How to Make EZ Compost from Free Local Resources!

Making compost doesn't have to be hard work. In today's video, I build a cubic yard compost pile in 34 minutes using garden and yard waste.
Geobin: amzn.to/2aaPX8f
Compost Thermometer: amzn.to/2a6FRkM
If you shop on Amazon, you can support OYR simply by clicking this link (bookmark it too) before shopping: www.amazon.com/...
OYR is all about growing a lot of food on a little land using sustainable organic methods, while keeping costs and labor at a minimum. Emphasis is placed on improving soil quality with compost and mulch. No store-bought fertilizers, soil amendments, pesticides, compost activators, etc. are used.
Do-Nothing Gardening Playlist:
• Do-nothing Gardening (...

[@scottmiller9098]

Please come back. Miss your informative and well produced videos.

[@Growyourheirlooms]

One man's trash is another man's treasure

[@OneYardRevolution]

Very true!

[@chriskustra507]

Or the same man's treasure. Lol

[@RobsAquaponics]

Only 35 min, can't complain about that 😃 Is great to see your neighbours chipping in & supporting you as well 👍 Nice one Patrick.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Rob! I'm going to let the microbes and worms do all the work on this one. ;-)

[@RTG-FAMILY]

I like you. To the point without the extra bs. Liked and subbed

[@julielee9298]

I started watching your videos last fall and I am inspired by your advice and beautiful garden. I tried your PVC hoop house for a small raised bed in Michigan and have a surplus of cold weather lettuces, spinach and arugula today! Thank you for your advice and tutorials, you are making a difference.

[@McDowallManor]

After 3 years, I've begun to reap the rewards of my composting over the last 6 months. It took a while to it to really take off, but now I get to use it much more frequently. I would have given up, if not for your clips mate.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad the clips have helped, Andy! Thanks for letting me know. :-)

[@aboutlife4887]

Can I tell you how much I appreciate all that you share. My garden is 4 years old now and man oh man have I had challenges from day #1. Throwing in the towel is never an option. Your videos have kept me encouraged. Patrick, thank you so much. P.S. I really really really would LOVE your song. Every now and again I back your vids up to listen o your outro tune. Please let me know if you ever load it onto spotify :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm so glad to hear my videos have helped, Phyllis! Thanks so much for letting me know. I'll definitely let you know if I ever get around to doing more music. Thanks again!

[@DesertDigger1]

Your garden looks like walking into an adventure, great video, thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! It feels that way too!

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

Another great video, and, Oscar, is always an entertaining addition , good to see him listed in the title!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Hope! Oscar earned his credit! :-)

[@BenjasUberHobby]

Great video. I did not realise how little compost you need to maintain a garden compared to building a garden. Guess I need to do more composting :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Yeah, we've cut way back on our compost now that we're no longer expanding the garden.

[@dereka8041]

I've been "Back To Eden" gardening, going on five years. Using organic compost/ground cover is the best technique. I've not started my tiller since Sept. 2016.

[@EmbracingHarvest]

Great to hear that you don't have to spend much time on composting anymore. I have many years of work ahead of me to get my new garden to that position!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Even if you're just getting started, you can use this low effort approach to make at least some of your compost. Also, I recommend more mulching and less composting as a great way to improve soil while working much less. I hope this helps!

[@EmbracingHarvest]

Thanks for the tip :)

[@paulabeattie8565]

I do this at my house, too. In addition to the items that you mentioned, paper towels rolls and toilet paper rolls are good for aeration and contribute to the 'browns' required. The work that I do, always takes me so much longer than it takes you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Very true, Paula! The rolls are definitely a great addition to compost. I sometimes take longer to do things too, depending on my mood. :D

[@Heather_Morgan]

It would probably take me at least 2 hours to do this. I always seem to take longer than others to do pretty much anything.

[@MidwestGardener]

Great tips on composting. It's a huge part of how we garden.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@Bgraytful]

Yay! I finally got a geobin today - convinced after seeing your videos. I've made compost for years using a stationary bin our city provides at cost but I like the idea of the ease and portability of the geobin. I'd also cut way down on composting - doing continuous heavy mulch with chop and drop techniques - "composting in place" as I think of it. But I am going to try this - thanks for the demo.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I hope you like your Geobin! We very happy with our bins.

