Anyone know how to make good compost from ...

[gh1950]

On the OP get some Black Cow or Cricket Crap or similar and mix in with your materials. If acts as a starter, just like making sourdough bread.

Also just a little high nitrogen fertilizer will accelerate the process. Wkem composts gets "hot" it's because of nitrogen activity, but as the process proceeds, nitrogrn is depleting. The stump rot stuff you see on the shelfs in high nitrogen to accelerate the decomposition of stumps.

 

[BIKER13]

tears of the statists

 

[lftd&pwrstrok'n]

I have been successful in keeping an ear out, and when i hear some cutting going on, locating the source, and offering to let them dump in my yard. Biggest thing they want is easy access, which I have. i think being "Johnny on the spot" is more effective than a anything else.

We finally got on the "list". They have dumped over 100 loads. I have moved tons of wood chips and still have a pile that is 15' wide x 100' long. I will never need wood chips again. Finally had to cancel them as I ran out of yard to pile it in.

 

[Horsehat]

We finally got on the "list". They have dumped over 100 loads. I have moved tons of wood chips and still have a pile that is 15' wide x 100' long. I will never need wood chips again. Finally had to cancel them as I ran out of yard to pile it in.

You will be surprised how quick it goes.

 

[Kahrnut]

I'm not putting cricket poop in my sourdough bread, don't care how good it works. I'll pay extra for poppy seeds.

 

[gh1950]

I'll pay extra for poppy seeds.

Where do you think the "poppy seeds" actually come from?

Real poppy seeds are used to make opium.

 

[lftd&pwrstrok'n]

You will be surprised how quick it goes.

We are in the process of doing a "Back to Eden" style orchard in the front woods. I have moved a few hundred bucket loads of wood chips for that. I have done a wood chip border down the fence on the property line to control the underbrush that can't be mowed. I have dumped wood chips in duck, dog, and chicken pens. Made a walk way between garden and pens. Given several loads away. They were dropping off loads faster than I could moved it. Of course, as it begins to compost, it'll loose 3/4 of its volume and I will need more.

 

[Horsehat]

We are in the process of doing a "Back to Eden" style orchard in the front woods. I have moved a few hundred bucket loads of wood chips for that. I have done a wood chip border down the fence on the property line to control the underbrush that can't be mowed. I have dumped wood chips in duck, dog, and chicken pens. Made a walk way between garden and pens. Given several loads away. They were dropping off loads faster than I could moved it. Of course, as it begins to compost, it'll loose 3/4 of its volume and I will need more.

We have 700 blueberry plants and 40 apple and pear trees. I listen intently any time I’m outside for the sound of the chipper.

 

[gh1950]

We are in the process of doing a "Back to Eden" style orchard in the front woods. I have moved a few hundred bucket loads of wood chips for that. I have done a wood chip border down the fence on the property line to control the underbrush that can't be mowed. I have dumped wood chips in duck, dog, and chicken pens. Made a walk way between garden and pens. Given several loads away. They were dropping off loads faster than I could moved it. Of course, as it begins to compost, it'll loose 3/4 of its volume and I will need more.

Emphasize again the wood chips really deplete nitrogen as they decompose. In the area where you are going to grow stuff, you should broadcast nitrogen. Walk ways, and such, no big deal.


Learned this the hard way. Chips actually pull what nitrogen is in the soil out of the soil, and stuff planted there will not thrive and will show signs of N deficiency.

 

[lftd&pwrstrok'n]

Emphasize again the wood chips really deplete nitrogen as they decompose. In the area where you are going to grow stuff, you should broadcast nitrogen. Walk ways, and such, no big deal.


Learned this the hard way. Chips actually pull what nitrogen is in the soil out of the soil, and stuff planted there will not thrive and will show signs of N deficiency.

Yes sir. You have to plant "nitrogen fixer" plants such as bean or clover as companion plants. You also plant below the layer of deep chips into the earth beneath.