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Post by hoosierheightsfarm on May 14, 2008 18:02:35 GMT -5
I've been composting for a while now, and have had problems with big items (whole grapefruit, watermelon rinds, etc) still being left when I'm ready for it to be done. Do you cut these things up? I have a leaf shreader/chipper, but thought that was a little overkill.  So what should I do? Thanks, Patrick |
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Post by lavandulagirl on May 14, 2008 18:32:26 GMT -5
How hot are you running your compost, HHF? And when you say whole grapefruit, do you mean entire fruit, or the decimated halves after you eat breakfast? (If you mean a whole fruit... eat your breakfast, silly!  ) Cutting the large things up may help, and burying them in the hottest part of your pile. I keep a black plastic 55 gallon trash can for slow decomposers. I drilled holes in the sides and bottom, and I dump this kind of kitchen garbage in it, then layer with some browns, like wood chips and shredded leaves. Periodically, I dump out the contents, stir them, and re-can them. My grapefruit rind and corn cobs rarely last a whole season this way.
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Post by plantsnobin on May 14, 2008 20:20:27 GMT -5
Smaller particles will break down more quickly, and there is a difference between actively composting something and setting things aside in a pile to break down. If you want real compost quickly, chop things up a bit, keep it moist and with plenty of manure to get it going. I believe 'someone' once researched it and determined that the smallest a compost pile should be is at least 3x3x3 to adequately heat up and maintain that heat. And then of course you can turn it with a garden fork every couple of days for plenty of O2. If you really try you can get compost pretty quickly.
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Post by hoosierheightsfarm on May 15, 2008 14:30:32 GMT -5
Well I need it quickly. I'll cut it up I guess. And the "moisture" isn't a problem currently..... as you know.
I've found that using 10'x3' rolls of chicken wire, you can create a round compost cage that is a little over 3' across (pi r squared)
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Post by plantsnobin on May 15, 2008 14:41:47 GMT -5
You might want to cover the pile with a tarp or something while we are getting so much rain, it can leach out the good stuff.
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Post by hoosierheightsfarm on May 15, 2008 14:48:49 GMT -5
Ah, ok. Got plenty of tarps around here!
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Post by johno on May 15, 2008 14:49:07 GMT -5
If I were you... I would rig a sifter on the front of that raised bed machine of yours, and screen out the big stuff to start a new cold pile.
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Post by hoosierheightsfarm on May 15, 2008 14:55:02 GMT -5
That's a good idea johno. I've seen where some people have make a big A-frame type thing, that is wide enough for the tractor to fit between. Cover one side with chain-link fencing and dump dirt/rocks onto it, the bigger stuff gets caught and rolls down to a pile at the bottom, the smaller falls through, and they use the FEL to scoop up the small stuff from underneath.
I could add some chicken wire to the chainlink to keep the size even smaller. Good idea.
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Post by paquebot on May 18, 2008 21:34:34 GMT -5
Any whole citrus fruits should be cut up even if only quartered. Their skin is designed to resist bacterial action from the outside. If the interior of the fruit is exposed, it breaks down rather quickly.
For watermelon rinds, cut them into about 2x2 chunks. That's small enough to break down within reasonable time.
Martin
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) Cutting the large things up may help, and burying them in the hottest part of your pile. I keep a black plastic 55 gallon trash can for slow decomposers. I drilled holes in the sides and bottom, and I dump this kind of kitchen garbage in it, then layer with some browns, like wood chips and shredded leaves. Periodically, I dump out the contents, stir them, and re-can them. My grapefruit rind and corn cobs rarely last a whole season this way. 
