You could always add more greens. Its not going to harm anything. You will know if you've added too many greens by the smell. I use the 50-50 method. 50% greens 50% browns and mix them together for my 3x3 pile. I would defiantly add the clippings. Use the same amount as your current pile for a 50-50 mixture. You could also use Used coffee grounds and the alfalfa pellets. Be sure to mix well. As for moisture it should be like a well wrung sponge.

When did you start this pile?

It isn't necessary or even normal for it to stay hot all that long so define "quickly". ;) Given it's size now (4x4x15") and the weather you describe, I would find it normal for it to cool off in a day. But letting it dry out some isn't going to hurt either.

Also keep in mind that nothing says everything must be totally digested and totally unrecognizable to be beneficial and so used. Perhaps it is time to use this on a bed somewhere and start a newer, larger pile.

Dave

If it heated quickly when you added greens, then cooled quickly, it's probably low on greens. If you have lots of clippings, I'd add them. They're going to decompose wherever they are, and if they're by themselves, they'll decompose in a smelly slimy mess. Much better to add them to the compost. If the compost starts to stink, you can add more browns.

the purpose of having a hot pile is largely to kill off weed seeds and pathogens, it's not instant composting. Compost also goes through cycles, it heats and cools again, it may have been the turning over that caused it to heat up again the second time but there isnt much point in trying to keep it continually hot IMO. you can keep adding to it and trying to heat it up over and over but then it will never be finished. I would give it another turning over and then just set it aside to mature on it's own and start another pile.

In answer to your questions--I began the pile on May 9th because I had a large amount of greens frozen from over the winter. It heated up and cooled within two or three days. So I've taken your advice and added more clippings , given it a good turning and mixing and now it's Nature's turn. We have a short growing season here and I've always just had a passive pile on the go. I guess I was hoping to move things along more quickly so I could have useable compost before the end of summer. I also have another pile I add to each day. The weather is becoming much warmer and by Sat. is supposed to be 30 Celsius.
Thanks for your help.

A compost pile heats up becasue of bacterial activity and that happens because the mixture of Nitrogen (what they use to make the protein their wee bodies need to function) to Carbon (the food source) is in the range (1:30) that encourages those wee buggers to get to work, and the mixture of air and water is pretty close to right. Water will displace air, so just a bit too much water can slow this process down, lack of air.
What it sounds like is that there is just not quite enough N in the mix to sustain the work of the thermophilic bacteria that will digest your bacteria, but there are 4 stages of bacteria that work to digest your compost and you are not, for some reason getting beyond the first stage.
Not enough N?
Too much water?
Not enough water?

Chickadee,

I am reading your posts and your focus seems to be on how much nitrogen (greens) you are adding to the pile. Yet, I am wondering just how much carbon (browns) is in this pile? I have seen the same results you describe when too much nitrogen sources are added to a pile; piles will not always reek to high heaven (stink) when too much nitrogen is added. So, my question to you in searching for your solution is just how much carbon is within this pile you are having a problem with?

If one wants to attempt to create compost in the fastest amount of time the idea is to shred and mix all the material when creating the pile, turning the pile frequently (sometimes daily), making sure the moisture content is correct, and the C:N ratio is correct. Although I have gotten to the point that speed is not important, I do feel empathy for your situation. Other members in your zone may have additional suggestions (Tiffy comes to mind) that may have been overlooked. The carbon (browns) question may be the keyÂ

Blutranes

So what was the outcome? please keep us updated.

Thanks scoot cat for inquiring. I have been intending to update, but just haven't been at the computer much until today. Too busy in the garden. I did add a lot of clippings and things heated up again for a couple of days, then cooled again. On Sunday I added shredded paper, some cardboard and cut up paper egg cartons. It just doesn't seem to get past that 100 degree point, if that. We'll see what the next few days bring.