4 Compost Heaps in 3 Bays, ready in 6 to12 months

[@abidhajher7076]

Charles, I finished and used my first compost not long ago and I owe it to the confidence you give to beginners like myself. Whenever I learn something from you it happens so easily, as if you were on a pilgrimage and I simply tagged along and followed while others were giving directions in another language. I honestly still pinch myself at how easy your methods are. Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful to hear Abid and thanks so much for sharing this. I am on a mission to help people see the simplicity of natural processes and work alongside them, as you are discovering! It is empowering and we all need that.,

[@sjobang]

​@@CharlesDowding1nodig Much thanks to you I have two bags of compost cocking, made from the leaves from my neighbors hedge falling on my tiled terrace. My neighbor doesn't care for anything good at all (it seems from my perspective), but so do I and next year I hope she will accept my compost as a replacement for the chemical fertilizer she terrorizes her neighbors with. :D

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

@@sjobang So nice!! 😂

[@arnaldospicacciminervini5155]

Hello Charles, Arnaldo from Sardinia, no dig year 2. What do you think of compost accelerators sold commercially? Kind regards, Arnaldo

[@rickthelian2215]

People put in a PVC pipe in the middle of the compost heap with holes drilled in to allow oxygen to pass through. I think the secondary part of it is that you can add water that will distribute the water around the compost better.

[@dominichook8423]

A grouse tip I got from a recent episode of Gardening Australia: Bash woody stems (like the sunflower stem) with a hammer or end of an axe. It opens up so much surface area for composting and is a lot easier then slicing them up as you can pile them up and do in bulk 👍🏽

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Dominic, great tip

[@openmind5973]

That is a grouse tip. I knew you were an Aussie before I got to, "episode of Gardening Australia". 🙂

[@tawseef3882]

You have made composting so simple...I had been thinking about compost making from many years but everyone out there had made it so complicated...It was only after watching you videos on this topic I finally motivated myself few months back and started a compost heap...thanks Charles 👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wow nice comment and great to hear!

[@karinvanspaendonk9917]

My love for composting is constantly growing, also thanks to you. I started a garden, some neighbors joined in carefully, but they were mainly afraid of the hard work composting makes. Well, it is a bit of exercise. And I love it. I am not letting anyone take that from me 😁

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great job Karin, I like your attitude 🏆

[@PlantGuild]

Great video as expected. In our urban home we add everything that is compostable not just from outside in the yard, but inside the house too! My wife and I have gone from 4-5 trash bags being picked up by the garbage truck each week to 1-2 bags after we went 100% into composting. I do believe a big misconception from a lot of people not familiar with compost is that it’s only for gardeners and people with lawns. We started with a plastic tumbler and were able to get 5 gallons of compost every six months. Now we have a 3-bin wood system and between our house waste and yard waste we get 15 gallons every 6 months. For anyone interested in compost just know it’s your house waste included! It’s a game changer.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful comment, thanks for sharing!

[@hedgecomber]

Making compost is so much fun, it feels like a magical and alchemical 😁

[@borqnaplashkov4385]

Very comprehensive! All the information you need to get started in one video! By the way, I think of my compost as a pet too. My Pile monster 😁

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 nice to hear!

[@jeanneamato8278]

You are definitely making this world a better place. SAVE SOIL.

[@19hoggy66]

I get so many 'volunteer' tomato plants from homemade compost!!

[@glgauge7999]

Charles, I would have kept seeds from sunflowers for the birds then compost what was left , very informative video, just started your no dig method this year ready for next year, finding it's harder to dig my garden now at 76 ,

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good tip! Thanks

[@deeh9495]

Thank you for another informative video. Your channel has changed my life. I now grow my own vegetables and planted fruit trees.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful to hear Dee!

[@ourcozygarden]

Always very informative Charles. While we can't do the same composting system at our current set-up (small, urban garden), we still learn a lot from your composting videos. Thank you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks so much

[@nickhammersonrocks]

DID ANYONE NOTICE THE CAMEO BY THE ROADIE FOR BLACK SABATH !!??? HE’S A SLIME MOLD AND TEETH MARK EXPERT TOO !!??? FASCINATING GUY !!!!!!!!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂

[@doyoueverstop]

You're absolutely right, I'm obsessed with our compost making. As probably everyone does, I poured over so many videos before I started and I absolutely agree 'now' that it can be made out to be a complicated process, which it really isn't. Everyone starting out in compost making, should watch this video.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear, that you see the simplicity!

