Composting for Beginners | A Market Gardener's Guide

Today's video is all about a simple recipe for compost making.
This video addresses: compost simplified, compost making for beginners, carbon and nitrogen, carbonaceous materials and nitrogenous materials, leaves, wood chips, compost temperatures, compost turning,how to start a compost bin, and more.
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[@nextchancenow7153]

For easy gardening composting I’ve turned people on to using a large garbage can with a ton of air holes on the sides. Flip upside down and cut a hole in the bottom and add from there. Once filled, you can lift the can to free the pile up. Mix it as you reload the can, repeat or leave in place til finished. It’s like a sand castle mold, and keeps it easy and light lifting for elderly or physically limited people.

[@meljordan220]

I tried this method as well. All I did was add things as I had them and once the garbage can was full I left it alone, watering occasionally because I'm in a dry area. Just a few months later I wanted to start another pile so I dumped it upside down and was so happy and surprised it smelled so earthy and so wonderful! The only thing left was a few sticks that weren't small enough that I had put in the bottom to help with drainage.

[@angp8558]

Do you have a pic for us to see what can looks like?

[@nextchancenow7153]

@@angp8558 nah, sorry. Just an upside down can with the bottom cut out (which becomes the top hole you fill through), fill the sides with air holes.

[@roblena7977]

Wow so happy I caught this message! Thankyou!

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

NCNow: thank you so much for this advice especially for the last few words, light lifting can also get kids to have their project, yes?

[@brandonk33n3]

Dude that's the most notes I've ever taken in a KZbin video. WOW that's a ton of helpful info. Thank you! (My notes below with some added worm stuff, because I like them too.) Simple Composting Guide: Start composting by making a pile of your kitchen waste and yard trimmings. Choose a place that drains well so water doesn't pool under your pile. If the area doesn't drain well, put down a layer of woodchips first. You'll need a pitchfork to turn your compost pile and a long thermometer to check its temperature. Try to turn your pile a few times each year to help it break down. Your compost pile needs a mix of carbon-rich stuff (brown things like wood chips and dried leaves) and nitrogen-rich stuff (green things like fresh grass clippings, vegetable scraps, and animal waste - but not too much animal fat because it breaks down slowly). Try to keep a 30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen, but don't worry too much about it. If the pile smells bad, add more carbon. If it's too dry, add water. If it's not getting hot, add more nitrogen or water. When you add new nitrogen-rich stuff, cover it with dry carbon-rich stuff. If you've done it right, your pile won't smell bad. If your pile isn't getting hot enough, add more nitrogen-rich stuff. Your compost pile needs to be about 3-4 feet high to work well. At this height, you can turn it effectively, and it will heat up properly. Smaller piles might not get hot enough. Composting is slower in winter than in the warmer seasons of spring, summer, and fall. Keep checking the pile's temperature. If it gets above 137 degrees, turn it. Make sure your pile is moist - if you can squeeze a drop of water out of a handful of compost, it's moist enough. If it's dry, add water, but avoid using city water because it has chlorine in it. After you add water, cover the pile with a tarp that lets air through and keep checking the temperature. Aim for over 131 degrees. If it's not heating up, add more nitrogen. If it gets hotter than 165 degrees, spread the pile out, add water, or make it taller. Putting wet, green stuff in the middle of the pile can help it heat up. Rules for Certified Compost Managers: In the first fifteen days, you need to turn the compost pile five times and keep the temperature between 131 and 170 degrees. This is to meet the rules of the NOP Regulations and Food Safety Modernization Act. Adding Worm Bins: Besides regular composting, you can also use worm bins, which is called vermicomposting. In this method, earthworms eat the organic waste and make nutrient-rich worm poop, which is great for your garden. You can keep worm bins inside or outside, depending on the weather, and they're great for composting kitchen scraps. Don't add citrus, onions, and meat or dairy products because they can hurt the worms. Keep the bin in a dark, airy place and keep it as moist and warm as a regular compost pile. Every 2-3 months, collect the worm poop and use it to enrich your garden soil.

