Why can't I compost?
by
Furbabymum
+29
I have poultry, chickens, ducks, peacocks, guineas and turkeys. I have LOTS of bedding from them. I use hay and shredded paper. I've been cleaning out the "coop" into a compost bin I actually have in the chicken run (pictured). It's unchanged. It looks exactly the same. What am I doing wrong? The pic is from when I first started it. I let the chickens in to dig it up for me every so often. Is it took dry? Is it...well what is wrong with it?
Composter just created.
This pic is a poor representative but shows that I have a container the ducks like to splash about in. I toss that water onto the compost every once in awhile.
21 answers
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Best to do a soil test, probably needs lime. They say, chicken fertilizer is the best!
Adrianne C
on Feb 28, 2014
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Leave the paper out first off, compost works by heat and moisture. And paper takes the longest to digest. Open compost piles require a lot of material in order to work. I would suggest that you obtain a professional compost barrel that spins so you can rotate it on occasion. These devices can also be made out of a plastic barrel that has holes drilled in for air. simply go to your local tractor supply or where ever they sell compost units locally and copy it. Unless you can get a lot of material your compost pile will take a long time to digest to create something for your garden. Also a benefit of a barrel type compost unit you can throw all your veggie peels and that type of food waste in it. Leaving an open compost will attract other critters that you do not want around your home. Here is a great video from HD on composting. Personally I like the tumbler. http://howto.homedepot.com/videos/watch/773105716001/How-to-Make-your-Own-Organic-Fertilizer-with-a-Compost-Bin-The-Home-Depot.html
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Mar 02, 2014
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I agree, but there are several problems that may be preventing success. You definitely need a lot more mass. Such a small pile will be constantly drying out. Better sources of carbon (dead leaves, wood shavings etc) and some green materials too, such as grass clippings, and garden waste may help. The greater the variety of ingredients, the better the end result. Use your kitchen scraps (no meat, fat or dairy in that set-up though) Keep it moist, not wet. Slinging buckets of water over the compost will 'drown' the micro-organisms that do the work by knocking out the oxygen they need. Sprinkle water on your compost when necessary with a fine spray. A bin would be fine (helps protect against weather, scavengers, etc) and a small book on composting. There are also plenty of good web-sites that will give instructions and advice. The 4 essential requirements of composting are " water, air, carbon, nitrogen". Make sure they are all present and you will be fine. Good luck.
Barbara Moss
on Mar 02, 2014
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Agree, you are lacking "mass", add more grass clippings, leaves, etc to the pile including your chicken poop, veggie parings,egg shells etc. And sorry, Woodbridge, but those spinning compost barrels are useless. Usually the opening is too small to add materials easily and too small to get any finished compost out easily. Plus they get so heavy they don't "spin" worth a hoot. Nothing wrong with an open bin, you just have to add enough materials to get it to "cook" and they will, even in the winter if their done correctly. We have 3 bins made from recycled pallets and are seriously considering adding another one this year. There is never enough it seems. LOL
Catherine Smith
on Mar 02, 2014
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I have an open compost and it works very well. No more critters than there ever were. Do not put meat or dairy in it…that will smell and attract the critters. Add veggie and fruit waste; grass clippings, leaves and don't forget between each layer you need to put a little soil. Turn your compost on a regular basis and be sure to keep it moist but not wet.
Katie
on Mar 02, 2014
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Your Compost needs more work. That's all. More green, more manure, more water. Better to build high, then turn it over to allow air in. I use shredded paper in mine too. Just not alot as it tends to solidify into one mass. I use my rabbit manure and hay bedding then add grass clippings and chopped leaves. When spring comes I will turn it over to lighten it up and add air to " cook". I have 4 pallets that I use as my composte frame. Wire did not work for me. Garden Cynde
Cynde Synakowski
on Mar 02, 2014
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You also need much more 'stuff'. It needs to be a lot bigger of a pile, like a meter (one yard) at least both high and wide. Also, to get it started you'll have to add some microbes, like a shovel full of your garden soil that will contain all the yeasts, algae, bacteria and micro-organisms. Once you get the pile inoculated with the exact right life forms for your particular conditions it will go like crazy. I use wire fencing, but sometimes you need to have black lumber wrap on the inside to prevent it drying out too much. Here's more; http://www.o-garden.ca/composting-instructions.html
Drought Smart Plants
on Mar 02, 2014
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Layer green then brown and don't forget to mix it up too. I have a vertically rotating bin but it is such a pain to empty and I always forget to spin it every week. I need to empty it and start over this summer. I also add compost starter in my bin.