[@grahamthomas411]

hi Charles with compost not up to scratch COULD I use my own compost to sow seeds in ?? thanks for your time and information 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes you can Graham, and you will need to sieve it

[@lelandshanks3590]

Very good info Charles, we have pallets, I'm putting ours together this fall, also making a worm bin.

[@nickhammersonrocks]

WHEN YOU HEAR MUSIC COMING FROM A COMPOST HEAP !!!!! THAT’S CALLED A URIAH HEAP !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

What a man! 🎶

[@Kirtonberg2]

I have a quick question. Maybe I have missed that information. I've seen in the video that the bays where covered with cardboard boxes. Do I need to do that all the time or only when one bay is finished being filled while it is "resting"?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes, only once at the finish stage, and it's not obligatory, it's mainly to keep in the warmth, also moisture in summer

[@seiashun]

Charles I absolutely love how simple and approachable you make gardening in general! It's not confusing or complicated, and makes me excited to do all this stuff, instead of fearing I'll mess up somehow. We moved into a new house about a year ago, and I made a garden from scratch just on our lawn using a lot of principles I learned from your videos, and I'm amazed how well it's been doing! Thank you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Music to my ears and well done you!

[@fanjiang9317]

Great video 😊I love composting. My problem is I don’t have a lot of green materials . I have a very small urban garden . I am afraid of using weeds in compost. I am going to start again when the leaves fall . Thank you

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great, and weeds + tree leaves = a nice mix!

[@mgt74]

Thanks so much Charles. I have a similar system for composting my garden debris. I just wish I had as much garden matter as you to make compost faster. I add a fair amount of coffee grounds from a local coffee shop to add volume. I used to have a horse manure donor…. But they moved on. To prevent rats I also use 2 small compost tumblers where I put most of my my kitchen waste along with any fruits or root vegetables that would attract rodents. I add compost worms to the tumblers (harvested from my heaps when they cool a bit). The tumblers basically become rat-proof worm bins (since the tumblers never got hot enough for me to make compost quickly enough without worms). I add pine pellets to absorb extra water in the worm tumblers. The worms survive the winters well in my climate (maritime temperate like yours, in coastal Washington state, US).

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nicely worked out Greg. Hope you find more material!

[@markshaw5835]

I really enjoy composting, it's so fascinating, I tried the cupboard round the side it really helped my heap. Just a question when u take the tube out the middle of the heap, do u fill it up or leave it empty

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Mark and I leave it empty for air to circulate

[@nickhammersonrocks]

WE WOULD FEEL WAY MORE DEPRESSED IF WE HAD TO BURY A COMPOST HEAP BEHIND THE SHED OR FLUSH IT DOWN THE TOILET !!!!!

[@kowalstwodagniau3553]

Dziekuke.moglsbym godzinami sluchac o komposcie.! Polska pozdrawia!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Jak miło!!

[@borqnaplashkov4385]

Greetings from Bulgaria! Much respect for Poland! You are a strong helper for Ukraine! You people are awesome!❤

[@GARDENER42]

I try to make sure my compost isn't layered, as a homogeneous mix of materials seems to keep its heat linger & break down faster ( I do use a LOT of shredded cardboard but still see consistent temperatures over 60°C). Any woody stems go through the shredder first & believe me, it works, just like Charles says. As for moisture, I use recycled beer... The dumpy bags used by builders for sand, gravel & ballast are great for storing compost prior to use, as they're free & allow a limited amount of air into the material. Be aware though that they are NOT usually UV stabilised & thus at some point become fragile & start shedding plastic fibres. Mine go in the plastic recycling at that point, in the hope they don't end up polluting somewhere in Africa or Asia.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice job!

[@woutmoerman711]

Recycled beer 😁. Never called it like that! I use recycled coffee for the same purpose.

[@florahibernica]

Decent compost is a space hog, though, isn't it! No problem in a larger site, but I'm counting myself lucky to finally be able to fit two bays in my latest garden, not a hope of three. So I'm just turning it over, it's slower and there's a bit of sorting and sifting involved when it comes to using it. Maybe a shredder to make the ingredients more consistent would reduce that. But it's way better than when I had a smaller garden without even the space for two. We could all use more close-to home community composting that could work on this scale for a street or a neighbourhood.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good luck with that :)

[@annemcguire7792]

Hi Charles, Thanks always for your informative videos. I haven't noticed any evergreens at Home Acres. What is your opinion of adding things like pine needles, cedar hedge trimmings or bits of fir or spruce to compost? Thanks from Toronto

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Anne and in small measure is fine, say 10% if total additions, chopped small if possible eg by lawnmower

[@dunners664]

I set up a 3 bay system in March based on your videos, the compost is now ready to use on my new beds! Amazed by the speed at which it happened! Thank you for making your videos, Charles!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice work! 💚

[@zimmermanlandscape9287]

An alternative to sieving compost before spreading is to sort the chunks of wood onto the pathway as you are removing bindweed.