[@sarahlovesdonuts9601]

Jesse, I super duper appreciate all that you have taught me. I am new to organic/regenerative practices and would be lost without the No I’ll team. Also, your dad jokes get me every time.😁

[@conradsutton]

Excellent video, Jesse. This is exactly the common-sense instructions and advice I've been looking for, to make a compost pile about the size you demonstrated. Well done and thank you!

[@carissalizotte8977]

Great video. I needed this right now. About to get serious about this whole composting situation! Great information and as always! Appreciate it! ❤

[@c3mac55]

I'm so grateful for your efforts. These videos are more than informative,they are enjoyable and uplifting. Thank you so much!

[@mrspleasants8529]

As an older lady I have found a way to compost that does not tax me. I have three five foot high/wide/long compost bays. The middle bay has removable slats to allow access to the two outer bays so that I cab pull the bottom compost into the middle. I leave my compost for a couple of years because I put my chicken waist into the outer piles, as well as grass clippings, and household non-meat food waste. I don't turn, but I do layer and I have wonderful compost with lots of worms and good microbes.

[@joshua511]

I really appreciate the knowledge you drop on these videos. Thanks.

[@midwestribeye7820]

We are being blessed with 2 rainy days here in IA. Having fun binge watching your and other's gardening videos. I'm glad I found you.

[@DaWigSplitta]

Cheers to another year of No tilling. Thanks for the lesson!

[@BaruchHaShem777]

I have never had success making compost. Now with my back pain I can't do all that turning, so I just throw everything in a pile, and maybe move it around once in awhile, but mostly it just sits there and rots. After several years I begin another pile. In time, I start planting where the old pile was. The soil is usually much better there than anywhere else around the yard. :)

[@nancybacheldar7933]

Your scent of humour makes this subject much more interesting. Thankyou.

[@WilliamFarwell]

jess you guys are amazing man thank you for sharing your life with us all !!!!!! your a dam good man !

[@garrettscott4094]

I'm currently constructing a compost barn for static aeration piles. I essentially have used the "pallet method" in the past but just find that I need more production and less turning. I'd love a follow-up video that goes over some of the microbes and things you see in your compost.

[@ronaldclemons5520]

Thank you for sharing🙂

[@strictlyconservative8777]

I love your channel and love this video! Thank you!

[@Bennie32831]

This is great indepth information about composting 👍👏✌️

[@LY43537]

This is amazing. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

[@daviddakotarogers3420]

I do appreciate the videos and No To Growers book.

[@tedk2814]

amazing amount of info, thanks......You answered many of my beginner's questions. my wife and I started our raised gardens so we eagerly forge ahead.

[@SenorGonzo]

I live in an apartment so no compost pile for me. I use a worm bag. It takes care of most of my green food scraps and a good amount of card board too. And worms are just fun!

[@notillgrowers]

Agreed! Worms are the best 🪱 They also really really love wood chips if you have access to them and will breakdown surprisingly large chunks (within reason)

[@D-H-D]

Great work Jessie! We follow you from France, if you're ever on tour give us a shout. You have become one of my go-to/mainstays over the last couple of years. High fives all round!

[@MsREALesa]

I Love it that it's all translated to Spanish! Thank you... shared with relatives & friends.

[@twistedbuilder]

Greatful to have encountered you're insight! Mahalo.

[@adamschaafsma5839]

Not sure how the music ended up being so perfect for compost, twas excellent! Also thanks for making this I have recently started watching your videos and I really appreciate the production quality and the flow.

[@VulcanLogic]

This is helpful. I will use this knowledge.

