So I want to do a compost pile this summer, anyone know how long I should expect to wait before i can start mixing the end product into soil? Or I guess what im asking is does it take a very long time for microbes to break down organic matter into usable nutrients?
Many parameters come into effect when judging compost time.Temps,moisture content,material being composted,method of composting etc. So IMHO know one can accurately tell you how long it will take. The biggest mistake I see folks make is to keep adding fresh organic matter. Once you determine your method make sure you start 2 bins,piles,etc. One that has no new organic matter added and one you add all your fresh organic matter to. Also do your self a favor and take the time to research what organic matters are best for compost and what their properties are. HTH MGB
Yea I should have been more specific, would it be realistic to think i can get some usable material in one summer or would i be making an investment for the following year?
KY - it will help for you to read these pages from Mother Earth News. Compost Made Easy Now, another great way to do this is to first start your compost heap(s) and then once this is done to start a worm bin(s). You will be able to take partially finished compost that you wouldn't be able to use quite yet in the garden and let the worms finish it off for you - this way you know the compost has been finished and you gain worm castings as well - win/win IMO. J
The soil in my area has a lot of clay so im going to start conditioning a few areas for gardens, i figured compost would be a good place to start
Any organic matter you can mix in will help it out significantly - leaves, grass, hay, bark, whatever, get it mixed in! Get some truckloads of horse or cow manure - another great additive. J
I love the fact that my dad owns a fairly large dump-truck and bobcat lol, I can go bring in 15 yards of material at a time, then spread it np If you don't have one, just pay for delivery; shouldn't be more than $50, depending on how far the truck has to drive. Might be up to $75 if you're bringing in a double dump from a good ways away, though you can usually find a local with some equipment for cheaper.
My aunty keeps horses, I went to her stables and bagged up a 4 tons of horse shit and took it too my allotment it to be tilled into the ground..I also started up another compost pile 5ftx5ftx5ft. got a bail of straw, some got tilled into the ground with the horse shit and some went into my compost pile along with leaves and weeds from the allotment, I got it cheaper because it was in a mess to start with(£20 a year), I'm really looking forward to making it nice and be self sufficient with my vegetables and some fruits and generally give me something to do gardening helps with my depression and cant live without it