To Compost or not to Compost that is the question...

I'm with ya, folks. Yesterday I had to chop a hole in my pile with a spade to make a deposit. Then put the frozen block right back on top of all the goodies. Like Audrey says, it'll all come together in the spring. Not sure how much snow we're getting here yet...we're right on the edge of this thing & it keeps waffling.

CC

Zmoore wrote:You are all cordially invited to services being held for my deceased compost piles.
They passed away this week after a valiant fight against sub-freezing temperatures.  They will be buried this weekend under a predicted 2' of snow.    

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I refuse to give up on you and your compost pile, Zmoore.  I predict that it will rise from the "dead" as I believe it is not dead, just resting.

I have never had a pile die....they just go dormant I think! Lol! In spring, the little buggers come out of hibernation and do their thing!

Here's an older post regarding compost piles in the winter. Sounds like they "hibernate" like the rest of nature. https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t9232-how-do-you-handle-winter-composting-like-in-snow?highlight=snow

Rest in peace 
Picture from Saturday.  Tumbler on far left, then screener, then a big hump which is both my compost piles side by side (keep each other warm? not), then last little hump is my stock pile.  
You can see the tops of 3 stakes in my yard leading out to the piles.  That's were I was planning on consolidating my garden boxes too, that project has been moved back due to budgeting.  Anyway, by the time it was over you could not see the stakes anymore.  Got about 17" total of snow.  Be awhile before I can even go out and stir the piles back up.  
Off to read Sanderson's "hibernating" post.  Hopefully they'll "wake back up" in time to finish before spring.

Thank you for the wonderful snow photo. I love them since I don't get snow.

That is a lot of snow! Pretty....unless you have to go somewhere, Lol! Your piles are just sleeping! They like the snow, nice blanky....nighty night!

Sanderson here's one for you

Can you post this under Holy Snow Batman! ?? That way they will be all together. I'm fascinated where the earth slumbers, getting ready for outstanding spring-summer plant life. Thanks

I had to dump the kitchen waste into my tumbler today and it's full of worms!  Best I can figure, I think I grabbed a few pitchforks of browns out of my active compost pile and mixed it in with the nitrogen rich kitchen waste.  They must have had worms and or worm eggs in them.  

It's working fine since my tumbler isn't heating much.  There is some steam when I open it up but it's not hot to the touch, so the worms are at work inside of there, lol!  That should be some good stuff when spring rolls around 

MY tumbler never gets / got hot, does get warm to the touch and steamy under the right conditions.
I fill it with kitchen waste during winter, then in spring sometime transfer it to the larger piles outside.
Still, gives me a connection with the yard in winter.

NICE, Audrey.Jeanne!!

AJ, What a nice bonus!

Winter Compost experiment update.

Finally got to see my piles again after about 2-3 weeks due to snow.  I missed them in a silly sort of way or missed "playing" in them.
"hump" on the left is older pile, over 3 months now, hump on the right is newer pile, over 2 months now.
 

Temperature check, not good.  The thermometer is in the "new" pile at about 2 months and I'd like a little more warmth in that one at this point.  Down to about 50, which admittedly is warmer than the ambient temperature of about 35 degrees at time of "flipping".
 

Flipped the piles to stir them up and hopefully get some air into them that may help with decomposition.  Took this picture after flipping the old pile.  Material is looking really nice, smells good, moisture is good, definitely a good portion of usable compost in that pile.  Still have a couple months for it to sit, so I think I'll get some good stuff out of that one.  New pile... little chunkier still, not sure it will make it, but I think it can be ready in 2 more months as well.

When you need to start using it, sift what you want and return the chunkier bits to to pile or to start a new pile.  There will be enough microbes and such to give it a good start.

I reckon some of my Chunkies have had several reincarnations, getting smaller each time and doing their bit for each new pile.

I used to use a quarter inch mesh to sieve, then I changed that to using a one-inch mesh or half-inch mesh and it all went through much more quickly.  If I needed some finer stuff for seed starting, then I used the quarter-inch.

Interesting read for those of us in the Frozen state!

http://www.gardensalive.com/product/how-can-you-keep-compost-cooking-when-its-cold-out/you_bet_your_garden

Scorpio Rising wrote:Interesting read for those of us in the Frozen state!

http://www.gardensalive.com/product/how-can-you-keep-compost-cooking-when-its-cold-out/you_bet_your_garden

As a lazy composter I can attest to the great job these guys do, along with the foxes:
"Super-hot crab, shrimp or lobster waste would work even better; but you'd have local cats and raccoons turning your pile for you. "


And I love the idea of using concrete reinforcement wire for tomato cages and then later for compost during the winter. I just can't figure out how to get the wire from the store to my house on the cheap. My little Prius just won't do it.


Great article, SR.  Thanks for sharing it.


CC

Yeah, I am a lazy composter too, I have a straight up pile, no sides. CC, I thought of you hauling buckets of seaweed home when I read that! Lol!

Scorpio Rising wrote:Yeah, I am a lazy composter too, I have a straight up pile, no sides.  CC, I thought of you hauling buckets of seaweed home when I read that! Lol!

Yup, I bring home lots of shells, a few skate eggs and horseshoe crab shells with each load. And when the summer neighbors come every year they all seem to have to have numerous lobster parties. I've trained them to save all the leftover lobster and clam shells, along with all the rest of the leftovers from the parties, for my compost pile. It's wonderful!

Question:
Two of my grandkids have a pair of pet guinea pigs. Can I use the dirty bedding from their cage in the compost pile? Mrs TD says no way.

Of course you can, TD. No different from rabbit I would think.

Really, it is not "dirty", just ready to be added to your pile.

TD, yes, poo from any non meat eater is OK for the most part!

Do guinea pigs eat meat? I thought they were vegetarian.

KJ ... They are strictly vegetarian except when they decide to take a nip out of a finger when you are holding them.

trolleydriver wrote:KJ ... They are strictly vegetarian except when they decide to take a nip out of a finger when you are holding them.

That takes care of the blood-meal requirements then.