Re: Compost

**"* V* <i*@cobrahead.com>**

Lois,

I don't worry too much about the rules for composting - my method borders on 
haphazard - 
http://www.cobrahead.com/blog/index.cfm/2007/12/17/Noels-Sense-of-Snow-and-Compost

Nevertheless, I'm sure that following a logical method produces a better 
grade of compost.  If you research Albert Howard, or the Bio-Dynamic people, 
you'll see that they have quite specific recipes and layering systems for 
obtaining specific pile heats and that nutrients are introduced and 
controlled with the addition of specific plants and additives.  My compost 
pile is surrounded by nettle, burdock, and comfrey, all supposedly great 
compost plants and I always put a lot of that into the pile.

I don't have the time or energy to make sure my pile cooks to an exact 
certain temperature, but I do make the piles with dry material, green stuff, 
and kitchen waste in alternating layers.

Good cooking does have the two advantages of killing plant pathogens and 
killing weed seeds.  While my piles always generate some heat, I never take 
the time to re-cook and make sure I've killed off the weed seeds, plus I 
think too much cooking, like you might get in a rotating drum system, 
destroys some nutrients.

My son worked for a while at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute - 
www.michaelfieldsaginst.org  .  They are bio-dynamic and they had elaborate 
recipes for various composts depending on the final application. And they 
grow crops specifically to add to the compost.  Again, I'm sure better 
compost can be made than what I'm producing, but the stuff I produce works 
and works well and it's pretty easy to do.

I'd be leery of trying to get gardeners who do not now compost to follow 
ridged schemes.  I think it would only turn them off.  Compost happens and 
any compost is probably better than no compost.

Noel

Noel Valdes
CobraHead LLC
W9545 Hwy. 18
Cambridge, WI 53523
608-423-9119 tel
866-962-6272 toll free
608-423-4884 fax
info@cobrahead.com
www.cobrahead.com
www.cobrahead.com/blog

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <loisdan@juno.com>
To: <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 10:37 AM
Subject: [GWL] Compost

> Hi Everyone,
>
> Last week I posted a piece to my blog on troublefree composting. Out of
> curiosity, I browsed several GWL member sites to see what you all have to
> say on the topic. Of those I read, while most gave at least an obligatory
> nod to the "rules" of composting, nearly everyone seemed to use some type
> of desultory method similar to my own. What say you? Do any of you
> compost only by the rules? It might be an interesting exercise for us to
> discuss whether formal composting actually has much effect on the final
> product.
>
> Regards,
> Lois
> Visit http://loisdevries.blogspot.com
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