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Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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Posted by rutgers1 (My Page) on Sun, Aug 19, 07 at 0:25
| I recently made my first pile (I am the guy who had the photos of the metal one I built out of fencing I bought at Home Depot). I read that you could skewer the pile with PCV to increase the airflow. I drilled some holes in mine and put them in. So far, nothing much has happened except some settling - but it is very early.
I guess I am wondering if this is really a replacement for turning the pile. And if not, is it even much better than just letting the pile sit there? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| I have, but do not think that it is a substitute for turning a pile. Of course, everything will break down eventually even if it is just piled up and left on it's own. So much depends on how soon you want it and how much you want to caress it. ":^) Depending on how you set your pile up, the perforated PVC pipes could help the pile drain if you had lots of rain and getting water logged and soggy were a problem otherwise. I could not tell much differenced at all when using them, quite frankly.
Bill P. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| Unless your compost pile is over 6 feet by 6 feet using anything for aeration is unneccessary since air infiltration will occur quite readily. If your pile is of smaller size and aeration is a problem check the moisture level since that is what will stop air infiltration. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| My pile is probably about 3x3x2.5 kimmsr...Are you saying that a smaller pile wouldn't even have to be turned? I kind of underestimated what it would take to turn a pile. I thought it would be much easier, and I am a young guy! Since the pile is "above the rim", the ideal way would be to restack it in another pile next to it, but I am not up for that task. That is why I thought the PCV was a good idea. Oh well, back to the drawing board, lol. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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- Posted by paulns NS zone 6a (My Page) on
Sun, Aug 19, 07 at 17:30
| The pvc pipe is that - a good idea. In practice it doesn't do much, in my experience. It only affects the material in the immediate vicinity of the pvc pipe. In a properly built pile - loose and damp, with coarse/dry materials alternating with heavy/slimy/wet - there's a convection system at work: a natural chimney effect, with air being drawn in from the sides of the pile and venting out the top. I think a compost pile is too dense for the pvc pipe to draw in air from the outsides and increase that chimney effect, and it brings in air only to material right around it. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| rutgers: It is quite a job to turn that whole pile, you're right there. I'm a pretty small middle aged woman, I do it, so I have confidence in your ability! You don't need to flip the pile all that often. Doing it at all, even once a month or so, seems to work wonders. I try to do it after it cools down, about once/week. In this ungodly heat, it's only been every couple of weeks, but I think it helps the effort a lot. Grass clippings are a major ingredient for me, but the lawn has pretty much stopped growing in this drought (as in brown and crunchy), so my compostables have been cut dramatically this summer. For me, turning not only serves to aerate but also allows me to moisten it as I build. I dries quickly in this heat, and you can't moisten it adequately from the top. But, even if you never turn it, it will turn into compost on it's own, in it's own due time. Good luck to you. Let us know how you make out. Once you're bitten by the compost bug, you'll enjoy playing around with it. Most of us are hooked and happy. Karen |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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Do you have a tiller Rutgers 1 ? If so, after the pile has gone through one heat cycle you can run your tiller into the pile and do an excellent job of tearing the pile up, grinding, mixing and aerating the pile. That also gives you the opportunity to make sure that it is uniformly moist throughout and add additional material as if you have any to add while piling it back up.
It is the easiest way to handle it for me.
Bill P. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| On a pile that size, another thing that can do a fair job of mixing it is a bulb auger. It's like a giant drill bit that is designed to make holes for planting tulips and so forth. I think there are several sizes. The one I have is 2 ft long and about 3.5 inches in diameter. I've never planted tulips with it, but it does a good job at mixing compost. |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| I love the visual of attacking the pile with a tiller! Thanks for all of the ideas everyone! |
RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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O.K. here is a couple of visuals for you. Enjoy!
Bill P. 
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RE: Ever skewer your pile with PCV pipes?
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| A while back, when much younger and more fit, I used to turn my compost and then found that if I did not turn them they finished anyway, so I no longer bother with that extra work. Turning your compost could result in finished compost in 14 days if you are aggressively managing those piles, but I get finished compost when I need it even without turning. |
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