[@eros9077]

I love building a compost pile. Very nice job!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@ariesred777]

Excellent easy viewing Patrick.Oscar loves playing around you.I wish more people would start growing their own food.Times are tough economically and organic gardening/food is so right in every way as a permanent lifestyle.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I couldn't agree more. It makes so much sense to take charge of at least some of your own food production and it can be done at such a low cost.

[@lanialost1320]

Love Oscar!! Professionally produced vids! Excellent information that is delivered in a succinct and articulate manner. OYR has the best gardening channel for valuable info!

[@CarbideGames]

Love the intensive gardening. Great job!

[@keyplayr61greenhousehydrop14]

I'll tell you, Patrick! The way my compost pile is growing this year, I ought to have a plenty to help out those empty raised beds this fall ; )

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great, Keith! I look forward to seeing those raised beds back in action. :)

[@keyplayr61greenhousehydrop14]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Me too, brother!

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Great video man !

[@morelmaster]

I started one geobin this spring, and just ordered another one for this coming season because I really like them. I filled it up to the top this year with yard waste, garden waste, kitchen scraps, and some straw and lots of coffee grounds from Starbucks. I never turned it, but did try to keep it moist during dry spells. The question is, will at least some of the compost be ready to use this coming spring. I realize that the most recent additions of waste at the top of the bin will not be composted, but maybe the stuff down towards the bottom might be. Thanks Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi John! It's hard to say, but there's a good chance you have usable compost toward the bottom of the bin.

[@klausy1000]

I enjoyed the video. My composting is very similar to yours. My wife brings me all the coffee grounds from her office ( she loves me) plus I get lots of grape skins from my winemaking, so I need to add a lot of shredded paper to keep things in balance. July 1st is a special day for me as all the compost materials I collect from that day on will go on the garden in October 2017, everything collected before that will go on in October 2016. Let the worms feast! Klaus

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Klaus! That sounds like a great system! I imagine grape skins really help to get the compost cooking.

[@barrywinters1142]

Thanks for another Gem! Useful information & inspiration in a relaxed and entertaining format. I started an experiment using only cardboard. I soaked the CB in a dilute nix of water/milk/molasses, tore it into foot sized squares and put a thin layer of compost between 6 inch layers. I built the heat to about 40 inches tall, covered it and kept it moist. I few days into the process a fellow gardener added a bunch of greens-terminating the CB only protocol. Within 5 days it was cooking-130+. A thick coating of white powdery material covered most of the CB, most of the rest was soft, black and held its moisture. At the end of a week I terminated the experiment because I needed to turn 2 conventional compost piles (I consolidated and blended all 3 piles). I plan to restart this experiment and carry it to completion, the only difference is a few drops of soap/detergent to act as a wetting agent for the cardboard. In the high desert environment of Albuquerque, keeping the heap moist is a challenge. I line my geobin with several layers of CB Thanks again for all you do.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Barry! Interesting experiment. Please let me know how it goes when you resume it.

[@HuwRichards]

Fantastic video Patrick, very interesting to see how quickly the pile heats up! I look forward to seeing the finished compost next year ;) On a side note have you ever thought about getting chickens or do you not have the space? All the best!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Huw! The compost was up to 43 c when I last checked! We've thought about getting chickens, but space would be a challenge as well as all the red tape we'd have to go through with the city.

[@DaleCalderCampobello]

Think Quail Patrick no noise, no smell and the city will never know. I have 40 eggs incubating now.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great advice, Dale! Definitely something to think about. Thanks!

[@rosewood513]

Good suggestion. HUW I had chickens for years they helped a lot in the garden.

[@FEsrigoHL]

Find discarded wood pallets & they make very good compost bins. Just be sure & NOT take the ones that have chemicals sprayed on them. I used them to make a grooming & resting place for my dogs in their runs. A friend said her son built an island in her kitchen from pallets & it looks marvelous. Dont buy what you can get for free. RECYCLE !!