[@moniquelynwone6268]

I love this info thank you🎉 I made my compost in a container bp safe and i put holes on the bottom and the side and bought organic soil to start it off then added my food scrape and earth worms and it is such amazing black gold ❤

[@jeanmuehlfelt7942]

I'm currently reading through my "Complete Book of Composting" by J.I. Rodale once again. It's close to 1000 pages. It's great hearing young farmers using the basic composting techniques that have been around for decades. Thanks for the hands-on video showing us the steps to making successful compost. 😊

[@shangrilaladeda]

They have been around for millennia not decades, over 6000 years ago composting was a thing

[@crispusattucks4007]

@@shangrilaladedaACKCHULLY

[@shangrilaladeda]

@@crispusattucks4007 what?

[@crispusattucks4007]

@@shangrilaladeda you need me repeat it rather than you just reread it? Ok… ACKCHULLY

[@shangrilaladeda]

@@crispusattucks4007 I don’t know what that means

[@paulflynn7760]

Another fantastic video. Thank you!

[@brianwhite9555]

I manage two 8' x 8' square composting beds in a residential garden where I am a guest gardener. I layer in horse manure & bedding(wood shavings), shredded leaves, grass clippings, shredded paper, kitchen scraps, chopped garden waste, and a bit of finished compost, then periodically turn the pile by tilling it with my small Mantis(20lb) tiller. This mixes all the organic materials and introduces more air. I then use a shovel and rake to mound the pile as high as possible to create the largest mass. It starts heating up right away and I check it with a long stemmed thermometer. After a week, I level the pile out a bit and start the layering process all over again. I may put more work into my compost making than some would care to do, but I love the process and the finished product. It doesn't take long for my piles to mature as I am adding material that is reduced in size to begin with. In the fall when we clear out the raised beds and have lots of whole plants to compost, rather than endure the labor of chopping them up, I just create a large deep hole in the middle of the piles, throw the plants in, then cover with compost. Here in zone 6b Michigan, those plants will decompose nicely through the late fall, winter, and early spring of the coming year and the compost piles will be ready for use by early to mid May. Have been composting this way for years and it works for me. My thanks and appreciation go out to Mother Nature and all the hard work her bacteria, fungi, and macro organisms put in to give me compost. :)

[@lunanother]

Love the content AND the music. Keep them coming!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@laurienelsonposner541]

Love ❤the living soil hand book!!

[@robbie9118]

Getting ready to build my house. Then I’ll be starting the garden. Finishing “The Living Soil Handbook”. That’s a keeper. I appreciate the way you present your info. This video is a prime example and makes a great accompaniment after reading the book. Wish me luck. I’m progressing from patio/bucket gardening to a homestead, so I will be reading the ink off your book.

[@unitypharms6273]

Yessss Jesse, thanks so much for this video! 💚🌱💚

[@Hazith_Zantos]

Thanks! Your videos have been a great source of knowledge and inspiration while I try and start my farm journey. Thanks

[@notillgrowers]

amazing, thank you!

[@mayshomesteadchronicles]

Fantastic explanation! I practice a similar method and it has proven to be very effective! Thanks for sharing and further confirming the effectiveness and simplicity of composting this way (first method). It's cool to see that others enjoy this stuff as much as I do :)

[@CLAYMEISTER]

I used to have a large two chamber composter that laid on its side on a metal frame I turned it every few days to keep it aerated. I used it for kitchen waste. My landscaper takes everything else (grass, fliwers, branches) to municipal composting. But I've gotten older (and lazier) and now use a Lomi countertop composter ($600). I love it, but have moved to my garage because of the grinding noise it makes (for hours) and the odor. It really works and turns everything into a coarse, dried "meal" that I accumulate in a 5-gallon bucket (with a lid). When it gets full, i simply scatter the dried product on my lawn, where it vanishes into the grass. It's amazing.

[@simply_rooted_homestead]

It’s like compost is so easy but so complicated but you made it simple. TY

[@cliveburgess4128]

You all may already know this , but Starbucks will give you used coffee grounds that you can add to your compost, for extra nitrogen etc. might be helpful to someone.

[@rosea830]

The worms here are so abundant! When I move compost to a bed I'm also moving a colony of worms .

