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Re: Compost/ Definitely 

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Since I started this part of the thread, I guess I ought to see what I can
add here, but I hope Frank Teuton, from whom I've learned so much on this
list (esp. about compost) will step in if he sees areas that could be
expanded upon or clarified.

jallan wrote:
>   I did not turn any of my stuff this first year but after seeing how
>little of it is actually ready and considering how much space it is taking I
>believe I will have a small bin holding one weeks clippings then move them
>to the larger bin on some day when the wind is right.  Nothing smells so bad
>as newly turned grass clippings.  If anyone knows how this odor might be
>reduced I would appreciate hearing it.  I can cart brown stuff <LOL> from a
>neighbors barn if that would help.  He wont even charge me for one
>wheelbarrow a week of cow dung.

First, the terms greens and browns have more to do with what they are
composed of than what color they are. Greens are high in nitrogen -- grass
clippings, fresh (i.e., uncomposted) manure, kitchen scraps, feathers,
coffee grounds, and (I learned recently -- thanks, Frank) alfalfa hay. I
also suspect timothy hay and/or coastal bermuda may be higher nitrogen than
they look like on the surface.

For good composting you need the right proportion of browns (high carbon
ingredients) to greens (high nitrogen ingredients). The official ratio of
carbon to nitrogen is 25 or 30:1. BUT keep in mind that each ingredient has
a different percentage of carbon or nitrogen, so you can get quite
technical (and very math-involved) if you want to be precise. As a rule
that's not necessary. If nothing else, one good mistake will help you learn
quickly. 

Browns include dry leaves, straw or hay (except alfalfa, as noted above),
pinestraw, sawdust (not the best compost ingredient since it takes a long
time to decompose but some is okay in thin layers), wood chips or shavings
(ditto on the decomposition issue, tho the better shredded the faster  they
decompose), shredded paper (newspaper, office paper -- but not colored, and
little or no colored ink).

So, since fresh grass clippings and manure are both high nitrogen, you need
to mix some browns in between layers of greens. From personal experience
(altho there are books you can look the exact numbers up in), manure is
much higher in nitrogen, which is what I was talking about in my post about
having to rebuild the pile I just built March 1, and so needs more brown
stuff than I was used to putting in with last summer's grass clippings.

A properly built compost does NOT smell bad at any step along the way. An
ammonia smell means too much nitrogen / not enough carbon, and a foul smell
means not enough oxygen -- the anaerobic bacteria have gotten an upperhand
and composting is slowed as a result. Manure usually smells bad all by
itself, of course, but from my own minimal experience you get that carbon
(browns) interspersed with layers of manure and the manure smell simply
goes away (or gets buried, or decomposed along with the manure itself --
whatever). 

The other two absolutely essential ingredients to a good compost pile are
water (moisture) and oxygen (air). The microbes (fungi and bacteria)
responsible for decomposition require those two ingredients, along with
nitrogen and carbon, to do their jobs. If there is a deficit of either,
decomposition is slowed.

Brown ingredients are usually (always?) very, very dry by nature -- unless
they've sat out and absorbed some water, like my wheatstraw bales had
(insides only -- the outer parts were quite dry). So as you're building
your compost, it's important to water the various layers, and usually
greens will require less water because they're often nice and juicy on
their own. But those browns have to be hosed down pretty good. The rule of
thumb is that your compost pile should be moist like a damp sponge, not
dripping wet. So you may have to water the whole pile now and then to keep
enough moisture in it. 

As for air, there are numerous strategies for adding that. Some people poke
holes in it periodically. Some bury the PVC tubes with holes in it that are
used to attach to gutter downspots to direct the water running off the
roof. There are even special tools you can buy for the job. Or, you can
turn the pile periodically. Some say weekly isn't too often. I aim for
monthly but have yet to achieve that lofty goal. <g>

You can also add ingredients like small limbs and twigs which are said to
help keep oxygen in there by creating little air pockets. I've had limited
success with that. If they're not fairly small, they get in the way when
I'm turning the pile. And if too small, I'm not sure they do the job all
that well. I think I'll ignore this advice hereafter.

You may also need to water parts of the pile when you turn it. Rainwater
will not necessarily penetrate, though I imagine that a well built pile
will stay moister on its own than a poorly built one, and if you poke
aeration holes in now and then, that will help keep the pile moist on the
inside when it rains. Naturally the tops and sides have a tendency to dry
out too, and you'll want to make sure those get inside the heart of the
pile when you turn it. If you get too MUCH rain, you might consider
throwing a tarp over the pile. Too much rain can slow down composition and
leach nutrients. 

Gosh, it sure sounds complicated, doesn't it? Not all that bad, really. As
with everything else, you learn a great deal by doing. 

A book I think is good, also highly readable, is "Let It Rot" by Stu
Campbell, Storey Publishing. 

Hope this helps,

Patricia
Zone 7b, West Georgia


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