[@diannecombs8433]

I have bought some used black wire dog cages for cheap, like 5 bucks , at antique/junk stores, I keep them in the garden for weeds and such, keeping it all close at hand...like shown in the video.

[@omselection438]

HI Patrick, Its lovely to see the system you have. I have two separate systems going currently. We use a Jora Hot tumbling composter for meat and kitchen waste then a hot pile and a cool pile which the jura stuff goes into to increase the amount of punch in the compost.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Sounds like a great approach!

[@1975Jdonov]

You are doing a hybrid of both hot and cold composting. If you were to turn that pile it would probably be ready in a month as you are adding a decent ratio of green to brown. I wonder if there have been any experiments done that shows the difference between hot compost and cold compost made with the same materials.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yeah, I'd definitely turn it if I needed the compost soon, but since I don't I'm happy to wait. Like you said our approach is a hybrid of hold and cold composting, but it also incorporates vermicomposting.

[@AmishHitman73.Archive]

To show you how much your videos mean to me. I have turned off my ad blocker and I am watching the full ad. I hate commercials, but I hope it helps a tiny bit.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@AmishHitman73.Archive]

Showed my mother, she looked you up on fb as well. You have a gift my friend, I even like the music intro, and I strongly dislike intro's. Love your cat. You are easy to watch, other gardeners have ran me off lol. So, keep up the great work because you changed this world by changing my yard, just like your goal you so often state. I am looking into buying a home that I am going to make videos of my progress on the land, they wil be made for you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you for your kind words! Please let me know when you start your channel so I can follow your garden's progress.

[@AmishHitman73.Archive]

You are welcome glad to state good things about people. Yeah I will be sure to let you know when I get the videos up. It won't be the quality videos and wholesome message you give lol. But it will be an idea of what is going on at my place.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I look forward to seeing them!

[@estherfan4021]

I love this method, I also make one, and now I think it is half done , and I am going to put worms into the file, and I wondered how much worms you put in so that I can have the compost ready for Spring. Now is mid November. thank you, it always so informative to watch your video. thank you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Esther! If your winters are cold, spring is probably the best time to add worms to a compost pile.

[@estherfan4021]

@@OneYardRevolution , Thanks, Patrick, zone 9, I keep the worm bin outside

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I have a very similar pile in the back corner of my garden. It works quite well !

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yep, there's no reason making compost has to be a lot of work!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I could not agree more!

[@newpatch36]

Love the GeoBin! Thanks for the great review Patrick.

[@OneYardRevolution]

My pleasure!

[@dakotabob10]

This video was timely. I am planning to make a third compost pile.

[@OneYardRevolution]

3 piles! Definitely time for some lazy composting. ;-)

[@dakotabob10]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening My composting is always lazy!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Good to hear!

[@backyardgarden566]

Nice looking compost! I might have to steal a couple of tips. Thanks!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Please feel free!

[@cultivatingorganicbyjomig1719]

Very useful information. Thanks for sharing Patrick.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you!

[@donnastormer9652]

So I’m wondering how many pounds of red wigglers will you put into that bin when you’re ready to put worms in there? And then once you introduce the worms about how long does it take to have a finished product? I like the twigs and stick ideas for aeration

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

I definitely like using my composter. Seems to work better than the pile. Best wishes Bob.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Do you have a compost tumbler?

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

No not a tumbler. it is called the earth machine. My neighbor gave it to me. I don't think he could put it together. Happy 4th of July. Have a good time and be safe. Best wishes Bob.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's a good looking composter! Happy 4th!

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

Thanks. It was FREE. Love that.

[@ceadeses]

I am sure you mentioned it before but where did you get the geo bins? Good info about putting the sticks and canes on the bottom. When you going to get some chickens? The cat needs some friends.

[@OneYardRevolution]

This is where we got our Geobins: www.amazon.com/1-X-Geobin-Compost-Bin/dp/B0085O6NXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467596968&sr=8-1&keywords=geobin One day we'll get chickens. We'll have to figure out how to make some space for them. Maybe when Oscar is older and more mellow. ;-)

[@Mrdesidownunder]

Very informative video, easy to follow. Thanks .