[@thehillsidegardener3961]

It's funny, some of the tweaks you are now doing with your unusually dry and hot weather are exactly what we've been doing in our hot, dry climate - particularly walling it in with cardboard and also adding water (I remember many times Charles specifically mentioning the roof to keep OFF the water). We also have a dearth of green material in summer as it just gets too hot to grow many greens and we have to work hard to produce it, often by mowing back weedy neighbours' lots who are quite happy for us to do so. I will be interested to see how you deal with a very cold winter if you have one because I struggle to maintain any sort of activity in my bins over winter, especially since they are just pallette-sized and also not having access to any manure. The cardboard surrounds help there, too, but generally it is a problem and I mostly build my heap over winter but they only really kick off in spring.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing that and yes it is funny. I don't worry in winter to keep the composting process going because it's like fighting nature, and more than that we are simply not adding a huge amount of new material. It takes longer and that is fine

[@gbat6727]

Another great video. It helps to confirm some of the things I have been doing. Gives me some new info like the coffee grounds are green. One of my go too is the change in smell. I have small flock of chickens put there waste into a barrel along with reg compost items, is the smell once full let it sit then roll the barrel around. There is something about seeing it change from what it was to where it ends up. Even with our climate here in Ontario Canada harsh winters etc it works. Love my compost thermometer. Seeing it warm up also helps me see the process in the works. I can't always produce enough to for my whole garden but still saves me signficant amounts of money in the spring. I will be looking for you book to add to my collection.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's nice and thanks for sharing

[@DK6060]

Great content as always. Thanks to your tips I am producing two loads of really nice compost from a Dalek-style bin (that name doesn’t really translate in North America). I bought a shredder and it is incredibly useful for shrub and vines clippings, as well as small branches. I also include charcoal, some wood ash and rock dust. I would love access to animal manure but that isn’t an option for me in a city.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is awesome DK and congratulations

[@mariaeugeniapenacorrea5590]

Me gusta que acabas mitos! Bravo! Por favor un vídeo sobre tierra de diatomeas.

[@deniseinthegarden]

My garden allotment is all no-dig and I have a two bay homemade compost area plus a Dalek 😊. I have just turned my heaps and have found too much unchopped stuff so have just separated it to start again but I have some really great compost underneath so I am happy. 😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Well done Denise

[@andreeal6822]

Thank you for the video, very useful! I used to make so much compost using what was said in your book. Now I have ducks and chickens, not so much material for compost left, they eat almost everything! Still have 2 heaps going.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 that is different!!

[@socloseagain4298]

Hello good sir! Would you say that it's mandatory for the compost heap to be exposed to the sun? Becouse I started my compost pile early spring this year, but on a place where it's shady all year round pretty much and the process seems to be super slow even with not alot of material in it. 😥

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Actually it's fine if your heaps are in the shade because heat comes from inside, not outside. Maybe you need more materials to add :)

[@manuelrojas4483]

El mayor trabajo del huerto es para el compost.Buen compost,buenas cosechas 😅👌🏻🥦👏🏻👏🏻👏🥕🌸🐞Saludos desde Tenerife !!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Si si

[@TracyKonoske]

TY for your video's. Will start collecting pallets, and will expand from one bin to several. Following in your footsteps, keep leading the way!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful!

[@dustyacres]

Thanks Charles 😊 keep up the great work you do for us. Love to make compost. I find myself not using it the way I should 🤔 Can you do a video on the way you use it.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thankyou, and see this video for ideas kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5STfaWEd9qGn5Y

[@mamabear9511]

I needed this video at just this time! Thank you so so much for all your hard work and devotion to sharing. It is invaluable to those of us starting out. I greatly appreciate you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚 So glad!