Kelly S
on Mar 02, 2014
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It takes time to build up your materials. My compost bins takes about a year to fill up and then break down. I also water mine in the dry months and turn it over with a pitchfork both of which helps the compost to work. It needs to heat up to break down.
White Oak Studio Designs
on Mar 06, 2014
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RELAX. There is nothing wrong with your compost pile....it just needs more.... pile. :) Composting is a natural phenomenon—it's decomposing; you're just helping it along a bit. You need materials that are considered both "Green" and "Brown"..... Green organic matter will keep your compost moist and also heat things up. A cold compost will take forever to decompose. You will be able to feel the heat coming from the pile when it is properly "cooking". Brown organics consist of dried leaves (chop them up with the lawnmower instead of leaving whole so they will decompose faster). Chipped bark from twigs and limbs, straw (but not hay, because hay has weed seeds) dead vines, etc. Green organics are your grass cuttings (PERFECT for heating your mulch pile up quickly!) Just make sure there is no chemical fertilizer treatments on it. The heat the grass generates will also keep odors down. A properly cooking compost pile will have no sour smells. Kitchen veggie scraps and peelings, egg shells, coffee and tea grounds are great to use, but make sure you bury any food scraps in the middle of your pile so it won't attract animals. NO meat products. Animal manure from any animal that does not eat meat. No dog or cat poo! Chicken and horse manure contain high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. No need to add lime if you are using these manures. When your compost is decomposing and breaking down properly, you'll need to turn it to rotate the materials around and be able to use your new soil.... just take a pitch fork and poke it in, turn it over to the side and keep working your way down until you have another pile next to the pile you started. (You'll actually be working two piles next to each other.) Then your composted new soil that's left at the bottom will be ready to use! This method takes about 3 months. You can also just leave everything in one pile and keep piling on top. Then leave it til the following spring to use. Adding a lot of grass clippings will help your compost pile a lot and get you started on your way. Two things to look for to tell if it's working properly is...: if it's hot; ...on cool days you will actually be able to see steam rising from the pile.... and secondly, you will also start seeing a lot of little red worms living there, eating and digesting and making wonderful black worm poop! The sign of healthy soil is WORMS!! :) Hope this helps you get things cooking out there!! P.S. That's a great lil' duck pool you've created, you can also use those blue plastic kiddie pools that are fairly inexpensive to pick up at yard sales or clearance sales at the store. Just build a little ramp for them to get in over the sides. (We used concrete blocks to make steps...they're so cute waddling up and down the steps!!!)
Bonnie
on Mar 08, 2014
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I find it helps to dig the soil up under the composter and wet it down to encourage the worms in the ground to come up where you have thrown your compost material. It is not only a process of the rotting material but a playground for worms who will break the compost material up. All vegetable & plant waste, leaves, shredded paper, sod, and hay can be used. On top of dry material, add a wet layer, this encourages the worms to head toward the top of the composter, breakdown the material and turn it into the finished product. I don't turn my compost pile, but place corn stocks down the middle of the pile for easy watering. Be patient. It will take one year. Don't let the pigs into the pile, they will eat all the good things you require for compost. Also, I'd compost your manure separately as it is a very hot product and not something worms thrive in, at the beginning of the process.
