you could always just use ammonium sulfate or urea.

Ten yards? You will have difficulty in using that much manure in a residential neighborhood. I would use urea, 46% soluble nitrogen.

Pine is pretty hard to break down. I'm guessing three cubic yards per 25 pound sack. I wouldn't plan on using it all at once. Take into account that this leaches and gasses off fast.

I usually go about 6 lbs of urea per cubic yard of woodchips. It gets nice and hot without that knock you on your butt ammonia smell when you take a whiff.

I figure any time you smell ammonia it's time to back off. I try and creep up on it a little. I put about a hundred grams (two full Trader Joe's sampler coffee cups worth ) down per wheelbarrow full on the first few layers and then three towards the top of the pile. You can always add more if you are dissatisfied with the heating after two or three days.

Also, the ability of the pile to absorb the urea solution dramatically improves after a few days.

"I have to get this going before it starts raining!"

Hey! I thought it never rained in California. Isn't that what the song said?

It hasn't much in the last 4 years, but we're supposed to get an El Nino gully washer this year!

The song isn't about No Ca anyway! Good ole surfin USA So CA!

Koko, BTW I'm on acreage, not a residential area. I could also get a tractor and just spread it out in my field. Nancy

Well, if you have that much space, you could just pile it somewhere and let it take its own sweet time, no store-bought nitrogen required. It will take a couple years but you can take whatever you need for mulch in the meantime.

Now I'm really confused. Title is "It never rains in Southern California." but the lyrics also says it never rains in California but it pours. What's a poor Canadian supposed to believe?

I would not add urea, except for maybe one cubic yard to be placed in the garden. It will suck nitrogen from the air if you let it do its own thing. Tox said the same thing and let me add that whenever I have transplants, I love wood chips as a mulch for the season. No weeds, reduced watering, no fertilizing except urea.

I would definitely buy a bag of phoenix oyster spawn, place a cubic yard of chips on the North side of the house, and play mushroom grower.

Glib, I have a ton of oyster stuff! Have been wondering what to do with it! NancyYES!

Oooh ooh mushrooms! I wonder if I could do that here. One of these years I'll get a big pile of wood chips from the electric coop and some spawn and try that.

The last time I said anything about eating mushrooms on a compost forum (not this one), it got deleted. I guess they thought someone might poison themselves and blame the forum. Even though I explained how carefully you should identify them before even considering taking a bite.

it is not a problem if you inject them with a known species. Also shelf - like mushrooms can be good or bad to eat, but never deadly. IMHO it is always best to inject under controlled conditions, then transfer the injected mass into larger bodies. example, one gallon spawn to ten gallons, ten gallons to a large bed.

and keep in mind that regular oyster do not eat conifers. they don't have the enzymes. It has to be phoenix. I put some of my dried shiitake dust in soup most nights. If and when you become good at it, you can inject mulch in shaded situations, for example under corn. Then you get your compost and eat it too.

My sister used to go out mushroom hunting, but there have been several deaths over the years in this area, cause an Asian mushroom is almost identical to a "death cap" mushroom from this area!

I tried a mushroom log with not much luck! Nancy

I've heard about Asians collecting that poisonous American mushroom that looks like one of their edible ones. Terrible. One should always use 4-6 different lines of evidence to identify a mushroom before trying the first bite.

I think I would want to take a class (offered around here) before picking any wild ones! I think my sister is crazy! (for picking wild ones ;) ) Nancy

It looks like we are going to end up spreading all of this stuff over our 2 fields and not worry about composting it. The rains are coming soon and we are in a soupy floodable area, so we have to move quickly!

Get going and good luck!

Talked to my neighbor about it the other day. He said he was getting on it! I gave him the # of a local guy we had used........hmmmm, we just had a pretty good rainstorm! Hoping for a few dry sunny days so he can get someone in there! Nancy