[@SebastianFerenczy]

I love your compost videos! 😊 A few weeks ago I started filling my new compost (made of pallets) and it is getting close to full. The temperature is around 68°C. Will be interesting to see how long it takes for it to be finished compost here in Sweden where I live. The winters are cold here so I think the compost will most likely freeze. I have chosen to run all my compost material through the lawnmower to get everything into small pieces. I think that the composting will be completed faster this way. Am I thinking right or is it just unnecessary work?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is a good idea Sebastian for anything fibrous but I don't think you need to put the green materials through your lawnmower. I doubt whether the centre of the heap will freeze in winter and it should be amazing to use that next spring, or even before winter

[@SebastianFerenczy]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I'm so exited to see how it turns out in spring 😃 With the next compost pile, I will only run the fibrous parts through the mower and leave the green parts intact as you suggested. Will be curious to see if there will be any difference in the result. I might leave the thermometer inside the heap during winter to se what happens in the center of the heap around January - February when it's usually at its coldest here. Last winter, the coldest night I measured was -23°C.

[@rikahenderson9365]

Thanks for all your wonderful videos and for sharing all this information. I'm about to try my hand at composting yet again. I've collected pallets which are 3' x 4', with the slats running the 3' dimension. I'm wondering if you'd recommend building 3' x 3' x 4' tall bins, or 4' x 4' x 3' tall bins. My inclination is to go for 4x4 to build more heat, figuring I can stack my raw materials beyond the 3' walls and allow the pile to settle with time, but I dread having to rebuild the whole thing a second time if I guessed wrong. What do you recommend? Thank you so much!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Rika I would make a 4x4 heap because than you have more volume to generate heat. Just as long as you have enough material to keep adding because that is quite a big volume for a small garden, it's good for medium size gardens. And yes, it's feasible to go up higher because the level quickly sinks. Best of luck!

[@chrisgait5533]

Charles, Thanks for another great video. I suffer from CCS, compulsive composting syndrome and I have been known to go collecting horse and cow droppings from the lanes around us, fallen leaves and collect the debris from woodland fire precaution clearing. Just remember to leave sufficient leaves under trees for their own needs. NB* a word of warning, something that happened to me this autumn, Adders nesting in the warm compost, I won't be wearing sandals around the compost bays! Did you know they give birth to live young! Regards

[@andersonomo597]

'Adders nesting in the warm compost' OMG! I've had the odd rat and that was bad enough! Seriously, you have my sympathy along with my best wishes for you to stay safe!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wow! and cheers Chris

[@freelancewriter]

Does a compost bin require holes for drainage? Your answer(s) will be highly appreciated. Thanks.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

No need when they are on soil, which I recommend. Water can drain down. If on concrete, there must be slope (or holes) for any excesswater to escape

[@TheUntypicals]

If you have ants nest in your compost heap it can be ready in 2-3 months as they have better jaws than worms

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

In worm casts there are extra microbes :)

[@Peterrevell-Aotearoa]

Hi Charles, Co and followers. How do you get around using H4 or treated wood used in commercial pallets? I love the re-used pallet concept, the design works really well yet the compost will be sitting within treated wood. Raw un-treated wood will rot, What is the suggested balance? Thank you Peter, New Zealand

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good question Peter, and many pallets here are heat-treated without chemicals

[@pedroborrero3123]

Thank you very much for such valuable information. I love your garden. Do you know the composting methods of the Templars and Jean Pain.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Pedro and I do know the work of Jean Pain, which is more about using a lot of wood material and also his famous use of its heat. I find it a bit specialised to his situation, but lots to learn from it, he was amazing

[@federiconassetti7019]

Useful as always!!! I’ve just turned my 3 bays compost today after the winter. Snow has just made its disappearance this week 😅. One bay was filled with chestnuts leaves back in autumn and I found not much had moved since then (sad face)… I also dumped in the compost a fair amount of chestnut left over and I was wondering if you have had any experience with this? A fair amount of chestnuts started germinating and I wonder if that is a good thing or not….?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wastes from trees generally take longer than from say, vegetables, because of the woody lignins. I would use all of that, and not worry about new germination! It's all organic matter. In your cold winter, that result is not surprising!

[@CBRRCBFlash]

Hi Charles, great video! Thank you. I just have one question if I may, I have worms working away in my compost bins which I started a couple of years ago, I haven't accumulated enough to use on the beds yet, but when I do, should it all go on worms and all or do the worms need sieving out and leaving in the compost bins? Thanks in advance! :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Corinne, actually I would spread that compost when it's just a year old, you don't need to wait so long - and spread the worms as well! They will carry on doing some work on the sol surface and then leave some eggs in the soil to hatch more little worms at some point in the future. See if you can find more materials to add to your heaps as well, from perhaps tree leaves at the moment which often are available nearby

[@jemroberts6507]

Strange question. I have large numbers of C-shaped bug larvae in a pile. Breakdown nearly anything bar shredded twigs into a fine mixture pretty quickly but is this actually compost? Been sieving them out (putting the larvae into the next pile of raw material) before spreading the finished material onto beds.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Interesting, am not sure what they are but am glad you are not panicking!

