/manure/ living plant matter,etc)... You don't need to buy any special activator,etc, don't waste your money.. It's all about the right balance of carbon/nitrogen... Get some books on composting, look online, YouTube,etc... I recommend "Charles Wilber how to grow world record tomatoes" this man grows 30 foot tomatoes and just adds his compost to his plants.. He has everything in the book... I agree, water filtration is a must! Get a hose carbon water filter, or your kind of wasting your time...better yet, use rainwater! Also cover your compost, when forecast calls for rain, the rain will literarly leach some of the nutrients out of your compost... shredyou leaves and other compost natter as fine as you can, I use a lawnmower.. The finer it is, the quicker it decomposes, the hotter it gets.. Do some research, "how to compost" "getting compost hot" "carbon nitrogen ratio compost" etc etc ... You'll eventually be a pro, swimming in compost! A normal person is not that fond of manure, a composter brings a fork and turns it like spaghetti!

Joe
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Comments (11)
Here is what my first pile looked like in May of last year. It was made with fresh grass clippings and loose hay, some leaves and shredded paper. Maybe a little horse poo, but I don't think I had added any of that yet. In the summer when I use grass clippings, I will alternate mowing with the bagger and not mowing with the bagger. This way I am still allowing the lawn to receive whatever benefits it gets from allowing the mulched grass to stay on it and I still get to use some of the clippings for the pile. I have recently started getting coffee grounds from the corner store. I am finding that the pile is staying hotter longer in using them. I don't really know if it's because I am using more greens now or because of just the addition of the grounds. Right now it's at 165.
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Andy, Some of the key things to successfully making a compost with warmth throughout the winter are... - insulating the pile. Surround it with bags of leaves Shredded are my preferred), bales of hay/straw, or other browns which you will use as you go. The heat from the compost will keep it thawed and it's proximity will make it readily available. - cover the pile with lose leaves for insulation as well. Also cover with burlap if you wish. I also cover with thin plastic with holes poked into it. You will see the snow melt on the top constantly and the water which does get to the compost will do so gradually. - keep any greens to be added to the pile thawed. Don't let them freeze before adding. I use pails and leave in our +5C basement. - Work the pile no more than once a week, and at least every two weeks. By leaving the pile to be for a week, you will give the microherd time to get itself going again and reactivate to produce the heat. - work the pile on days which are no less than -10C. Bring all your greens to the area along with garden watering pails full of warm water. I work in windrows (sp?) and remove the bags and coverings on the most active end being the last one I worked with. Place a couple of bags of leaves on the ground, add some greens, more browns, more greens and start to mix. Make sure you mix some of the active pile into the new additions and water as you go. Piles in the winter need water too, and as long as they stay active and produce heat, things will keep going. After finishing the additions, check the last section of the pile in which you made additions. You might be surprised to find that some areas will look ashen and be dry yet are still producing heat. Add a bit more warm water, toss it around and cover. I have been composting for the last three winters and have had heat straight through. I am located in eastern Canada. We do get weekly spells of temperatures ranging from -15C to -20C and that is not to mention the wind chill factor. I challenged myself to keep a warm compost throughout a winter when reading posts on this forum a few years ago. Many said it could not be done, but I discovered otherwise. Mind you, the heat generated will not be in the 135F range which you get in the warmer months, but it can be a pleasant 100F which produces wonderful compost for the spring and summer following. Best of luck.
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TXEB
11 years ago
Not steaming - how are you judging that? Have you measured any temps, or are you expecting steam to come out of the top of the pile? What are looking for?

Why I ask - if the pile is well built with the right mix, moisture, and reasonable particle size, it should heat to 100-120 ÃÂ°F in 2-3 days. At ~ 120-125 ÃÂ°F there will be steaminess, but you may have to dig a bit to find it.
nugrdnnut
11 years ago
Currently my compost pile is 140 degrees. It only produces steam after I dig down about 3-4 inches. Leaves, coffee grounds, chicken manure and kitchen scraps are the ingredients in my cooking pile.
toxcrusadr
11 years ago
Zone 6a, you're in the same latitudes as me here in central MO. It's been warm for the last few days, but not exactly summer out, depending on where you are. It may take more than a couple days to heat things up.

And, most important, how big is your pile? You probably know already that it takes some mass to retain heat. I only ask because sometimes people fill up a 5-gallon bucket and wonder why it's not hot. :-]

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How to get compost hot?

Comments (5)

gumby_ct

Raw_Nature

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TXEB

nugrdnnut

toxcrusadr

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