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Compost and compost tea

nutsaboutflowers

14 years ago

I've been reading FAQ until I think I'm going cross-eyed.

We've had our compost pile for a total of 5 years now. I use all my grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, and leaves. I keep some leaves in garbage bags over the winter so I can have some for layering before the next fall. The pile has sunk to about 4'x4'x4'.

In our zone the compost freezes solid in the winter. Also, our pile is big enough that it's impossible to stir.

Last year when we planted a new tree, we used some of our compost from the bottom of the pile, in the hole. This was the first time we'd used it. It wasn't crumbly like I've seen in videos. It was also somewhat layered looking, sort of like when you see an eroded cut out side view of a hillside on a nature program. I hope this is a description you can picture. It doesn't seem to be good compost with the layering (?)

Anyway, I was thinking of using a 5 gallon bucket, half full of water, and adding enough of my compost to make a watery mush. If I left it for a few days in the heat, wouldn't this make compost tea, or am I less knowledgeable than I think?

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Comments (6)

Konrad___far_north
14 years ago
Sure, go for it...compost tea is good!
But there is nothing wrong with the bottom of the pile being layered.
I have two piles going, usually in spring I shovel the top...about 2/3
down into a frame and make a new pile, on the farm we used to have
3 piles...so it would take 3 years before you take compost, after that
you'll have every year, the last, oldest pile gets used and the other piles
are shoveld over to the next pile.

Konrad
bdgardener
14 years ago
I'm a lazy composter. I have two bins in the garden and will probably do a third. I fill one all winter, mostly with kitchen stuff, top it off with grass, newspaper and whatever else in the spring. Water it well all summer and then let it sit for another year. I don't turn it, that would be too much work. Just water it the following summer and then that fall take the bottom stuff. Usually about 3/4. Most of it is broken down. I should probably layer more but went it is -30 out who wants too. The plants don't seem to mind.

Cheryl
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Welll, it all depends on the size of the garden you have, the weather, etc. I can tell you how I do it. Not saying its the ideal - I don't do all the fancy aeration/additives stuff - but it works for me. I have a 55 gal plastic barrel with a removable top. It sits in the shade by the garden shed. I fill it with water about the time I do the spring tilling. I fill all the old cotton tube socks that have gone to the darning pile over the winter (I have read that some use pantyhose) with finished or almost finished compost, tie off the tops (usually about 10 of them) and toss them in the barrel. Put the top on and let it sit. As needed I dip out a bucket full, dilute it as needed (usually at least 2:1 or 3:1) and water with it or spray for foliar feeding. About mid-summer I refill the barrel and add some fresh socks. ;) Hope this helps.
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What was you compost made of? Compost consisting of animal manures might have the disease pathogens that cause E-Coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and several others and if that undigested compost is used to make compost tea those disease pathogens can be present. All of the produce from your garden will need to be washed very well before using, especially if they are to be eaten raw.
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Soy sauces usually have a very high sodium level, but in a small quantity that should not have a major adverse impact on your compost pile, long term.
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The amount of organic matter that you're shooting for will vary depending on the situation, the plant type, and who you ask but a pretty good rule of thumb is 5 to 6% by dry weight. If you put out steamed bone meal at a relatively aggressive rate of 15 lbs. per 1000 sq. feet, that would only boost the organic content by about 0.003%, or three one thousandths of one percent. That is, of course, before it even breaks down and some is lost to leaching, volitalization, plant uptake, etc. So the answer is yes but not much. Like Kimmsr, I too would top dress with compost.
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nutsaboutflowers
Original Author
14 years ago
Uh Oh. I don't water mine. I always thought it would get enough from the rain. Oops! Maybe that's why mine is layered?

So, if I watered it, would it be more crumbly? ( I'm a lazy composter, too. I'm not about to even try to mix it when it's 5 feet tall.)
marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
14 years ago
We've had a lot of rain the past couple of summers so i haven't bothered watering mine, but i do if it's dry out. I honestly don't know if it makes a difference because i'm pretty lazy too and don't get around to turning it. Too much other stuff to do.:)
nutsaboutflowers
Original Author
14 years ago
Marciaz3

Does your comnpost look crumbly like chocolate cake like they say it's supposed to? Or, since you're like me and don't mix it up, do you get visible layering ? Mine just doesn't look like any pictures I've seen =:(
marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
14 years ago
A bit of both - some of it is crumbly and some is in layers. It's no big deal. When you dig it out and put it in a bucket, it mostly just mixes together. Works!

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