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@hailnohero]

Can I build these piles as I go over the next couple months? I plan to do layer by layer also throwing in a bunch of organic matter/waste so that the finished pile next summer is highly fertile. As you recommend: Brown material such as Leaves, twigs etc. Green material such as grass clippings and cover crops? Then of course organic matter like fruit scraps, veggie scraps and so on. I hope this will be enough for a couple raised beds next Season! I am going to buy 2 of the GEO bins you recommended, from your experience how many raised beds can it fill? Thanks so much Patrick! You're a hero!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Yes, you can build the pile as you go over the next couple months. You'll probably want to turn the pile after adding all the material. This will increase the likelihood that you'll have finished compost by next summer. With 2 bins, you'll produce get 1 to 1.5 cubic yards of compost. This will be enough compost to fill a 4' x 8' x 1' to al 4' x 10' x1' raised bed. This is the best deal I've seen on Geobins: amzn.to/2arLg6r

[@outdoors446]

Great information it's a nice time saver just follow your steps and walk away. I have followed your advice and added my own spin on things for a great harvest this year. "Can I" (constant and never ending improvement) Thanks for your info

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you! I'm glad you're having a great harvest this year. "Can I" - I'll have to remember that.

[@Paul21691]

Hey Patrick why not just continue to make as much compost by just layering it in the other bins like here and give it away to neighbors to encourage them to garden too? It helps keep stuff away from landfills plus you can help other people spend less money on food too

[@OneYardRevolution]

I wish I was able to persuade friends, family, and neighbors to grow their own food. So far, I haven't convinced any of them. Fortunately, my channel gives me an outlet to encourage others.

[@Paul21691]

Another quick question, do you plan on planting early spring potatoes in the bin next year?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes! I also plan to plant early in a small garden bed.

[@lis819]

Where are you now? Would love an update:) thanks…

[@FireHill16]

Very helpful, thanks. Keep these vids coming sir!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Brandon!

[@harryrarmer]

Ah Patrick, I see your composting video clip has had more than my recent upload on the same subject has had views! I noticed that a local garden centre had a variety of hardy kiwi known as 'Ken's Red' at a very reasonable price (£8- $12) and I intend to buy one soon. I can only hope that my search for a reasonably priced pollinator will be fruitful.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Best wishes with the hardy kiwi, Michael!

[@cannasgarden2481]

great video btw

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@natashadyer1993]

Hi there! Thanks for this great video! I think we are going to go with the Geobin for our onsite small farm cold composting solution. Can you please tell me how many of the Geobins I need to buy from your Amazon link to create the same circumference that you show in your video here? Thanks! Natasha

[@VaughnMalecki]

Awesome. Thank you and God bless.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you!

[@marilynweber7957]

My neighbor has a mountain of cow manure - would it be any good to take some of it and compost it? I need more compost - I do use horse manure in layers of my compost but have to pay someone to deliver it - this could just be "put over" my back fence into a pile that we could stir with the tractor every so often. Thank you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Marilyn! Yes, I'd definitely hot compost cow manure if I had a free source like that.

[@nelsonthorpe7811]

Hi, thanks for the videos, have been very helpful to my efforts here in California. However, just saw a warning posted on a Facebook post about the dangers of composting from fungus spores and possible diseases. You have addressed sterilizing egg shells but have made no other reference that I have seen to the "health dangers" of home composting. This list of perils was from a Home Inspector and not a scientist so I am dubious of it. Have you looked into this issue at all? Thanks.

[@Johanna-qf1yx]

You didn’t mention the worms. Do you ADD the worms in or are they it’s attracted to it and crawl in ??

[@carriad11]

Greetings Patrick! Leaf mold and black plastic bags!?? Just finished gathering our copious amounts of leaves with the lawn tractor which did a great job of chopping up the leaves and now the leaves are nicely contained in my large compost bin. I am certainly in no hurry for the gold of leaf mold so is the use of the black of any value?

[@OneYardRevolution]

I would just keep them in the compost bin.

[@kcl060]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're very welcome!

[@CuriousinNY]

Thank you and the other half of my question was how do you secure it. What did you do to keep the two ends together?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Linda! Geobins come with 5 plastic key-locks that are used to lock the ends together.