[@isabelladavis1363]

Excellent thank you so much

[@ACE-pm3gh]

Great info, I have 2 Geobins that I use for my 1200 Sq ft. Easy to move, clean, store etc. and good for small scale

[@julie-annepineau4022]

From experience I will add don't start your pile under trees. They will pull the moisture out as fast as you add it in. Great over view! Thanks!

[@HablemosDelHuerto]

Esto es un gran video y la calabaza, en adición a ser bastante grande, estuvo hermosa. ¡Qué variedad más linda!

[@scottbaruth9041]

If you have multiple piles or your thermometer is in the shed and you're out near the pile, a 4ft stick of rebar poked in each pile will easily tell you if your pile is hot or not.

[@bastionwolf]

How?

[@scottbaruth9041]

@bastionwolf just poke a stick of rebar in each pile. Later, pull it out and feel if it's hot. You won't know the exact temperature, but you're gonna know if it's cooking or not.

[@claymonsterpottery]

First, thanks for this! Helped me understand the value of turning. Two issues I struggle with are 1) the rats in my area. 🐀 I’m limited to composting in steel trash cans. I learned the hard way that open compost = colonies of the evil creatures. My neighbors were unhappy. 2) small scale composting cause it’s just me and my little garden. So the trash cans work for this but I struggle with moving and turning and getting heat and managing moisture… I did paint them black to add heat but I need to work on some kind of laying system and turning system. It’s a struggle but your video helped a bit. Thanks.

[@cheperubio9624]

Super gracias eres muy inteligente 😊 nos a servido todos tus consejos

[@caleberwin65]

We love you farmer Jesse.

[@WholeFoodPlantPeople]

Just getting started. Thanks for the info

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

Great stuff. I'm running my "mostly" finished compost through a Vermicompost wedge system I saw Zach Brookes using. Beautiful material in under 4 months. Nose and squeeze test are my two tools. Cheers

[@j.reneewhite915]

Hey this sounds intriguing. I hope there is enough info above that I can look up what you are talking about.

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

@@j.reneewhite915 Jesse tours and videos his facility. Good stuff!!

[@TW-in3gg]

Wow! Another super great video. There's only one thing you didn't cover (or did I miss it?). The smaller the chunks, the quicker they compost. Chopping, chipping, grinding.... all of this can make composting take weeks instead if months. The down side is it's tougher to get oxygen into a pile of smaller pieces, so sometimes a mix of sizes makes a pile breathe better. But Man! Great video. Remember that compost seems like more of an art than a pure science.

[@evelyngorfram9306]

Small but important addition: Don't build your compost pile up against any wooden (or otherwise flammable) structure. On hot summer days, compost can get hot enough for spontaneous combustion; & every summer there are a few people who burn their shed- or house- through using it for one side of their compost bin.

[@LteefawD]

This is a great reminder. I was unaware this could happen until a family in my town nearly lost their home after a pile of mulch located against the garage spontaneously combust.

[@j.reneewhite915]

I saw a video where a young man was composting 3 ft up the really nice wooden fence. His pile was about 40 ft long and he was showing it off because he was really proud of his hard work. I was pretty sure he didn't pay for that fence and I was really hoping it wasn't his neighbors fence because it's destroying a perfectly good fence. It would cost a lot less to have an entire dump truck load of finished compost delivered than to replace that fence. 🙃

[@teunlll]

We had a big pile of horse manure mixed with wooddust/chips. The pile was about 2 meters tall and 6m2. At some point in a hot summer i noticed it smoking quite alot. It was actually burning and smoldering. Took me about a day to extinguish it. Some of it was straight up ash afterwards...

[@Aburuqayyah225]

I saw someone composting inside wood pallets, could I do the same or no?

[@teunlll]

@@Aburuqayyah225 if you don't put the pallets next to some wooden structure. At least that would be a precaution I would take

[@andyakomagaling8695]

Great video, this will help restore soil fertility. Thereby resulting to better crop yield both for large Ang small scale farming.

[@cherylbertolini3140]

another great video thanks for sharing:) Have a wonderful week.

