|
Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 19:06
| I would like to use some of my unfinished compost as a top dressing on some of my veges.
This pile as been working for 3 months (+) and remains fairly warm due to the amount of greens in it. I have a great source for UCG and have mixed browns...stopped adding...continue turning and adding some water...and somewhat surprised that it is still hot. So my question is...Can I use this unfinished/nearly finished compost as a top dressing for tomatoes or corn or ??? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| will 2" of compost on the ground actually get hot? I thought it had to be a lot deeper than a couple of inches. |
|
- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 19:55
| What I would do is move that compost to the curing bin. The curing bin in which you don't add any more fresh materials. Start a new bin with fresh materials, and allow the curing to go on for a little while longer. Once it is not hot any more it's ready. If you mix with bagged browns that will cool it. If you mix it with native soil or turn it in very slightly even only a few inches it will be cooled. Once it is out of the bin and on the ground in just a inch or so it should not even get hot because you need critical mass to get heat. Maybe that is the problem the mass is too big, if you stopped adding and kept turning. I can never get my bins to maintain heat for very long, but they are kind of small in my opinion. A larger bin stays hot longer. Try taking some out a test in a small amount and see if it cools down right away. |
|
- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 19:55
| What I would do is move that compost to the curing bin. The curing bin in which you don't add any more fresh materials. Start a new bin with fresh materials, and allow the curing to go on for a little while longer. Once it is not hot any more it's ready. If you mix with bagged browns that will cool it. If you mix it with native soil or turn it in very slightly even only a few inches it will be cooled. Once it is out of the bin and on the ground in just a inch or so it should not even get hot because you need critical mass to get heat. Maybe that is the problem the mass is too big, if you stopped adding and kept turning. I can never get my bins to maintain heat for very long, but they are kind of small in my opinion. A larger bin stays hot longer. Try taking some out a test in a small amount and see if it cools down right away. |
|
| I have started another pile. The one in question is quite large (4'X4'X8') I have stopped adding materials and continue to turn. I wonder because it continues to work...if there might be too much Nitrogen. If I put it around the tomatoes, I would keep it from the stems of the plants (maybe that is not a factor?) Thanks for your responses and any further advice! |
|
| I would not advocate putting immature compost around anyone's plants or into a garden that will be seeded very soon (within days) after incorporation. Why risk your plants? I don't let my compost leave my farm until it has completed the heat phase and cured for an extended length of time. It works out to two summers for my product. Lloyd |
|
- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 21:11
| On second thought waiting is good, why risk it? |
|
| If, after 3 months, compost is still quite warm that says that the bacteria are still working on digesting the material and you will be able to see undigested and easily identifiable individual bits and pieces in that compost. You could use this as a mulch, if desired, but I would think it better to allow this compost to continue being worked by those bacteria rather then using it for mulch. Spread around in layers of less than 4 inches thick will allow that compost to cool down, and as long as you can hold a handful without much pain it will not be a problem for your plants. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.