honeysuckle mulch...

[Dirtmechanic]

Thanks for all of the advice! The initial stuff we chopped up was all dead stuff. Had been sitting out a few weeks waiting for me to finish cutting down the evergreen. However I pruned a bunch of new branches because we had the chopper so that all went into it as well. We chopped up the dead stuff first and the put it in the bottom. I have other wood from the former raised beds that is helping to fill the bottom later along with river rocks and cutting from the evergreen we had to chop down. I usually take leaf cuttings and throw that in too. Then I put a layer of carboard and then fill dirt. We initialy envisioned a dump truck but honestly we would have to scoop it out of our driveway, then rescoop it again into the beds. So we r getting a few pallets of dirt because the bags will be so much easier to move and empty. We r still within budget so the extra costs of the bags is ok with us. I am considering saving one of the smaller bins as a compost or building one on the opposite side of the yard so its out of the way of the rest of the area. We had a couple of sheet metals left but would have to get more of the boards. Or I may just buy a round tumbler one I can just tumble. Much easier I would think?

I wish I had the back of a 30 year old again. But then that would explain this 56 year old beauty I have now. I think its always true that what is going on in your garden is not easily duplicated in another. Like that idea of a compost bin. If you do that, and why not, gather some 4 inch thinwall pvc that you can use down in it to help water and air penetrate the settling mass. Even thinner 3 or 2 inch pipe would help keep from having to turn the pile. Hot air rising sucks in fresh cold oxygen so put them low. How cool is it to just have a tub of compost magically appear next spring?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Part of the idea of turning the compost is the stuff in the middle heats up and cooks the seeds. The stuff on the edges doesn't get cooked. When you turn it some of the stuff on the outside gets moved into the middle and heats up which cooks those seeds, plus it speeds up the composting time. Part of the problem is that you never get all the stuff into the middle when you turn a pile like that so you never get all the seeds. That's the advantage of the tumbler composter, it all gets turned and mixed.

To be somewhat honest I usually turn mine once. But it all eventually turns to compost and I bag it about every six months (adjusted for winter).

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Part of the idea of turning the compost is the stuff in the middle heats up and cooks the seeds. The stuff on the edges doesn't get cooked. When you turn it some of the stuff on the outside gets moved into the middle and heats up which cooks those seeds, plus it speeds up the composting time. Part of the problem is that you never get all the stuff into the middle when you turn a pile like that so you never get all the seeds. That's the advantage of the tumbler composter, it all gets turned and mixed.

To be somewhat honest I usually turn mine once. But it all eventually turns to compost and I bag it about every six months (adjusted for winter).

I bought a compost thermometer. 140 to me might as well be the sound barrier for the Wright Brothers. Possible, yes.