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| I have recently turned my compost bin. I discovered two problems. First, the material towards the back of the bin had not composted very well. I believe the problem may due to the fact that a) it was quite dry and b)that the bin is fully sealed on three sides which may have prevented air from circulating. Would it be a good idea to partially rebuild the bin with gaps between the slats on each side? Secondly, I found ivy growing up through the material. This has never happened before although the other bins that I have are more open allowing air to penetrate better. Is it possible that with a better circulation of air/ more water the temperature would be hotter which would a) prevent ivy from establishing itself and b)help the composting process. Any help very appreciated |
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| Okay, lots of questions in there. Let me start with dryness. If too dry, not having air flow won't matter. Aerobic composting requires all of the 'ingredients' (air, moisture and food) to be present. Now having airflow in a well constructed pile is crucial (so slats or openings is always a good idea), it can lead to drying out so there is a trade off. Heat from an active compost pile can inhibit plant growth so a hot pile tends to not allow too much plant growth (cooks 'em). There are also various acidic properties associated with composting that can inhibit plant growth as well and these acids can also be present in a cool pile. Composting can be trial and error to some degree and people usually get the hang of it fairly easy. Try different things and see what happens. Lloyd |
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| Only the material in the middle (core) of the pile really gets hot (160 to 165F) in my piles. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say only the core has the necessary insulation (the surrounding compost) to keep the heat in, and allow for rapid breakdown of the core materials. The outer material of the pile breaks down at a much slower rate, in the first week. The poster did not indicate how large the pile is, a very important factor in getting 'hot' compost. An often-quoted point is that the bin size should be 3'x3'x3'; but that is only the min size. I like a 4' round diameter pile, 24" high. If a larger pile is desired, I make it 4'by8'by2' high. A hot pile does not have to be shaped like a square, fortunely for us with aching backs, because the dirt below acts to store heat also. |
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- Posted by ivorchristie (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 10 at 19:14
| Thank you both for your replies. I am a little confused mainly because I have created compost quite successfully in the past in well aerated bins about 3'x3'x3'. I have tacked two new bins onto the end of the others and they are not aerated and are about 4'x3'x3' and also have a better front to them so that I can store more. I thought the more the merrier and had left them for over a year and was surprised at what a poor result had been achieved. Also I built the new bins in horizontally built tannelised timber which is now more rotten than the old bins, I imagine because the timber has not been exposed to the air allowing it to dry out. I think probably a bit more trial and error is a good idea. And also to try to rid the surrounding area of ivy. Thanks and any more ideas very welcome |
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| I find that the material on the outside edges of my compost piles seldom gets well digested because, 1. there is too little moisture there to support the bacteria that will digest it, and 2. there is simply too much air present at ther edges to allow those bacteria to work well. That is the major reason compost needs to be turned, to get the undigested material that is on the outside of the pile into the center of the pile so the bacteria can digest it. |
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- Posted by louisianagal z7bMS (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 10 at 23:29
| I would not take the trouble to reconstruct the bins. I say don't sweat it. Probably needs a little moisture and turn it again soon. Just mix the ivy in with the turning and it will compost too. Monitor it a little more often if you can (depending on if you are in a zone where things freeze alot) and I bet it will be fine. Laurie |
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