[@N8TRONOUS]

Thank you for helping us

[@Dragonmother52]

I love your videos! Thank you so much!

[@RicksMusicChannel518]

I rake my leaves in a pile and add brush, the bedding from the chicken coop( which is straw) and then I add kitchen scraps and a lot of coffee grinds. I haven't been getting the best compost but I was also spraying the pile with water from the hose.

[@christianbotello8537]

Thanks friend. I’m going to rewatch this and learn more about compost. My compost sucks!!!!!!!!

[@TheTexasHorseman]

I love the t-post pounder holding the tarp down. That is its normal job around here as well.

[@agb6330]

I’m utilizing the last scrap of yard available; the unused dog area right outside our kitchen door. We live on a .10 acre urban farm 😉. Started this spring. No smells yet….. I’m not stressing or measuring. If it works “yeah”, if not, I’ll put more effort into it next year. So far looking good. Thank you so much I’m learning a lot!!!

[@TaraBreeden-hd2qq]

I love my compost machine works great!

[@acheide]

They are probably called Dad jokes because they are clean and clever. Nice teaching there, fun learning here.

[@truthseeker9561]

90% of my nitrogen is rabbit puffs in one of mine.waste hay from feeding for the browns or pine pellets from a stand alone temp cage. I do it about 50/50 but their coco puffs are from hay so I suppose that's why it works. It takes a lil longer to compost but it's less hassle than my normal pile so far but still experimenting a lil. I'm in Ky as well! About 10 miles just before the RRG. Glad I came across the page!

[@bw2020]

I highly recommend that if you’re going to be composting, make a 3 walled bin and stick a pipe in the middle that has a bunch of holes in it. And if you can source from a horse corral, your greens and browns are already mixed almost perfectly. I add straw and goat manure as well to mine.

[@notillgrowers]

I debated talking about walls for this video, but I have no issue with them. Pro: they create a more balanced heat distribution. Con: you have to move them around and work around them. We don't use them, but nothing wrong with walls 👍

[@j.reneewhite915]

The only problem I have with these inputs is the chemicals the horses, cows, goats and rabbits are ingesting from their foods. It's worse than most think. and passing into their stools. It can really make a mess of your food growing areas. Since I grow my food for health I need to keep it clean of the chems a much as possible.

[@bw2020]

@@j.reneewhite915 I suppose that could be a problem, but I get my horse manure from a veterinary research university and they feed their animals good stuff. I don’t know 100% if it’s totally organic, but the compost on I make has my crops looking good. I also find tons of mycelium, worms, and beetle larvae in my compost, which I think is a good sign.

[@KPVFarmer]

Getting it from a organic grass fed / pasture raised farm would be perfectly safe. We have lots of folks that get “black gold” from us. And some that just want raw from the money end of the cattle. 😉

[@BwHippie84]

​@@j.reneewhite915 if the manure is coming from creditable sources or from your own animals you should be able to obtain the information or already know what they are ingesting. We use non GMO Amish milled grains for our animals when needed.

[@kannmann97]

Thanks for the vegan farmer shout out!! Makes me feel so alive!

[@trish3580]

Me too! BTW anyone know how I could compost the soy mash left over from soymylk/tofu making? I've heard it's no good to put in the pile but somehow I think it should work - however it's not really a carbon or nitrogen- anyone have experience with this?

[@johnharvey5412]

​@@trish3580 Why do they say not to use it? I put all sorts of stuff in my compost that a lot of "experts" say not to (orange peels, dog feces, my neighbors' dead chickens, etc), but I never have a problem. I follow the system from the Humanure Handbook, and currently my pile is 94F which I started on January 1st of this year.

[@chriswhitley3283]

You could also build up some branches under your pile in damp areas.

