Any compost experts?

[stroller]

I'm trying to make compost out of fym, I've turned it a few times and I've got mushrooms growing out of it. Too wet to turn for a few days now, is it finished or do I need to turn it again, how do I know when it's ready?

 

[Badshot]

It'll be done when it looks like the stuff you get in a bag from the garden centre.

 

[Brisel]

How compost is made - material, used, processing, parts, components, machine, Raw Materials

www.madehow.com

@martian @Simon C

 

[Wheatland]

I think the idea is that it's ready when you can no longer see what it's made of. i.e. When the straw is completely broken down

 

[honeyend]

Whilst turning it does aerate it , if you turn too often you lose the heat in the stack. If its not up against a wall I would cover in plastic and wait until its shrunk to half its size. This also stops it from getting over wet and the outside drying out.
In my experience the taller the heap and the more compressed it is, by its own weight, the quicker it makes the bottom third being the best. I use two walls so I can get it to alt least 12ft on soil. The worms do a lot of the work once it cools.

 

[Simon C]

Doesn't look like it has even started yet. Two things govern speed of breakdown, carbon:nitrogen ratio and moisture content. Get these right and it will heat up within two days and you have to keep turning it so it doesn't go above 70 C. Difficult to tell from the photo, but it looks quite dry and is there much straw in it, if not the there won't be enough carbon to balance the high N manure.

 

[stroller]

It was very wet and I added some extra straw to it, I couldn't turn it for a few days due to the rain then when I got back to it some looked burnt with a white ash. Should I keep turning it every few days until it breaks down or leave it alone now?

 

[Simon C]

Sounds like it got too hot, but not being able to get to the heap when it's wet can be a problem. What temperature is it now?

 

[stroller]

Not sure, I've only got one temp probe and that's in the wheat, I couldn't possibly use that for the compost, the red tractor inspector would have a fit.

 

[ollie989898]

To be fair, it is steaming and looks to be covered with fungal growth so it's decomposing one way anyway. What are you hoping to gain from composting it?

 

[Thick Farmer]

Just leave it alone for a few years. How often do you see gardeners turning compost in their compost bins?

 

[ollie989898]

Just leave it alone for a few years. How often do you see gardeners turning compost in their compost bins?

My wife does! You should see the composting setup in my garden, it's an industrial scale, the only thing missing is a loading shovel.

 

[Brisel]

My wife does! You should see the composting setup in my garden, it's an industrial scale, the only thing missing is a loading shovel.

Does it come with a family of rats? Mine does. She spent hours building a clamp out of pallets and posts & wasn't amused when I described it as a "rat hotel" Still, it was nice to have an excuse to make myself scarce for a few hours until she calmed down & it has kept the terriers amused for weeks.

 

[honeyend]

My home bins are made from pallets, three in a row, lined with plastic. Its not turned as such just stacked and stood on by me to compress it, much to the amusement of my old neighbour.
I have never had rats. When I use it I throw any dry uncomposted material in to the bottom of an empty bin, the rest is used on the garden, as I was on clay to a depth of 6" and not dug in. The worms, there are usually loads of red worms in it by then to finish the job, I run a no dig system. Any excess was given to the allotments in return for veg.
It takes a maxim of 6 months, if there is not a lot of straw, often only four, and if the material is well chopped. I have come to conclusion that turning compost is something devised by people with nothing better to do. On a small to medium scale there are far easier ways to do it. I tried them and on my system the results were better on mine.
I now do not give it away, its far easier to pay the muckaway service, they come when I want. They are always surprised how much my now well rotted medium sized heap weighs, by this time its shrunk by at least 3'. They leave me the bottom 3' for my roses.
Fungi tend to only grow on the outer layer of the heap where its cooler, you should be able to feel the heat through your boots. When its freezes I leave the hose pipe on the top of the heap covered in plastic, so if I need it first thing its not frozen.

 

[7610 super q]

Put it in a spreader, and spread it. We'll pretend this thread never happened.