I had another post about finding an old compost bin. So I followed the advice, tidied it all up, added more stuff to the old compost and stirred it all up.
Is it possible to get this to be hot? Do I need more water, green or brown? Is this pile too small? I have a lot of greens to hand but brown is harder to come by until autumn.
by dumplingwrestler
9 Comments
Put a stripper pole in the middle. That makes anything hot.
More food scraps, make sure it doesn’t dry out (a light mist to slightly dampen the cardboard is all you need), and cover it with a tarp (preferably a black tarp). Bacteria love humid areas and food scraps, and protection from the sun.
I feel like OP is trying to bate us into saying piss in it…. lol in all seriousness the more ingredients you can add at once the easier it is to get hot IMO. I store sources of browns because they can store basically indefinitely and when I get a large source of greens (coffee grounds, manure, glass clippings) I mix them up lasagna style. If I have a pile going I kinda just make it a 3rd lasagna layer. Browns, greens, existing material, browns, greens, existing material…repeat).
A tarp isn’t necessary if the pile is covered, but I do think it could help and act like a blanket to trap heat in the pile. And food scraps will attract pests unfortunately, but in my personal experience they have never become a big issue. You may want to try the bucket method I mentioned. Keep your food scraps in the bucket with saw dust and a little molasses and then add them to the pile once they’ve broken down. Just keep a lid on the bucket. I can guarantee anything, but I think it’s worth a try!
Waaay more material. If you’re looking for heat, size matters.
Give her a blanket
Nettle manure
Coffee grounds, maybe a little molasses to get it really going.
Pee on it!