My 4 by 8 bin of leafy compost is finally exposed from the weeks of snow cover, and of course, is totally sodden and packed. Could be some anaerobic rotting going on down there. It'll need major fluffing. I think the snow was good for helping rot the thin natural leaf layer on the ground though. Most winters here, that lays exposed and just dry and undecomposed.
I also have ten bags of chopped, fertilized leaves laying on the ground. Those can be turned and kicked to help fluff. I can't tell that a lot of rot is happening in there. I might just keep them bagged until the grass gets going, then scatter them over the lawn and mow/ rake them in. A lot of our leaf fall in the autumn was mulched right into the lawn.
Composting in Winter
Sally, I never thought of spreading the chopped leaves back on the lawn in the Spring! Seems like a good idea, have you done that before?
No lisa, I haven't! But with spring rain, and a headstart on rotting, it seems like a good idea.
8 ^P
If hubby doesn't object.
O live in Montana and I have a remote temp/humidity sensor that feeds me data from my pile and it has hovered around 45-50 f all winter. I am getting home to warm up the pile this week by using my root irrigator with a mixture of fish fertilizer and molasses hooked to my hot water heater. I have 2 piles over 6 yes each and plan on sticking the probe all over the pile to thaw and heat up the pile with this combo. I expect it to stark cooking in less than a week.
soferdig!!!!
Where have you been? Whatever happened to that whacky Post--"Poetry on the Pile"????
It would fit here just dandy! I have often thought to find it and bump it up. Did it once--and there was no action to speak of,,,,I guess we all have brain-drain when it comes to Poetry!
Gita
Do tell us more how you heat up your pile, Sofer! How do you hook your root irrigator to your hot water heater?
I just hook the garden hose to the fawcett at the bottom of the heater and turn up the heat to 150F for the short time to get good hot water to the pile. Then the root soaker has the compartment for adding fertilizer and I just put the molasses in there and probe the pile with the warm mix of molasses. Then I put in fish fertilizer and probe next to the area I put the molasses into. This will get things cooking. Right now though I have to get to taxes before I heat it up. Will give you a blow by blow of temps and activity.
Yes I too enjoyed the poetry on the pile. But I got one going in Pac NW forum this winter and we had fun there during the dull winter. Got here to see if anynew ideas were coming up as of late.
Puddle, I think that most markets carry molasses...if not there, than any health food store for sure...don't pay for shipping if you are already shopping...
Got my compost pile charged with blood meal, molasses, and organic manure. I have broken my sender for the temps on the pile so will have to get a new one tomorrow to record the changes. I got a bag of molasses from the feed store and used about 50# in about 6 yards of shredded spring clean up. Perenial trimmings, leaves, pine needles, sticks, mulch, and alfalfa hay that I have been composting for about a year.
I got a ComposTumbler on loan from an absentee neighbor and will be trying it out. I know not to expect compost in 14 days...though that is what that company claims...http://www.compostumbler.com...I did not want to spend money for one, but since I am able to use it for free, I thought, why not? It won't accomodate my full compost pile, though, as I cannot stop composting, even tho' hubby says it doesn't look good from the road. I think it looks just fine, as I don't lay the garbage right on top. I always bury it under a pile of leaves or weeds....well, we'll see what happens...