Libby Yuewhoo
on Mar 08, 2014
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Everyone is giving good advice! I started my 8' x 6' x 6' wood and wire compost bin in my new house/yard a year ago with mostly dried leaves, twigs and overgrown clippings from a very messy yard that hadn't been maintained in years. By the end of the year my compost bin was almost full! I added grass clippings once things started greening up and that really sped up the process, but I'm envious of your duck/chicken manure :) Good rule of thumb is to keep your 'green' and 'brown' additions about equal to create heat. Your pile sounds like it needs more 'green' additions. I never turned my pile, but I added layers (like lasagna) of green, then brown, then green, etc. about 4" - 6" thick each layer. I also sprinkled my household food scraps in a layer instead of clumping them in the center. You could feel the heat coming from the pile in the cool of the mornings and I never had to water it because the moisture in the 'greens' kept things wet enough (even in the summer with 100 degree weather). My process took a year (instead of 3-4 months). It goes much faster if you turn it regularly :) My soil around here is cement hard clay and easily goes from way too dry to way too wet (and both are miserable to work in). We finally got some warm enough weather for the snow to melt and I turned my compost pile yesterday (which is now only 2' high) and under the top 3" of dead leaves, etc. it is a lovely dark brown rich soil that I can't wait to incorporate into my garden! Good luck with your composting adventure! Be patient and remember, compost happens even if you do nothing, but with the helpful tips from everyone, you should start seeing the fruits of your labor :)
Jennifer G
on Mar 10, 2014
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So it turns out I've been composting like a champ and had no idea. I went out to put more bedding on the pile. Decided to poke around in it to see what was up. It was steaming and completely composted in the middle. The outside, however, looks unchanged. Hence my confusion. So it turns out I'm awesome and I didn't know it. :P
Furbabymum
on Mar 18, 2014
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Now all you need to do if use a pitch fork or rake to turn the pile over pulling the good stuff to the outside and the outside and new material to the inside. There you are!
Kelly S
on Mar 19, 2014
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I think I would not let the chickens in it.... Go ahead and give them your dinner scraps, mine love spaghetti and meatballs. But I would throw the rest in the pile and maybe fence it off from them, letting them in only once or twice a week. And girl, rake that coop out and pile that stuff on. It is a fantastic source of nitrogen. We use pine shavings, which take a little longer to break down, but it makes a wonderful compost when finished.
Sheila
on Sep 06, 2014
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Use your horse manure.
Carole Alden
on Sep 06, 2014
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Yep....add your horse manure (including shavings if you have them in stalls or sheds with bedding), chicken manure, old bales of hay or straw (break 'em open and shake them out into layers in there) any garden trimmings. You can sometimes find rain damaged hay for sale or even for free. I posted a sign on the community bulletin board in my town and picked up peoples bagged tree leaves for free for them (they had to pay extra for the garbage service to pick them up so saved a few dollars this way and I got tons of leaves). I also was running a newspaper route and leftover papers in the sales boxes had to go somewhere (and the dump charged me for putting them there) so I tore them up and tossed onto the pile too. My pile was made of one of those 16 foot long, 54 inch tall welded wire panels used for cattle fencing....just pulled it into a circle end to end and tied the ends together with baling twine,....when it came time to turn the pile I untied the ends and moved it away from the pile inside and just reset it right next to where it had been and pitchforked the old pile into the new circle, turning it as I forked it....and adding a little water if necessary (NV is seriously dry so adding moisture was necessary now and then). In winter I wrapped and covered my pile with black plastic to help retain heat being produced and keep the pile from freezing more than necessary.
Dorothy
on Sep 12, 2014
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Buy the book by Stuart Campbell called LET IT ROT. It covers every possible problem. It's a tiny hand book, but very uplifting. Read it, your problem is solved. I've made compost from tiny batches to 3 truck loads of old hay. The basis is always the same. carbon, nitrogen and water. Book is available on Amazon Books.
Myrna Engle
on Oct 08, 2014
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I agree...pile it on...don't overthink compost:) Chopped leaves are your friend, also!
Marie R
on May 06, 2016
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You can't use all dry materials. Add green weeds and grass clippings, fresh veggie trimmings, manure, and water. They all help start the bacterial action and it will get HOT when it's working well.
Melissa
on Jul 18, 2016
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Yes, just keep adding. The pile doesn't look big enough yet to keep in the heat. Shoot for a four foot pile.
Lea Miller
on Jul 18, 2016
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