[@nfinityfarm6242]

I’m about to inherit an established farm. It hasn’t been used as such for several years though. I am going to attempt to get it back on the rise. Using this channel to gather as much info as I can to help myself through the beginning stages quickly. Hopefully I’ll be able to master the farm 😅

[@milipwn]

you a cool guy with nice informative video's thanks alot

[@ssfoste]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@greengardenideas]

Your job is great ❤

[@uncommoncents2152]

Jus laid 5 yards of mulch the other day...its an investment for the future

[@heavymetalbassist5]

I love when the tree guys ask if they can come dump. It has really helped my formally cotton land hard packed clay become workable. Plus free chicken run flooring that makes for super hot compost as soon as its piled.

[@murrayzuckerman123]

Great information. Thanks.

[@thegoodoldways]

Bokashi composting is working really well for my kitchen system. I do a lot of food storage/freeze drying/canning so have lots of scraps. It turns into black gold when buried. Kind of fascinating.

[@j.reneewhite915]

I watched an old video of a man with a small yard in an HOA area that forbid composting or veggie patches in the front yard. So he made a nice wide /thick wood chip pathway and he would freeze his scraps and keep his throw away papers and cardboard boxes and then he'd do all his yardwork. Make a 2 ft round hole about 3 ft deep in the pathway. layer all his scraps, paper, cardboard and yard debris. He'd pack it down tight and fill the top up with chip until packed enough to walk on again. He said that he would dig a new hole every month. By the time he finished burying the 12th pile it was time to dig up the first pile and use the compost in his garden with no one the wiser. He said it never stunk and he put enough wood chip on top that it didn't attract pests.

[@kelleykrengiel1889]

Thanks for this video! I tried making the inoculating compost from your book, but never got the first step to heat up and so never saw the white hairs. I am going to try again when it is not so cold out, but would love a video on that or just any tip if there is a common mistake I could be making. Thanks!

[@danutabanachowicz-kosyra6033]

Super. Thank you.

[@gabrielaallendenaranjo8187]

Hola, muchas gracias por toda la información es muy valiosa tambien quiero agradecerle por el doblaje en español...saludos desde chihuahua México

[@cryptooutsider6157]

top notch content as always. leveling up no-till youtube game

[@waynesell3681]

Darn your a good speaker and educator! Been home composting for a few years now. Getting it turned is getting to be a challenge!

[@waynesell3681]

Add on I'm in Michigan zone 5 b. April 1st snow in the shadows. Ready for spring warmth! My pile is gonna need a jump start, like a good turning. Thanks!

[@pachetulverde]

your book rocks, I highly recommend buying it... as a 3rd year horticulture student ( did not borrow it, the price is a quarter, at most, of it's value )

[@danielbenettuce4544]

great job love your videos bro!

[@toddneihaus4902]

Great explanation thanks

[@Quercusssss]

Loving the microbial cameos !

[@ComposerMathieu]

Hey Jessie, just wanted to say I love the videos you've been putting out recently. My partner and I recently moved into our first house with a bit over an acre of usable farmland, and once the snow melts (probably in late May, I live 65°N) I'm gonna try my hand at market gardening. Your book has been invaluable and these recent videos have been amazing. I'm actually originally from Shelbyville, KY. Whenever I go visit my parents next, I'll try to find you at your local market. Cheers!

[@notillgrowers]

Super awesome to hear the content and book has been helpful! Very cool to hear. As for the market, that's totally fine but I always try to encourage people to please come later in the day if at all possible 🙏. That way I can make sure our customers are getting my full attention! 🤘

[@skinnyWHITEgoyim]

Partner sounds very homosexual..... just say husband or wife like normal people capable of reproduction and carrying on their bloodlines

[@JuancarlosRodriguez-bx3bw]

grate stuff

[@audreybarnes6527]

Holding your fork like a paddle and rowing the pile from one spot to another is easier on your back ❤

[@afdave7]

Duper solid info. Sub well earned. Thank you.