[@tinarutherford6239]

ty for another informative video!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks for watching, Tina!

[@sideeyes7480]

At what point did you say to yourself "how many more trips do I need to make?" Thank you for the video; great job.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Almost immediately. :D

[@CheckSSForm]

You inspired me. Went out and spent 4 hours making a 5x5 aerobic pile and a big gravity pile of compost. I need to really work hard as I inherited a big garden that has been tilled and taken away from for 5 years. The soil had no organic matter last summer. I covered it in fall leaves last fall and am doing cover crops currently per Mark @iamnjorganic. Between you two I will achieve good soil eventually. Thanks for the videos. If you have a link for a big diy flow thru worm bin I've been looking. Currently have a worm tower I built but I wanna change to a big flow through. End blog. -Marc

[@OneYardRevolution]

My pleasure, Marc! You're right. There's a lot more work in the beginning when you're first getting the garden going. I've only built small flow through worm bins, but I've seen some pretty cool larger ones on KZbin. Best wishes with your garden!

[@CheckSSForm]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks! And thank you for the free information you provide.

[@Viva_la_natura]

Patrick, it's now fall and I waited a long time to start my fall compost piles. As a result, I am running low on green material. However, something just occurred to me regarding using Comfrey as a compost activator. We made a huge batch of Comfrey tea in early fall. Have you ever tried doing a layer of leaves, and soaking it with undiluted comfrey tea, and then repeating to build a pile? I'm getting spoiled and super lazy with "do-nothing gardening" and I just don't feel like collecting nitrogen outside of my yard anymore. I'm going to give it a try...

[@OneYardRevolution]

I've never tried it, but the nitrogen in the comfrey tea should help. Have you started using urine yet? That'll do the trick too.

[@Viva_la_natura]

No, I have not. I'm trying to picture my wife's reaction to learning of my new source of nitrogen :) kidding...she fully supports my gardening mania. I'll give it a try. As is with most things in life, I have either an abundance of green or brown but rarely both at the same time unless I take the truck out for a spin, and start shoveling something...I collected an absurd amount of leaves this year. In the next year or so I hope to have a system similar to yours in place. It's a process for sure, but well worth it. I'll let you know how the test goes.

[@OneYardRevolution]

We use most of our leaves as mulch. It's amazing how quickly the earthworms break them down (usually by June).

[@Viva_la_natura]

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to just remain patient, and let nature do it's job.

[@LeahBrooksJeremiahGardens]

Thanks for the video! I used your link and bought 2. In your video, is that one Geobin or two connected together?

[@Ferelmakina]

Excellent guide, Pat! I'll save it for future reference. I just have a couple of questions: isn't it necessary to use a starter culture? what are the main reactions that take place? by which microbes? Thank you and please don't feel obliged to answer.

[@OLearyDavis]

In my experience there is no need for store bought "compost starter" cultures. Plant matter already has beneficial bacteria that will multiply when in the compost pile. If you are really worried about it you can add a few scoops of your native soil (dirt) or some finished compost to increase the number of bacteria to begin. If temperature is the issue, you can try to add more greens or something else high in nitrogen like used coffee grounds. Many different reaction takes place throughout the process, and the microbes responsible vary depending on the temperature range of the pile. When a pile is very hot, thermophillic bacteria thrive and actually kill off most other living thing(or force them to leave the pile). This is usually a goal (but not required) in the composting process because it will kill of most plant diseases and pathogens. I would suggest Cornell's website for more of the scientific information about composting. compost.css.cornell.edu/science.html

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Fernando! I agree with Chad's response. Compost starters are a total waste of money and are NOT needed. All of the microbes needed for decomposition are present in nature and are already on the material being added to the compost pile. Though it's interesting to learn more about exactly what's going on at the microbial level, you don't need to know this to make good compost.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Well said, Chad!

[@Ferelmakina]

Ok, thank you Chad and Pat. :-)

[@MrBucidart]

Patrick, I hope that your having a good 4th of July weekend, and this is a very good video on composting, but my question is Who is the man wearing a suit at the very end of the video??

