Extreme Composting

Laura Zone 10 · #**2441** 05/12/13, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1too

Wet it down. If it gets warm to hot it is green unfinished compost. The finished stuff will not heat up if I am correct. At least mine does not.

If it's not done doing it's compost thing, and I plant.....it will burn my plants up, yes?

Forerunner · #**2442** 05/12/13, 03:07 PM

I would blend the stuff in with the existing soil and go from there.

Sooner you get on that, and the longer you can wait to plant, the lesser your chances of a burn.

On the other hand, as black and crumbly as that stuff looks, you may be just fine.

Laura Zone 10 · #**2443** 05/12/13, 05:48 PM

These are photos of my oregano, sage, and lemon balm, that I put the compost all around 2 days ago.

This is what's left of the 4 yards I ordered. It's not 'hot' (or really warm) when I shove my hand in the middle, and it's definitely not hot in my raised beds.

romoshka · #**2444** 05/12/13, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabbidawn15

Do you know anything about/ have any experience with Black soldier flies?

This will be my second year with BSF and hence i am no expert but through my research and my many mistakes I have a handle on em. They do operate in a very moist environment...think oatmeal. Now they will eat almost anything to include manure. As such they have received much attention in 3rd world countries for redux/elimination of humanure. They reduce solids by about 80% to a liquid. As I was about to use this liquid on some veg plants I discovered that there is a company in Oregon that raises BSF strictly for the liquid and dilute it 100:1 and sell that as ready to apply fertilizer. Last year I collected 5 gal of the leachate. I will be trying the dilution on some of my veg plants this year and compare their results to others not treated. I am fortunate to live beside an ag university and am seeking to have aleachate analysis done. There appears to be no data on this in the ag lit. Most of the research on BSF seems to have been done in the 40s and 50s. So as a composting tool I think thy are not suitable to what is being discussed here. I raise them for chicken food and fish food. The grubs (actually they are big maggots but grubs sounds so much better) will self harvest when ready to go to the ground to pupate so all you have to do is provide a moist environment with LOTS of food and a ramp with catch bucket at the end...viola: chicken food that ~45% protein and 20%fat. The leachate is a bonus...at least it is to me. Hope this helps.

ChristieAcres · #**2445** 05/19/13, 12:33 AM

Forerunner, you will be soooo proud...

We have been going shrimping...shrimp heads, shells, and the resulting lovely rotting fish compost piles.... I am processing my seafood compost under my old rabbit hutches. Tomorrow, I have more shrimp heads to layer. Today, 160 shrimp heads... This next Wed is the last shrimping day, so at least 160 more, unless I can talk our guests into letting me have theirs (DH's middle DS & his fiance' are going shrimping with us). Wow, just think 320 more shrimp heads... Hey, I can ask my neighbors to save me their shrimp heads...hundreds more... Wish I had thought of this before, could have been in for thousands more shrimp heads...

ChristieAcres · #**2446** 05/19/13, 12:47 AM

Here are a few pics for your, Forerunner. Any thoughts or tips?

Forerunner · #**2447** 05/19/13, 07:59 AM

Thoughts ?

YUM!!

Tips ?

Get friendly with your carbon supplier/source.

What is your carbon base material, that you can so handily accommodate such a high nitrogen and potentially odiforous commodity as shrimp heads ?

ChristieAcres · #**2448** 05/19/13, 11:15 AM

Since I am treading where most fear to go, I am relying on your composting wisdom, fearless Forerunner! Actually, I currently have piles of shrimp heads covered with a mixture of soil, a little sawdust, and rotting compost (to keep the smell down until I create my piles). I would like to create piles with proper ratios. Yes, have a variety of materials to use. What do you recommend as a base?

CesumPec · #**2449** 05/19/13, 11:43 AM

First, I hope you are using those shells and heads to make a broth for cooking future meals. And don't make it one of those 20 minute boils, cook it for hours with just enough water to cover for a thick, rich stick.

When you are done with that, you are not going to have a lot of weight of shrimp parts. So your carbon source can be anything that is easily available in the form of leaves, wood chips, newspaper, pine needles, etc. I'm going to guess somewhere between 20 and 30 lbs of carbon to shrimp parts will be just fine to balance the C:N ratio. But you want it in a much larger pile in order to create heat and enough volume to cover smells and deter digging critters. There's no sense in going to the trouble to save the stuff only to allow some critter to carry it off. If you don't have the material for a big pile, this might be a great time to try bin or barrel composting. I think with a trench you would run into the same critter problems.

Forerunner · #**2450** 05/19/13, 12:31 PM

^^^^^^^^^

What he said.

ChristieAcres · #**2451** 05/19/13, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CesumPec

First, I hope you are using those shells and heads to make a broth for cooking future meals. And don't make it one of those 20 minute boils, cook it for hours with just enough water to cover for a thick, rich stick.

When you are done with that, you are not going to have a lot of weight of shrimp parts. So your carbon source can be anything that is easily available in the form of leaves, wood chips, newspaper, pine needles, etc. I'm going to guess somewhere between 20 and 30 lbs of carbon to shrimp parts will be just fine to balance the C:N ratio. But you want it in a much larger pile in order to create heat and enough volume to cover smells and deter digging critters. There's no sense in going to the trouble to save the stuff only to allow some critter to carry it off. If you don't have the material for a big pile, this might be a great time to try bin or barrel composting. I think with a trench you would run into the same critter problems.

