Well thats what I thought at first when I lifted compost lid! ;D
Shredded loads of stuff last week and now you can cook and egg on the heap, it was very hot.....
Amazing the difference a lot of shredded stuff on a heap makes. ;D
I have been putting the wood shavings with chicken poo in them from the coop on since I got them 2 weeks ago and mine is hotting up nicely ;D
I wonder what the core and pealings from 18lb of apples will do to my compost bin....
QuoteI wonder what the core and pealings from 18lb of apples will do to my compost bin...
It made mine smell lovely ;D
cj :)
I can't bear to throw away cores and peelings until I've simmered and strained them to make apple juice or apple jelly.....
A really hot heap can actually catch fire... so be careful Andy!
;D
Mines a bit rubbish as I dont have enough dry stuff. Its all gone a bit sludgy. Is this fixabe or usable? Should I chuck it on the ground and start again?
Quote from: sawfish on October 07, 2007, 09:34:52
Mines a bit rubbish as I dont have enough dry stuff. Its all gone a bit sludgy. Is this fixabe or usable? Should I chuck it on the ground and start again?
I wouldn't, it'll still get there in the end!
my heap never seems to get hot !
where am i going wrong?
Either it is too dry, or too wet or too compacted. Turn it over and get some oxygen into it. As others have done make sure there is a reasonable mix of different types of material from green to woody.
If your heap is sludgy, it does not matter, do as I used to do when we had a small garden and no room for a compost heap, dig a trench, throw in the sludge and cover. It will rot down nicely in the soil for you.
Adding little at a time will mean in most cases the heap doesnt get very hot, if you put a great big pile together all in one go though it will get very hot indeed.
Quote from: sawfish on October 07, 2007, 09:34:52
Mines a bit rubbish as I dont have enough dry stuff. Its all gone a bit sludgy. Is this fixabe or usable? Should I chuck it on the ground and start again?
As i am adding lots of fresh stuff to stop it going sludgy i add the free newspapers that we throught the door ripped up into bits and add this in layers and then water the lot before i leave. Sawfish i would suggest that you do that as well it will add some of your much needed dry material.
on one heap I added a trailer load of woody stuff with alternating layers of manure, it was SO dry that I thought it would take 3 yrs to rot down, 5 months later and it was perfect stuff!
It also had holly leaves which didnt shred much but seemed to pass through the shredder but there is no sign of them!