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Joe! That's my alter-ego. ;-)

[@MrBucidart]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening ;)

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

Hmm I am glad Joe commented missed that till I re-watched. now I can tell hubby I think you are an accountant who's just a really, really good gardener in his spare time! :)

[@pastelcollection5557]

I am newer to composting. Can you just add food scrapes as you have them or do you have to have an entire bins worth of stuff to begin?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes, you can add them as they become available. If the bin is open, make sure to bury food scraps to avoid attracting pests.

[@justryan2070]

Don't blackberries re-root? Or do they lose the ability to once they are dry? Our blackberries are out of control and spread everywhere if they touch the ground.

[@OneYardRevolution]

second year canes won't re-root. They die in the 2nd year.

[@KALSINFILMS]

More Compost Videos. PLS>

[@OneYardRevolution]

Any particular topic you'd like me to cover?

[@raymundohernandez2201]

Where can I buy a composter like yours plastic one I am Raymond a hi. From California

[@iliveoutside]

Do you add kitchen scraps at all?

[@OneYardRevolution]

I sometimes add kitchen scraps to the outside compost pile, but most of them go in our indoor worm bins.

[@isaacfrerichs3305]

Instead of trigs, can we use free woodchip mulch?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes, but the more wood you have in the pile, the longer it will take to break down.

[@dritanbega6461]

Thanks for the video Patrick.I am curious how you do the watering of your garden, never made a video on it, and I don't think you water direct from the tap water witch is cold and full of chlorine. All the best

[@OneYardRevolution]

We get a good amount of rain. That combined with the mulch means we don't have to water often. When we do, we hand water with the garden hose.

[@RafsKitchenGardenChannel]

Hi Patrick, I like the idea of getting neighbours involve you source all nutrients from local area, do you instruct them to not throw any weeds with seeds and such ? Although since you have hot compost those will die in above 60C temperature anyway.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Raf! I do ask them not to give me too much of their larger tree trimmings but weeds are welcome. We find that composting and mulching prevent weed seeds from germinating. Weeds are not an issue in our garden at all.

[@RafsKitchenGardenChannel]

oh indeed the mulch from leafs on top of compost will sort it didn't thought about it. Thanks !

[@alhamaqi]

Hi Patrick. Where I live they do not sell compost. All we have here is cow manure. Do you think I can apply cow manure as a top dressing to add organic matter to my poor soil? Home composting takes a long time and I prefer to use cow manure if it's nearly the same. Also, how often do you think I should apply it? We have temperatures reaching 120 degrees here in the summer.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes, you can use manure as long as it's not fresh. I recommend hot composting it first to kill pathogens, but well aged manure should be okay too. I typically apply compost once per year. Best wishes with your garden!

[@alhamaqi]

Many thanks! Another question if you don't mind: I have my garden covered with leaves. It would be a lot of work to move the leaves and apply manure. Is it possible to apply manure on top of the mulch? Would you also recommend, for example, that I sprinkle the manure on top of the mulch every month instead of one or two full applications per year?

[@crpth1]

@@alhamaqi - I might have misunderstood. But you have a bunch of leaves and a bunch of manure, all in a hot weather region. What is so difficult/time consuming about making compost in these conditions. Just pile it all up. Sprinkle some water, if/when needed, come back a few months after. Done. Finished compost could be applied, in small quantities, almost on a daily basis if you have nothing better to do. Same for WELL SEASONED manure (> 1 year). ;-) Cheers

[@MrSnowford]

Seems like you have no issues with squirrels/birds? During dry/hot summers my tomato plants get decimated by hungry/thirsty squirrels and birds pecking at the tomatoes.

[@OneYardRevolution]

We're fortunate that there are enough food and water sources for wildlife that they don't bother our tomatoes too much. Have you tried protecting your plants with bird netting?

[@-wartiyati8071]

Indonesia is a tropical country that has 2 seasons only. Hot season and rainy season. When it is summer, it is easy to make compost from local materials such as dried leaves and other unused materials. But when the rainy season, the sun rarely shines so that composting often fails and decays. Help me can be given the solution. thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Would it be possible to build the pile near the end of the rainy season and harvest it in the hot season?