[@einfachgartnern3866]

Thank you very much for your fantastic work.

[@janaetrojan4469]

Thanks from Idaho, USA! I have been wanting to start making compost for awhile now, so this came to me just in time!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful!

[@bancroftfarm7460]

Thanks for not putting too many adverts in this video, much appreciated! Surprised you didn’t mention the pyralid problem?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you noticed! Yes that problem persists but I sound like a broken record if I keep seeing every time and in every video I make, there are a lot more things I wish to say but if I said them all, each video would be an hour!

[@rubyquinonez5966]

helloooo mister charly! muy interesante todo sobre la composta yo tengo inquietud por fabricar mucha de esa! dime! tienes criadero de lombrises? me gustaria saber como hacer que unas biscosas limbrisitas nutran parte de mi jardin! tienes algun video sobre eso?....oye que lindas piernas😉😉!😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

¡Gracias Ruby y yo tenemos una granja de lombrices pero es muy pequeña! Estas bahías de compost se convierten en "granjas de lombrices" porque cuando se enfrían y el compost ya está medio terminado, llegan muchas lombrices.

[@joanies6778]

Thank you for breaking it down, no pun intended. I had no idea I could put marigolds or sunflowers with seeds in the heap. I have been throwing away my weeds and big borage plants that were full of seeds. (They grow everywhere!) Time to rethink my strategy!

[@DK6060]

I think that heap size and temperature are key. I have a smaller pile that rarely gets above 120F and seeds will not reliably decompose below 130, so I cut seed heads off, particularly for problem weeds.

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Thanks for all the tips Charles. You are a mine of information! I love making compost and the sweet smell when it's ready. I had to water both my heaps this summer, they got too dry even though there was a lot of green.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes amazing! and thanks

[@pamelaadams3649]

I made my first compost heap by just making a pile that wasn't even contained and just covering with cardboard. I let it sit for 4 months wetting it occasionally if dry. It turned into a pretty nice pile of compost in the end.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

🏆

[@tracyholmes9605]

Hi Charles. Can I compost spidermite damage foiliage? Bad year of it this year😩. Such a shame to waste all possible compost material but wanted your advice. Great channel and thank you very much

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I compost that Tracy, they never survive!

[@scottm3055]

Thanks Charles for another great composting video. Wondering if you monitor the fungi/bacteria ratio in your heaps so to have a compost that suits either vegetative or woody plants. Thanks

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I don't do that. In my view that's an unnecessary complication! Plants can sort themselves out fine without us intervening to that level of specification, in my experience.

[@ak1ca763]

Love the videos, same setup as you have there but my compost is getting to hot over 180f, I know that will kill beneficial bacteria, but when the pile cools down I assume beneficial bacteria will come back ?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes they will, takes a while especially for fungi

[@cheesadavila7945]

Thank you so much for your videos! I just started making compost. I did hear today that I shouldn’t put tomatoes, tomato plants or pepper plants in my heap due to blight. I put a whole bunch of that in my bin. Do you think I should get rid of that and start over? Thank you Charles

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great Cheese. The person who told you that does not understand blight disease because the spores die once leaves have decomposed. I know from experience. It is totally FINE to compost all those plants, just cut or break them into pieces so they bed down.

[@627hjc]

Something that has helped me is having a good pair of shears that I use to cut all my greens down to make a nice 'green mulch' that I use for my layers.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice and eco 💚

[@garthtohms5489]

Great video, as always, I am curious, I have what appears to be finished compost, but I do not plan to use it for a while and it looks like it is drying out, should i keep it moist? Can I just keep adding to it? IS there any harm in top dressing with not quite finished, or compost that hasn't been aged? Thanks!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Go for it Garth, I would spread it, soil organisms will eat it and decomposition continues

[@backtonature433]

Thanks for sharing, I hope one day I can buy a copy of your book sir Charles, probably when I come home to my motherland, and apply all your principles in gardening specifically the composting🙏🤗🤗🤗💚🌱💚

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds good! Hope you get the trip soon :)

