Extreme Composting

TripleD · #**3301** 05/03/14, 09:37 AM

It never ceases to amaze me after being here for over 3yrs I still get a duh-huh moment. I read about the first 20 and last 20 pages here. Thanks Forerunner !!!

I got a good story to tell. About 10 years ago we were getting a new China-Mart built close by. They brought in a tub grinder and chipped up everything. My BIL asked them what were they doing with the chips? They said going to the landfill unless he wanted them. He had them bring over 50 tractor trailor loads to a spot on the farm.

His master plan was to sell them for mulch since he already had the truck,trailor and tractor. He piled them up nice and high but said there was too much dirt mixed in. Then they started steaming. It looked like a bunch of small volcanoes. He would pour the water to them and they still steamed. He kept turning them with his tractor for months. He said they were rotting faster than the dirt was comming out.

He finally gave up on his plans and called his buddy to bring his D5 over and flatten it all out. When he left there was a pad over 100ft wide 300ft long and 4ft high. After finding this sticky yesterday I took my tractor over there and dug up some of the blackest dirt I have ever seen. Its going into the garden starting today....

Forerunner · #**3302** 05/03/14, 10:34 AM

Darn straight it's going in the gardens, today.

Xcellent windfall......

We were wonderin' when you'd show up in here.......

Homesteader · #**3303** 05/04/14, 11:10 AM

Forerunner: Today, we shoveled the first compost we ever made (inspired by you as I shared a few months ago). It is going first on the maters and then to everything else as a top dressing (we only have a 7" tall by 5 foot by about 5 foot "section" of compost so I will use a little on everyone.

Thank You.

Extreme Composting - Homesteading Questions

Forerunner · #**3304** 05/04/14, 03:04 PM

I'd post some pitchers, but all I got is gargantuan mountains of winter stockpilings and a few rows of onions...... at the moment. I guess there are the blossoming fruit trees.....

Nice to see the enthusiasm of late, all the same.

Dixie Bee Acres · #**3305** 05/04/14, 04:55 PM

Had a neighboring farmer offer me several truckloads of cow manure. Looks like my small compost pile will be growing.
Everything from last years pile was spread on the garden just before tilling.

myheaven · #**3306** 05/04/14, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleD

It never ceases to amaze me after being here for over 3yrs I still get a duh-huh moment. I read about the first 20 and last 20 pages here. Thanks Forerunner !!!

I got a good story to tell. About 10 years ago we were getting a new China-Mart built close by. They brought in a tub grinder and chipped up everything. My BIL asked them what were they doing with the chips? They said going to the landfill unless he wanted them. He had them bring over 50 tractor trailor loads to a spot on the farm.

His master plan was to sell them for mulch since he already had the truck,trailor and tractor. He piled them up nice and high but said there was too much dirt mixed in. Then they started steaming. It looked like a bunch of small volcanoes. He would pour the water to them and they still steamed. He kept turning them with his tractor for months. He said they were rotting faster than the dirt was comming out.

He finally gave up on his plans and called his buddy to bring his D5 over and flatten it all out. When he left there was a pad over 100ft wide 300ft long and 4ft high. After finding this sticky yesterday I took my tractor over there and dug up some of the blackest dirt I have ever seen. Its going into the garden starting today....

Some people have all the luck.!!!! I swear.

mistymountain · #**3307** 05/08/14, 12:44 PM

Momk
K

mistymountain · #**3308** 05/08/14, 12:45 PM

I mom
O

Forerunner · #**3309** 05/08/14, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymountain

Momk
K

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymountain

I mom
O

I get it.....you're speaking in code !

Any chance we could get the decipher manual ?

katy · #**3310** 05/08/14, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

I get it.....you're speaking in code !

Any chance we could get the decipher manual ?

FORERUNNER, HELP......

Our wood chip piles are now two years old, starting 3rd summer. I would like
to till lightly and use some of it, but will that damage the worm population ?
About half a dozen worms per shovel full, that's better than none.

I can only do about 10 minutes with that shovel, lol

What is wrong with this thread ? I can't access the last page of 111, no

matter what I do..... can't even read it !!!!!!

Forerunner · #**3311** 05/08/14, 07:05 PM

Every now and then, I find that I have to sacrifice some worms in the tilling process.

I justify it all, in my mind, by considering all the nitrogen those busted up, mutilated and humiliated little rotting worms will provide the soil.

Freya · #**3312** 05/10/14, 04:17 PM

Tim I think you deserve a trophy of some sort... this thread has OVER a quarter of a MILLION views!!!!

Connor · #**3313** 05/10/14, 04:47 PM

Black Gold

Cascade Failure · #**3314** 05/10/14, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freya

Tim I think you deserve a trophy of some sort...

Don't bother...he'll just see how long it would last in one of his piles.

dlskidmore · #**3315** 05/10/14, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cascade Failure

Don't bother...he'll just see how long it would last in one of his piles.

Well, maybe if you soak it in saltwater first it will corrode, and serve as a mineral boost to the pile.

Forerunner · #**3316** 05/10/14, 08:21 PM

Could I just go with a big bowl of ice cream ?

aweegato · #**3317** 05/24/14, 03:05 PM

I have two pet rats and I was wondering if I can use their droppings as compost. They eat mostly commercial food with some veggie scraps and maybe a little yogurt or cheese here and there.

I know rabbit droppings are supposed to be great for the garden so I was hoping other rodents might also be okay.

DEKE01 · #**3318** 05/24/14, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aweegato

I have two pet rats and I was wondering if I can use their droppings as compost. They eat mostly commercial food with some veggie scraps and maybe a little yogurt or cheese here and there.

I know rabbit droppings are supposed to be great for the garden so I was hoping other rodents might also be okay.

Any animal droppings are good for the compost pile and even the smallest of piles is large enough to take the castings of 2 rats unless they are from the Godzilla strain of rotentdom. Maybe someone can be more creative than me, but I can't think of a downside. If there are any possible disease or bacterial issues peculiar to rats that might get transmitted to humans, you've already been exposed when you cleaned their cage, and 6 - 12 months in curing compost will be disinfectant enough.

I have no idea if rat manure can go direct to the garden like rabbit.

Forerunner · #**3319** 05/24/14, 08:16 PM

I'm having a batch of 100 T-shirts printed up.

They are going to have a picture on the front featuring a striking resemblance to Chris Farley holding a steaming (cow) pie in one hand and a mountain of compost, steaming in the background.

With his other hand the striking resemblance is going to be pointing straight at the reader with an exasperated and surly look to go with....

The caption beneath is going to read;

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HOT COMPOSTING THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ?!!!

.

myheaven · #**3320** 05/24/14, 09:57 PM

Spread compost on the smaller garden today. The bones we found were so light that they float. Talk about a well leached femur! Betcha I could run it threw my chipper now. I will still only put them net to my fruit trees though. My chipper is too important.