[@susanc-c7817]

I’ve just bought ur book looking forward to reading it

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Shared on my fb page as an encouragement to others😊

[@j.reneewhite915]

I used to build my compost year around and had to tarp it in the most extreme of the rainy season so it wouldn't go anaerobic. 4 years ago I ended up with a serious injury to my rib cage and even though I kept trying found I couldn't turn a pile anymore. So now I let the worms do it for me. Not kidding. I used to use large totes until I found myself feeding into 32 totes. Now I use flow through systems. Last year I was tossing 3 households worth of kitchen scraps into my bins. I ended up with too many egg shells which kind of jammed the system. I cleared it but I loved making my compost/worm tea within 10 minutes. input water at the top and receive tea at the bottom. Sooooo easy and effective. The only thing you really have to worry about with the worms is the temps. You don't want to heat the pile up or you'll kill your little helpers. When I get too many worms for the bins I usually let them loose in my gardens around September so they can find where they want to over winter. All my raised beds have a 6 inch round by 4 ft tall black pvc pipe in the center of the beds to continue to feed scraps directly to the source making it even easier to get fertilizer and aeration to my beds with as little work as possible on my part. Happy composting everyone!

[@trish3580]

Can you share a bit more about the flow-thru system? I need something low-cost and can't physically do the work of turning a pile anymore. Don't have tons of waste but hopefully I'd have enough?

[@glassbackdiy3949]

for those of us with a bad back, fork or shovel will be easier with a long handle, I also use a 'brake' something to brake the shovel/fork over like a 2ft high tressel, or in my case the bottom half of the front side of a pallet bin composting bay make it so much eaiser on my glassback

[@nathandroblyn1129]

Another super duper video! I need to watch more videos on composting on a larger scale. Surely your farm uses more compost than what you generate yourself. I’m not wanting to have to buy any if I can avoid it.

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks! So we are no longer buying in (much) compost at all but that also means we have reduced our dependence on the deep compost mulch system. there is just too much risk for contamination from broad leaf herbicides in our area. So we are making enough compost to fertilize our gardens but not really mulch it all. For that we would need a tractor (or something with a bucket/front end loader like a Dingo or skid steer) + a whole lot of nitrogen and carbon.

[@EnvironmentalCoffeehouse]

I have a huge compost, and today I saw the first snake of the season. I hate to disturb them, but this year the three year old pile has to be used. It's pure gold for sure.

[@abocas]

Finally a simple composting video that I can handle (which I can handle being a European in a Kenyan village with no power, running water and stores where one can buy all th fancy things in buckets and containers to add) hanks 🙏

[@aileensmith3062]

So I watched the video twice and most likely I will watch it thrice. Per Jessie's "dictionary"! In the process of making some compost bins. Our issue will be obtaining enough of the green stuff. Although thinking maybe the unused straw and goat manure may be a positive addition to the compost pile? Anyhow a simple approach, yet a lot to still learn and understand as to the process. As always Thank You for another informative video!

[@ashesa2601]

that intro song really bops haha!

[@markkristynichols845]

Ok the jam 🎵 is awesome 😂. ❤ y’all, Kristy in Missouri also zone 6b 😃🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@tammytamz3046]

Love the hat!

[@lovethegarden.kumariyeline4835]

Tq for good guidence.

[@LuizHBaroso]

in Brazil the most common is by layers: dry grass green grass tanned ox manure green grass ox manure roasted coffee husks ashes (a fine layer) daisy (because have phosporous) manure and cover everything with dry grass. wet and leave 25 and then turn 4 more times every 25 days and it's ready. If it gets too hot, water and add more layers and if it doesn't heat up, redo everything with more green stuff and more manure (the manure layer should be a good layer). Layers are usually made up to 1 and a half meters high, 1 and a half meters wide and the length is infinite.

[@davec1117]

🎉Haven't room here to transfer and mix a pile in a new location so last year bought a 6" post hole auger and a 9amp corded mix drill. Now i can mix the one cubic yard sized pile in place. Still a hard workout. The pile would get nice and hot and after a few days and the temp dropped i'd mix again, worked well. Almost time to start the spring mixing, a winters worth of pet rabbiit bedding and kitchen scraps.