[@backtonature433]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you so much sir🤗🙏🙏🙏💚🌱💚

[@gypsygem9395]

Good morning Charles, thank you for the video! One thing I think you forgot to mention was covering. What do you suggest? I did notice the corrugated iron in the video, do you cover the whole heap? At the same time I noticed the cardboard in the middle bay. Is that sufficient as a cover, or does the heap need to be protected from rain?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

So right! Card is to keep ,moisture in during the summer, yes corrugated against rain when wet. Over the finished heaps only

[@dwighthires3163]

I absolutely love watching your teaching videos. Every time I learn something new. Thank you for taking the time to explain each step.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are so welcome Dwight

[@traceygoodwin8685]

65° heat in the big compost bays? Ground source heat pumps are so expensive to install. How about a compost source heat pump for heating your hot water for the house?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I get your idea however that would be taking heat which the materials use to break down, so it would slow the composting process. There's only a small amount of 65° heat!

[@JohnnyMotel99]

The only thing I’d add to your great advice, would be to use a rotary mower to slice up a pile of leafy greens. It would help to accelerate the breakdown and result in less large chunks. Oops I see you mention the mower method!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great idea indeed! 😂

[@metubewot]

As always Charles, an excellent video. I got the book you showed too. An excellent bedtime antidote to everyday stresses. Thank you.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's nice Ian

[@SimSpark1]

Hi dear one, if i would use these palletsiwould get the local esthetics commissions and my landlord after me... Isrockwool a good starter material witheoodchips compost for my Marron mushrooms? And i want to use and old truck of a pinetrees which root is still in the ground and slowely deteriating..I want to try to grow some other species mushrooms on there..is that the right compost or should I treat it differently before i put the spores in the deteriating parts?!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 and I don't know Simone

[@crabmansteve6844]

This may sound odd, and I 100% understand nobody else will probably ever do this, but I have had success taking a small bit of finished compost and culturing it in liquid, and I've found that when adding new material or starting another pile, a heavy spray of my homemade "compost starter" really inoculates the pile very quickly. You can get a closed compost container and very quickly compost meat and animal parts/food scraps this way as well. You must be careful and check your culture if you're ever going to so something like this because it's really easy to culture the wrong things and they can harm your compost or even yourself, for example if you accidentally grow a lot of e coli.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Is cool, others say they do this, nice work

[@gloriakelley7383]

Thank you sir!! I have a “pile” in two corners of my small garden that I just add too letting nature do it’s thing. But I want to do what you have done to speed up the process for spring. Thank you for your simple instructions. I really want your book.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is nice Gloria, and I hope you succeed to speed it up!

[@gonzozopox308]

And again, an indeciduous inspiration for all the enthusiastic compost making lovers out there. Thank you very much for your ongoing, encouraging, experienced and calming way of shedding & sharing light upon all the myths, that sometimes clouding the joy of gardening.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks Gonzo!

[@amandar7719]

With the Dalek bin this year I used the drill and a long, 3” wide plant auger bit to turn the compost, saving the back, every three days for a month. It rebooted the heat, too. Saved the composting material in old inside out compost bags with a glug each of worm and leaf mould tea and dotted them around the veg beds to dump out when needed. Particularly useful as a light mulch around summer/autumn transplants. Full of earth worms. Didn’t make much this summer due to drought. 🥲

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@Ivolga-ir]

Привет! Спасибо за вашу науку. У нас за участком пустырь, на котором растет много золотарник канадский (solidago). Читала, что он выделяет токсичные вещества для других растений, подавляют рост других растений, даже сорняков. Можно ли использовать золотарник в компост хотя бы в небольших пропорциях?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

С удовольствием, спасибо за ваш комментарий. Да, конечно, можно много чего добавить в компостную кучу, только порубить, если на большие длины. Есть разница между тем, как оно ведет себя в куче, по сравнению с тем, когда оно растет, и я не верю во все это о том, что одни растения угнетают другие. Многие люди говорят мне, что Флоренс Фенхель - плохой компаньон для всего, но мой опыт говорит об обратном!

[@MarkM5MDH]

Its interesting to see how quickly a compost heap reduces in size - a few days and what was filled to the top with material has shrunk considerably.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes so true, a slight downside!

[@DarrenBlues89]

Will compost heaps perform better in sun or shade or is the difference marginal? Thank you Charles

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Both! The difference mainly is that a sunny side tends to dry out and using cardboard is especially helpful then.