Thank you for that idea, nope wasn't making broth, but now I sure will! I have a pressure canner with plenty of jars/lids/seals. Good news on the composting front. Since we have a securely fenced orchard, nothing gets in. Having outdoor fierce, but incredibly affectionate hunting cats? Also, a very protective dog? The shrimp heads/refuse has been out there for just over a week without a single critter molesting the piles. Our cats & dog all kill rats/mice/voles/moles and deter critters. I am purposely making the piles under the rabbit hutches (no longer have rabbits, just keep the hutches for baby chicks/seasonal use). This way, I can control how much moisture my piles get (it rains here a LOT, not as much in the summer...). Yes, the rabbit hutches are in the fenced orchard

One of my jobs today is to start adding materials and making a few separate compost piles. Our last day of shrimping is Wed, so will make broth!

ChristieAcres · #**2452** 05/19/13, 05:09 PM

The "Compost Pile Gifts..." Yes, indeed our main yearly pile has gifted up some unexpected results. I had tossed out dried up Elephant Garlics & German Purple Striped Garlics into the pile during the Winter. Early Spring, when I was lamenting being late to plant my Garlic, I happened to look closer at the pile, then dug down into it a bit. I found lovely Garlic plants of both varieties growing happily. Almost 100 Elephants and over 50 German Purple Striped. Yes, I dug them all out and planted them. Elephants in background:

Extreme Composting - Homesteading Questions

Extreme Composting - Homesteading Questions

maverickxxx · #**2453** 05/19/13, 07:11 PM

I'll be back into my big compost piles agin. I just got a 80 acre farm so no more moving around. I quit taking from a horse farm last year cause it was to far to haul I'm closer now an they are going to pay me monthly now to take it. I also got a dairy I'm going to wrk at chipping away a giant pile there it's about 1 1/2 away. Theres also some other places that are close that I can haul from but didn't. I got bandsaw mill now to so I can add my own carbon. There's also a landscape matinee company next door so I can prolly get leaves an clippings from them. It'll be nice having big piles agin.

CesumPec · #**2454** 05/19/13, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorichristie

(no longer have rabbits, just keep the hutches for baby chicks/seasonal use).

to avoid a bad thread drift, please see the rabbit forum for a question.

am1too · #**2455** 05/20/13, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickxxx

I'll be back into my big compost piles agin. I just got a 80 acre farm so no more moving around. I quit taking from a horse farm last year cause it was to far to haul I'm closer now an they are going to pay me monthly now to take it. I also got a dairy I'm going to wrk at chipping away a giant pile there it's about 1 1/2 away. Theres also some other places that are close that I can haul from but didn't. I got bandsaw mill now to so I can add my own carbon. There's also a landscape matinee company next door so I can prolly get leaves an clippings from them. It'll be nice having big piles agin.

Your very good fortune stikes jealousy.

CesumPec · #**2456** 05/20/13, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickxxx

I'll be back into my big compost piles agin. I just got a 80 acre farm so no more moving around. I quit taking from a horse farm last year cause it was to far to haul I'm closer now an they are going to pay me monthly now to take it. I also got a dairy I'm going to wrk at chipping away a giant pile there it's about 1 1/2 away. Theres also some other places that are close that I can haul from but didn't. I got bandsaw mill now to so I can add my own carbon. There's also a landscape matinee company next door so I can prolly get leaves an clippings from them. It'll be nice having big piles agin.

welcome to Extremism!

Forerunner · #**2457** 05/20/13, 06:31 PM

Extreme Threatism, to hear some reliable sources tell it !!

maverickxxx · #**2458** 05/20/13, 07:40 PM

I was bit by it awhile ago. Now I can get setup how I want

Oswego · #**2459** 05/21/13, 10:28 AM

I need some help from you folks that caused the problems I have. My tomato plants have grown so much using compost made from what I learned here are now two feet taller than my four foot high stakes.
My "small" red potatoes as large as baking potatoes and my romain lettuce grows so fast that I have to pick off two of three leaves from each plant every day and I am almost tired of salad every day.
My Wife now wants the whole back yard in raised beds with fruit trees planted on each side of the yard and she expects them to grow as fast as the tomatoes. She also wants to know why I can't get the grass in the front yard to grow like the veggies are growing this year. I could do that but with everything else y'all have cause then I won't have time to mow it twice a week.

am1too · #**2460** 05/21/13, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oswego

I need some help from you folks that caused the problems I have. My tomato plants have grown so much using compost made from what I learned here are now two feet taller than my four foot high stakes.
My "small" red potatoes as large as baking potatoes and my romain lettuce grows so fast that I have to pick off two of three leaves from each plant every day and I am almost tired of salad every day.
My Wife now wants the whole back yard in raised beds with fruit trees planted on each side of the yard and she expects them to grow as fast as the tomatoes. She also wants to know why I can't get the grass in the front yard to grow like the veggies are growing this year. I could do that but with everything else y'all have cause then I won't have time to mow it twice a week.

Last I heard those things won't cause one to gain weight. But you will be so busy eating those wonderful red thing that your skin color might start to glow. I thought I would surely turn red from eating maters.

Back to topic though. I thought water was supposed to put out fire. The rain sure has made my pile get hot. Maybe if it keeps up it might drown and I need to get in my boat. Sure beats the drought of the last couple years. Not complaining one little bit.