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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Did i make a mistake using my yucky sludgy compost as a topdress?

14 years ago

Last Spring, i began composting in a plastic garbage can with air holes drilled into it. For the kitchen scraps, shredded cardboard and what have you i was tossing into it, it seemed to be working just fine. I let it do its thing over the winter without adding anything new to that can.

Three or four weeks ago, i looked inside and it had all gotten pretty wet and smelled quite a bit, but it was definitely decayed (with the exception of one large, thick stick i put in there). I closed the lid, unsure of how to manage this mucky blackness, and i felt a little deflated.

Today, i experienced a burst of "just do it" and ended up dumping the stuff and spreading it out around my lilacs as a top dress. They're far from the house so the smell (which will be temporary i know) isn't an issue. But my question is this:

Was i too hasty in my use of this less than ideal compost gunk? Is it possible this sludge isn't really fully finished enough (even though it all looks thoroughly decayed) to be used as a top dress? Will it "burn" delicate roots?

Noobie questions i know, but i'm learning, and very determined to get better and better at composting.

Thoughts?

Comments (6)

the_virginian
14 years ago
Water it in and it will disappear in a few weeks from the worms and other critters working it into the soil. I wouldn't worry about it much.
Kimmsr
14 years ago
Anaerobic compost will not "burn" a plants roots and you will find that until it dries some the earthworms will not be interested in it, indicating not much else will be either except Opossums, Raccons, and maybe Skunks. Leave it where it is and spread it out thinly so it dries faster and eventually it will be okay.
You have seen one of the problems with garbage can composting, it is too easy to get anaerobic compost. Spend some time with the composting tutorial linked below to learn more about composting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Online Composting Center
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petalpatsy
14 years ago
Even my open pile will turn sour if it gets too wet from rain. Darn wind blows off my tarp, sometimes. Compost holds on to water to an amazing degree, and water replaces air, so no oxygen can circulate. In an open pile, as the heat rises, fresh air is sucked into the sides. That's one reason I like to see steam--it means my pile is breathing.

You mention the can had holes poked in it. I think a can would needs LOTS of holes not only some in the bottom for drainage, but in the lower part of the sides for air to come in as heat rises. Maybe fifty? And, you could make a couple of big holes on opposite sides to hold a piece of perforated PVC pipe through the bottom. Put holding pins through the ends sticking out, and some kind of way to turn the pipe, and finished compost would collect inside the pipe as you turned it. Kind of like a sifter/grater, for you to push out and use houseplants or the like, while the whole can benefited from air supply.

Is it a round can? That you can put a top on? If you got one with handles, you could throw a bungee cord over the top, handle to handle, and tip the can and roll it just like a tumbler, too. If you've got PVC and a handle sticking out one side you might just be able to rock it back and forth. That might be enough.

Heavens, I'm weird. This sounds like so much fun, I may do it myself, just to see if it works. I wouldn't have to fool that crazy tarp then!
the_virginian
14 years ago
Watering smelly compost has worked for me as it draws out the smelly goo and seems to make it more attractive to the macrofauna.
estreya
Original Author
14 years ago
Wonderful information here, thank you! You've all eased my mind in so far as i know i'm not going to do any harm having used this black muck. What a shame it got spoiled though. It was made with so many wonderful ingredients.

I'll revisit the "design" of this little compost can - would you believe i didn't even put drainage holes in the bottom? And that general composting link looks great also. We live and learn ...

:)

Thanks again!
joepyeweed
14 years ago
It really wasn't spoiled, it was just anaerobic.

Anaerobic microbes aren't bad, they just smell that way.

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