Peeing into the compost pile

[patandchickens]

Think of it this way (I am leaving out Science Details, but, this is what MATTERS):

The heat is produced by decomposition. THe more/faster the decomposition, the more heat. To get optimally high rate of decomposition, you need the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen.

Piles that are not heating up, almost always are deficient in the nitrogen end of the equation. So, if the pile isn't heating up, add nitrogen and decomposition will accelerate and the pile will heat up more as it 'works'.

If OTOH your pile is already heating up well, you clearly have pretty close to the optimal ratio of carbon to nitrogen, and should not screw around with it further

Some nitrogen *is* lost during the process, and the amount that is lost depends on how exactly your decomposition goes (which is partly reflected in temperature)... but, my suggestion is, don't worry about that, whatever compost you make will have a sufficient amount of N left in it to be useful to your plants

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Hattie the Hen]

GREAT EXPLANATION PAT!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

Think of it this way (I am leaving out Science Details, but, this is what MATTERS):

The heat is produced by decomposition. THe more/faster the decomposition, the more heat. To get optimally high rate of decomposition, you need the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen.

Piles that are not heating up, almost always are deficient in the nitrogen end of the equation. So, if the pile isn't heating up, add nitrogen and decomposition will accelerate and the pile will heat up more as it 'works'.

If OTOH your pile is already heating up well, you clearly have pretty close to the optimal ratio of carbon to nitrogen, and should not screw around with it further

Some nitrogen *is* lost during the process, and the amount that is lost depends on how exactly your decomposition goes (which is partly reflected in temperature)... but, my suggestion is, don't worry about that, whatever compost you make will have a sufficient amount of N left in it to be useful to your plants

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Thank you ...Merci ! So tell me can you give me some nitrogen ideas to put in my compost pile..other than pee.....would it be green stuff...leaves...grass clippings? ......what about old hay and chicken coop shavings...? Horse manure? thanks so much...

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there

All those things you mentioned -- layer them in to the pile. Basically, if you put a layer of green stuff in follow it with a brown layer. something like freshly-cut grass will heat up VERY fast (& go slimy if it's a thick layer) so you would aim to put old newspaper or leaves with it. You have to dampen the pile down somewhat, but it should NOT BE WET. It also needs air so if you can turn it every few weeks you will get good compost faster.


Hope this helps :happy_flower


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[patandchickens]

Common things that are especially high in nitrogen (but low in C):

Fresh grass clippings (but really you should be using a mulching
mower and leaving them on the lawn to
fertilize it...)
Any other fresh green-type stuff, including nonwoody garden/kitchen plant scraps
Animal poo of any sort
Urine
Water from a somewhat crowded fishtank or ornamental pond, or turtle tank
(also, nonorganically, bottled ammonia or any commercial high-nitrogen fertilizer)


Common things that are especially high in carbon (but low in N):

Hay
Straw
Dead leaves
Wood shavings
Wood chippings
Wood/bark mulches
Paper and cardboard, shredded or otherwise


The thing about using coop cleanings or stall cleanings is, it depends how much manure (an urine, in the case of hoofed stock) there is in relation to how much bedding. If horse stalls are cleaned conservatively (saving as much bedding as at-all possible), it produces a pretty good C:N ratio. But if you are a maniac about throwing out all shavings that have been anywhere in the same time zone as poo, or are just in a hurry or careless and shovel lots of bedding out with the poo; or if you are the kind of person who cleans the coop out more than once or maybe twice a year -- then you almost certainly have a lot more C from your bedding than you do N from your animals, and it may not compost especially friskily unless you can mix in extra N.

Does that help any?

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

Thanks so much ! Great information...We basically have straight horse manure with some urine soaked hay....our girls are out 24/7 and we normally muck the shelter and mud paddock area....and the coop has poop boards so I have been stashing the poop from that and putting it in garbage containers and the shavings from the coop I throw on the manure pile when I clean out the coop....so i am going to rethink all this for a working compost pile....thanks so much again...

 

[Texan]

Texan - the only way that worked for me to heat up the pile is layering in chicken poo and mix it up. Worked every time. Although I understand without the heat, the compost process still goes on but at slower rate. Just be patient, wet it and turn it regularly (I did it once a week) and stuff was composted in 2-3 months.

Thats what I am doing. I have two piles going right now. One is the spring 2010 pile and the other is the spring 2011 pile. Lots of horse manure, chicken manure and grass clippings. I turn it once a week with the tractor.

I expect the 2011 pile to be really big or it may have to become two piles.

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks so much ! Great information...We basically have straight horse manure with some urine soaked hay....

So, chances are that it is fairly close to 'right' already

To the extent it's not, it probably wants more in the line of carbonaceous stuff than nitrogenous stuff (you could throw some shavings-rich coop cleanings in if you feel it needs adjustment)

Pat

 

[desertgirl]

I'm going to ask my DH to pee in the compost pille, just to see if he'll do it!

 

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

Thanks so much ! Great information...We basically have straight horse manure with some urine soaked hay....

So, chances are that it is fairly close to 'right' already

To the extent it's not, it probably wants more in the line of carbonaceous stuff than nitrogenous stuff (you could throw some shavings-rich coop cleanings in if you feel it needs adjustment)

Pat

Thanks so much Pat.....I wouldnt have to put some lime on the pile would I?