Two weeks ago I started a new batch of compost and this time I was going to adhere to the time table.. Try to anyway and everything was going fine.. The first things to be put in was the vine next to the porch, or as much as I could fit.. The next day was grass clippings, and this filled it up to over full, or snug full.. the week after was compost reaction time adding a few things here and there.. Labor day weekend saw the addition of a pumpkin that was rotting.. No bid deal, the time line was still good. Then Tuesday I checked another pumpkin, it had developed a pimple Monday and when I checked it, felt it, it was soft.. When it is soft after feeling hard until then it is in early stages of rot.. Adding that pumpkin to the compost pile (tumbler) through the timeline out of whack.. I needed some grass clippings so I set the platform on the lawnmower down a couple notches and grabbed the grass catcher and mowed a small up to the wall and back to get just enough clippings to cause a reaction in the pile to help get that nug pumpkin to start the compost reaction to go faster.. Checked it yesterday and thought since the timeline is screwed I might as well put more grass clippings in there.. So I bagged only the front.. What I didn't know was there was a nice amount of leaves and that made a great mix that when all is said and done should give a good combination to get the composting reaction to actually go faster.. My timeline might be about the same.. Wednesday will be when it gets dumped and also when the pumpkin harvest will be.. And also when the next batch of compost will begin with the cleaning up of the weeds that are growing like I wanted them to.. I know we are not in compliance with the control your damn weeds rules, but I had this coming Wednesday as when I will get things under control.. And to be completely honest I tried to keep the weeds under control early in the season spraying a home made concoction that had the warning "don't spray this where you want something to grow because it won't grow for quite some time".. And what that meant is NOTHING WILL EVER GROW THERE EVER AGAIN *except weeds, weeds will grow like a cash crop*... But isn't that just the way it is.. So I will put the weeds and weeds and more weeds into the new batch, then the next day mow and get the clippings in there and get the new batch to grow with the hopes that the pile core will hit the temperature that will render the weeds sterile.. That's the plan anyway..
Mostly since I can't get the tree and other stuff up to the tree dump I have devised a plan to bury them, and I think it is quite an interesting way to do this.. I'm going to bury them in all the planters.. Along the fence and that should raise the soil by a foot or so.. I come up with inventive ways to do things like that.. More organic planting that way.. Like using the small area by the gas meter as a good place where I dump the compost where it can become finished product.. I used some of that yesterday to fill in a dip in the lawn..
I added a fairly big piece of tree limb to the compost tumbler, not to make it into compost but rather to have it aid in keeping the compost from clumping up.. Just an experiment there.. Also I might try wood shavings from my brothers wood working.. Saw dust and clippings from his various toys that he is using to make things with. Might try that next year.. The idea is to use it as a drying agent of sorts, sort of like when people get out of the shower and use talcum powder to help dry certain areas of the body.. The compost from every other year I added water, but this year I stopped that practice, it has been wet.. Really wet which I think it is supposed to be, but then it clumps up so bad.. I'm yet to ever mack a batch that is nice and fluffy.. Fluffy... Anyway trying dried leaves which I now have plenty to help dry the batch and I'm yet to get it to be the way I want it to be.. Oh well it wouldn't be fun if it was easy..
Badge Henry
(P.S. I guess I should have said what the timetable is for compost.. A true batch should be started with all of everything that is going to be in it and not add anything else, should take between 14 and 21 days to complete.. The directions say 14 days, I've never had it be completely done in that short of time but it could be considered done and if you don't mind the earth doing the final week it is fine doing it that way. For me I start with a full tumbler of grass, three days later add leaves, then within the first week to ten days add other yard waste such as tomatoes that are in rot of some sort, pumpkins with rot... Whatever.. This week saw a pumpkin get added.. That threw my time table completely out of what, adding the grass clippings yesterday and hoping the pumpkin will be gone next Wednesday when I will bury it and let the area I have it in do the rest.. So far the "fluffy" compost that they show on the commercial hasn't been achieved but then up until this year I I thought you were supposed to turn it once or twice a week.. Turns out you are supposed to turn it every day and you have to do it or it will not work as oxygen is an ingredient that has to be in there to make it work and when it sits for very long that ingredient can't get in.. So the timetable can be two to three weeks.. )
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