[@mariakraska5738]

"kreatywność i zabawa" - to jest piękne 👍 pozdrawiam 💚♥️

[@gpmmc999]

Thankyou for the videos, I'm just starting a no dig organic no animal input allotment and was wondering is the compost going to be any good not using animal products?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes it will, most of mine is that. Not by choice but I happen not to have animal wastes at the moment, is fine

[@deinse82]

Can you compost Russian tanks? I have a farmer friend in Ukraine who's running out of space to put them.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh dear, that is mad! I wish

[@franksinatra1070]

Love you compost videos :). I'm fortunate to have a big enough yard that I usually get a lot of grass clippings. Sometimes I even cut my neighbor's lawn for him since he doesn't treat it with any chemicals. I'm much braver after watching your videos than I used to be about putting more woody materials in my heaps now. I put hedgings from my shrubs, perennials, vines from my pole beans, etc. As long I mix in enough grass clippings the pile heats up and everything breaks down and makes great compost. The one thing that I find that makes turning easier is having the bays facing one another. It makes it less awkward getting the material from one bay into another IMO. Thanks Charles.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Frank and that's a nice tip!

[@shelliejax6527]

Thanks for this. I have dalek bin and I'm filling it with bokashi along with the usual browns and greens in layers. I do have a lot of trouble turning the bin with mobility issues so do you think it would still make good compost if I didn't turn it but left it longer? I do poke it with a pole when I add material but I just can't turn it without injuring myself!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Shellie and yes fine, it just takes longer, is nice in the end!

[@1Lightdancer]

Peter Chan who brought raised beds to Oregon in the 69s/70s suggested putting a pipe in the center of the heap, and rotating it a bit occasionally for that aeration. He had beautiful mounded beds with stones they removed whilst prepping the beds for the paths. They did use a spading fork, but pretty minimally!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice history!

[@windriderfarm]

Great information. I am going to try the cardboard on the inside of our compost bins. We had a terrible drought, and a three-week long heat wave this season here in the U.S. where we homestead. Using the cardboard as a bin liner would have helped immensely with keeping the compost moist. Thank you for the useful tips.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@lisabevans8107]

Ty for once again solving a problem for me Charles. I've been tearing up my cardboard, but I also need to line the bin. It's been so dry here my compost has been hard to keep up with. Ty so much.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad to help Lisa!

[@lisabevans8107]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig 🙂

[@nikki_noo]

And also is there anything you CANT put in. I heard you mention lemon peel so guessing all fruit is ok?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes all good, literally!

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Hi Charles. I think I made a mistake in my compost and now i'm afraid it is too late. In spring of 2021 I filled my compost bin (4 pallets type of bin) with pretty much the right ratio of browns and green. About 60% brown, 30% green and 10% high green of a good variety of ingredient. The problem is, I made a huge mistake. I added 3 full buckets of wood ash. I was in a rush cleaning the property, I had no idea where to put the ash.. I dumped it in my bin thinking to balance it later on, but forgot, and mixed the whole thing. Now there are 3 full buckets of wood ash in my compost, which otherwise looks amazing. I'm afraid I dumped way to much ash in there and it might ruin my PH. Now its too late I spread the compost on my beds already for next spring. I was wondering whats your opinion on my situation and if there are any fiixes I could make? Thank you. Keep being amazing :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and I would not worry at all about that and I don't see any issue with pH. You might have read things that concern you but there's a lot of false information. Some people spread ash directly on the soil and that can work but I feel it's better translated into compost.

[@Im-just-Stardust]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig You reassure me SO MUCH! I was highly worried. Thank you Charles :)

[@krystynanowak4399]

Dziękuję za wszystkie filmy, to niesamowita kopalnia wiedzy! Swoją przygodę z no dig zaczęłam dwa sezony temu co oznacza że zupełnie inaczej podeszłam do kompostowania. Już nie mam odpadów lecz materiał do kompostowania, dodatkowo od sąsiadów działkowych biorę skoszoną trawę czy zgrabione liście z ich działek. Miesiąc temu gdy koszono przyległy wał przeciwpowodziowy zgrabiłam i przywiozłam 35 upchanych worków zielonej materii😊 Sąsiedzi dziwnie na mnie patrzyli chodzącą przez kilka dni z pełnymi workami na taczce ale ja byłam przeszczęśliwa. W ubiegłym roku wygrabiałam liście z działkowych alejek i wokół ogrodzenia ROD teraz mam piękną ziemię liściową. Zaczęła się jesień więc niedługo znowu zapełnię jeden z kompostowników opadłymi liśćmi 🙂Pozdrawiam z Polski z Wrocławia

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cześć Krystyna, dziękuję za udostępnienie tego uroczego opisu robienia kompostu i ulepszania gleby!

