Compost Not Cooking

[Mackay]

I built two compost piles over a month ago.

I layered dry leaves, grass clippings, silage and straw and horse manure not necessarily in that order. Made sure it was sufficiently wet and then left it with black plastic covering the top, air circulation on sides and bottom. Haven't been back to look at it as it is in Idaho and Im in Utah and haven't had time to get there.

But my DH is up there now and he checked the middle of it and it is still moist, and he thought not too wet nor too dry. But its not cooking. I thought by now there would be some action. What did I do wrong and what should I do now?

Its a dry climate up there and cool nights and some days are still cool too if that makes a difference. Should I add something to it and if so what and how? Should I turn it and add something?

Thanks..
Mackay

 

[digitS']

You know, it may be illegal to cross state lines with compost components . . .

I know I've related the story of a neighbor who built his compost bin above ground!

Okay, he was a good half mile into Washington from Idaho, and you should know that we get about 20 inches of annual precipitation . . . but still!!

His "compost" sat in that full bin for years and years and years . . . The bin finally collapsed and I don't know what happened to it after that but imagine that this dry mix of things finally began to decompose once it was on the ground.

I make compost (in Idaho) by first digging down about 8 inches into the ground. The soil can be used in the mix but the primary reason for doing this is that I can keep the pile moist more easily.

Maybe that is all you need - more moisture. The only other thing I can think of is that there may not be sufficient nitrogen in the pile.

Oh, and I gotta tell you: My composting takes at least 12 months. The material at the very bottom has been there for 18 months by the time the whole thing is dug out and used in the garden. So, I'm not looking for anything happening quickly, anyway .

Steve

 

[cookiesdaddy]

From my little experience, my compost pile never heat up unless I add some fresh chicken poo. I don't know if your horse manure is supposed to do the same thing. But ... if you leave it long enough, or turn it regularly, your pile will eventually become composted.

Another thought: when I added chicken poo to the pile (burying it), it will heat up within a day, peak out in a few days, and then cool down within a week. And so if you have left your pile for a while, it might have already gone through the heating cycle before your DH got there!

Just some food for thought.

 

[patandchickens]

When you say it is not cooking, do you mean it is not *hot* or do you mean that nothing has started to decompose?

You should be starting to see the beginnings of decomposition but in an unturned pile, especially with big pieces and maybe a bit more carbon than it really wants, you would not see MUCH change after just a month. I'd turn it if possible, re-water it and give it more time.

If you just mean that the pile isn't *hot*, no it probably wouldn't be after a month, even if it did heat up initially, unless it were quite a large pile. The heating-up is temporary. Turning and re-watering it will re-heat it up as previously uncomposted stuff starts to break down (stuff that was towards the outside of the pile and is now moved to the inside) although again the degree that it heats up depends on how close to 'right' your c:n ratio is.

It just does take time, though, and a month is not long at all.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Mackay]

OK, thanks. I will be up there in a few weeks and I will turn it and add chicken poo and more water. I plan on having my beds constructed by the end of September, at which time, cooked or not, its getting layered in with soil as we didn't place the piles in a good spot and they got to get moved anyway. That will give it 8 weeks to try do do something.

And then in the spring it will get planted on come what may.

digitS - 20 inches of rain sounds pretty good! I think we get about 8. But there's a ton of irrigation water in this area from the reservoir and underground.

 

[digitS']

Actually, the 20 inches is mostly water in the form of snow.

We can have as little as 1 inch over the entire course of the 3 summer months. (On any given day during the growing season: "Was that rain ?" Something hit my hat :/! )

Eight inches would be of little consequence without that irrigation. Best of luck with maintaining your water source . . . and with your composting.

Steve