The farmer across the road is letting me have loads of barnyard fertilizer.
It is a mixture of hay, cow manure, and soil.
I know how to compost it if its seperate by using a certain amount of each. But what do you do if you dont know how much of one thing is in it?
Should I add green stuff or just pile it up in my bin and add a little water as I go?
Or maybe I should had more hay between the layers. EKEKEKEKEKEK
I don't want to waste it while I "live and learn". I need a little guidence pretty please.
Cricket
Thanks in advance.
How do I compost barnyard fertilizer
You won't "waste" it. If the manure is relatively fresh, pile it up as it is over winter and let the earthworms do their job. In spring you will have "planters mix"
this barnyard fertilizer is full of hay seed==grass seed. I would like to kill the seeds. I could cover it with plastic to heat it up as it is and watch the temps to make sure they dont go over 160.
I think you just have to wait and see. I would stack it up and monitor the temperature. Sometimes you just have to use your senses - what does it look like, smell like and feel like and then make adjustments accordingly. It may need more browns or more moisture - but it might not ... you can monitor the temperature for awhile and see if its heating up...
This stuff is very dark --almost black. The farmer ran his tractor tiller over it before loading onto my flat trailer. It might not need to be composted. I think I could just put it in the garden spot and cover with a tarp to prevent leeching and keep check on temp. Cultivate it if I see weed growth. It's very pretty.
I am probly stressing for nothing. It should grow a very large tomato plant and a huge pumpkin. I am tickled pink.
Wish it were spring.
Dark brown barnyard fertilizer. I do not see new manure in it.
looks fantastic to me.
well, at 8:30 am this morning, that barnyard fertilizer temp was at 105 degrees and its not even hot outside yet.(69 degrees) It will have to be turned--or composted.
Sounds to me as if the pile is already starting to compost. I would let it continue sitting there until the temperature reaches a peak, then starts to subside. Once the temperature goes down, then turn it. It will probably heat up again. ( At least that is how I do it). I think you have a great pile already!
It sounds like a great pile....
Hi, I do not know if this will work, maybe someone with experience could say do it or do not do it. I was thinking if it will be warm enough there for a while, to spread it on your garden area now and water it. If weeds/seeds start to grow, till it under before it makes new seeds, then water some more and repeat a few more times and maybe most of the seeds will germinate and terminate before spring and maybe then it would be almost weedless. I definately do not know the wisdom in that, but it makes since in my head. Take care, Mike
excelreality,
I think it would work, but what a lot of effort! Why not put it in a pile. Let it simmer. Turn it once or twice, then use. Really, I think both ways would work and CricketsGarden should decide which one is easier for her.