Compost Isn't heating up

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Ridgerunner

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:hubba: I have compost bin made from wooden shipping pallets. I have filled it using leaves, hay, cow manure and kitchen scraps . My problem is it wont heat up past 90 f . Ive added more manure still no increase in temps. I have a 50 lb bag of cottonseed meal how much should I add to heat it up. it is a 3'x3'x3' pile (1 yard).:D
 
May need to purchase some bacteria for it to start faster. The wood might have been pre treated or bleached. Did you remove the nails from the pallets? I garden barefoot and boy that would suck.
 
The wood is not treated. I dont know about being bleached. Yes I pulled all loose nails out. Will see if I can find bacteria locally. I too garden barefoot except in july and august the ground is too hot.
 
Can you source alfalfa meal or pellets?

Alfalfa will get that pile hot in a hurry.

Wet
 
This document from UofM lists adding lime to speed up some breakdown.
hXXp://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3899.html

Although someone may question your reasoning for needing lime as a homeowner...:evil:


My compost is 2 years strong and produces black gold with no effort. I fill it, it drops a week later to 1/2 filled....every other week same process. I think you just may have low levels of bacteria in there. Add some sensizyme if you have it!
 
try some dry dog food, works for me
 
I also just realized that I add A LOT of old, extra, and wind fallen grapefruit to my pile. I always cut em in half too. Don't know how much it helps, it any. But now this thread has got me interested! :)
 
Pecan leaves lime some cottonseed meal manure and kitchen scraps is all I have added I am either going to add some cotton seed meal about 20 lbs or a commercial activator. I had it cooking to start with but the cover blew off and 2 inches of rain fell on it effectively killing it. I have had a hard time getting the temp back up. Ive add 10 5 gallon buckets of manure the temp went from cold to luke warm. added 4 buckets more no change. I am trying to use the berkley method to make fast compost
 
Yes, Pecan leaves take up to a year by themselves but combined with the right amout of green, compost can be made sooner . This batch must be finished by late March, planting time in my area. will post photo of compost pile today.
 
Added commercial activator and 5 lbs cottonseed meal.:icon_smile:

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If the mixture isnt wet enough, it will slow decomposition. Covering also helps and mixing every once in a while..... Having the pile in a sunny place all day will benifit as well.
 
IMO that pile needs some geeen materials. Pull it out and layer it back in with your material///green fresh cut grass/// ym///fcg//ym fcg. get a cheap 2 liter of pop let it go flat and pour it over the new repiled pile..
 
It is in a sunny location and I keep it covered with a piece of plywood until I turn it. Today I found out that Lime in a compost pile makes the mix too alkaline and locks out the nitrogen in the manure. I have a large amount of Manure in the mix Ozzy you are right there is no green material except black cowsh###. I added peat moss today hoping that this would make the mix more acidic and let the manure do its thing Compost piles are suppose to be easy, nothing like jumping off into something feet first. I have got alot of man hours in that pile. :hubba:
 
I have the pile at 130f will turn it every 2 or 3 days. Trying to make compost in 30 to 45 days.
 
compost in 30 to 45 days looked good on paper truth is if you turn often took 10 months to finish.
 
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