[@robertsmithshair4199]

That Bosch shredder was a great tip thanks Charles as I’ve now got some good piles of chipped shrub and tree stems for wildlife and composting. before I either took to tip or spent hours cutting them up really small

[@ritalr15]

Where did u find his Bosch Shredder at? I'm in the Texas

[@DK6060]

The shredder made a big difference for me as well. You can find similar ones under different brands, check your big box or local hardware store.

[@robertsmithshair4199]

@@ritalr15 I got mine on amazon in the UK. not sure about in the states sorry

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Hi Charles I enjoy making compost, I turn my heaps once a week at the moment because I have so much materials to add. I've been adding azomite to help with minerals and trace elements, do i need to bother? I've heard that leaves have minerals in and I add lots of leaves. I also add bio char, wood ash and I have worms too but most I've taken out now as the piles are hot! Thanks Nick 👍 I probably love making compost actually!😁

[@noelroga4593]

I can't remember where i heard it (actually i do remember but i cant remember what channel it was 😃), pound for pound, leaf has the highest if not one of the highest mineral content for making compost.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great Nick. I would not worry to add the azomite, you have riches already

[@nickthegardener.1120]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig 🙏👍

[@annefinlay-baird7006]

Compost rocks, thank you Charles for making the process so understandable, removing the mythology and making it an ordinary part of the gardening process.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😀

[@susanmitchell8339]

I enjoyed all your information about composting. I wasn’t sure if I could add flowers to my compost heap? and you have answered my question with this video. Thank you

[@dreamst]

Champion Charles look forward to your book.

[@fyrerayne8882]

Perhaps if you water before adding the last few layers down then you’ll spare some of it from evaporating off of the top

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

An interesting thought but generally here, by the time we're close to the top there is a huge amount of moisture in these heaps and they do not need any more. It's really the surface only which dries and quite often we have too much moisture just a bit lower down, which it does not evaporate from the surface. Using the plastic means worms come right up to the surface which I want.

[@lyndabean5429]

What do you do with couch grass can it be composted over a longer period of time or should you just burn it??

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

It composts very nicely and I have always added it to my heaps, it disappears within 3 to 4 months or quicker if there is heat.

[@kaysarverart]

I have always wanted to do an open compost like this, but live in a mostly humid and hot environment and we seem to be prone to rats as food scraps attract them. Of course, when you have rats, snakes are more prevalent and we have our share of poisonous varieties, unfortunately. Do you ever have a problem with rodents in your compost piles?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh dear, however ... I have come to not mind rats, even appreciate them because they have a place. And they do a fine job of aerating compost heaps. Therefore I do not lose sleep over whether there are rats in my heaps and I am not aware of any health issues arising. And I'm afraid I can't advise about how you keep them out because it's very difficult :)

[@nickhammersonrocks]

WE LIVE FOR VIDEOS LIKE THESE !!!!!!! ROCK ON NO DIG COMPOST VIDEOS !!!!!!

[@Jillebil14]

your primary reason for living is watching youtube videos about recycling?

[@ananda6754]

Mister Charles, i wonder if you speak in one video about how to deal with big larves in the compost.... sometimes i try to use Neem oils....you have an advice out of your wonderful big experience? Thank you always.🙏💚

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I don't worry about them actually, we have a few and I just pick them out and throw them in the hedge! The big fat ones are probably chafer beetle which do eat some roots, but it's not gonna make a huge difference to your garden unless there are very many of them

[@ananda6754]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig i am glad to hear that....thank you Mister Charles and have a nice day

[@jennyhulett5403]

Hello. I really want to up my compost making but may move house anytime, could be next week, could be in 2 years which leaves me in a sticky place. I do not want to build bays and fill them as I can not leave them (rented house) and do not want to miss out. So I thought I could have three new 1 ton bags? Lining the bags with cardboard and be careful when turning. That way I can take it with me/much easier to move. Portable bays if you like...... Charles do you think this will work?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great idea Jenny and yes I know people who do this. You need just to work out how to keep the top a little open to make it easier to keep adding your materials. Good luck with the move - you'll be bringing your best friend with you!

[@jennyhulett5403]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig oh thats great. Thank you for your help. Really appreciate it. Take care