[@crpth1]

- wartiyati - Build the "pile" over thicker branches and twigs. So it will "breath" and drain. Making it in a higher spot or over a plinth of rocks/bricks also help to avoid "drowning" during the rainy season. Cover the pile with tarp/plastic bags, etc. to avoid getting too wet and cool it down. I´m in Norway, right now my compost is mostly covered with snow and temperatures are constantly negative. The Sun is just a memory from months ago. :-( Although composting process it´s very slow in this conditions, it´s still working. ;-) Local joke: There´s only two seasons in Norway. The "green Winter" and the "white Winter"...Either case it´s always Winter. LOL :-) Cheers

[@dallastaylor5479]

You mentioned adding red wigglers, do you buy them? If so, from where?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Marcia! We have lots of extra composting worms from our indoor vermicompost bins, and I sometimes add them to our outdoor compost piles. But I wouldn't buy them just to add to outdoor piles. If you're interested in starting a worm bin, this is where we got our red wigglers: unclejimswormfarm.com/

[@mirakelspektakel1524]

Thats a huge leafed Hosta! You eat them? Ive tried a few different varieties and i do like them.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yeah, those are Blue Angle Hostas. I haven't tried eating them yet, but I might try some of the shoots next spring to keep them from spreading so much.

[@mirakelspektakel1524]

I see they look so nice. You can use the shoots like sparragus, or the big leafs like mangold. They make good wraps for tacos and is a good healthy substitute for the bread. OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I think I'll try the shoots next spring.

[@goforgreenliving]

Can you say P Allen Smith nah just kidding your video's are looking great my friend and so full of good information. I got to throw this in can you help me sing my theme song I'm doing a Collage. If you have time that is.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Lol! Thanks! I don't think I'm ready to make my world-wide singing debut. :-)

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

Yep. I asked you several months ago as I recall...lol

[@anillareyes8740]

Podrían agregar Subtítulos en español Profavor...

[@georgesorchids7914]

Respect!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, George!

[@elysejoseph]

Really nice video Patrick! Oscar is such a clown :-D

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Elyse! My wife and I always get a kick out of how Oscar often looks at the camera. It's like he knows he's performing. ;-)

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

Considering you have frequent rains in your area which means you hardly have to water your garden, does leaching out of compost nutrients with the rains concern you ?

[@OneYardRevolution]

I don't know if I'd describe our rainfall as frequent. We get enough that, combined with mulching, we don't have to water often. We get 91 cm of precipitation per year, which is quite a bit less than you get in Mumbai. I'm not worried about leaching. There's enough organic matter in the garden to soak it up.

[@litia]

Some websites say we should use 2 parts green 1 part brown yet you say 2/3 browns 1 green, how come? Have you ever tried both and noticed a difference?

[@OneYardRevolution]

The best ratio depends on the ingredients being used, but I've never used 2 parts green to 1 part brown. I find 2 brown to 1 green is a good starting point. I then make adjustments depending on how the pile does. For example, I might add more greens if the pile doesn't heat up. I hope this helps!

[@crpth1]

litia - Probably the most "confusing" reality about compost. Is that the lack of "rules" will also produce a nice compost. :-) Time is the only issue regarding all the so called rules. Most online/book recipes are to achieve compost faster. When you get more seasoned about it you´ll notice that final quality will be mostly at par between all the recipes. If you need it "quickly" makes all sense to follow all the online compost gospel. If time is not an issue, let mother nature do what it does best. The end result will not disappoint in either case. ;-) Cheers

[@akunkhususgaming]

Whats name of black circle thing?

[@deulenepetrie751]

Do you use any food waste in your compost? And do you add worms to your compost?

[@OneYardRevolution]

We add all of our food scraps to our worm bins in the basement. We add some of our excess worms from worm bins into the compost bin in the spring, but this isn't necessary. Native earthworms will move into the pile and break it down for you.

[@kmkcorner]

Have you made a video on making a good soil using your compost?

[@OneYardRevolution]

We just apply compost to the soil surface every year in our garden beds. For containers, we use a mix of 5 parts coir, 4 parts perlite or vermiculite, and 3 parts compost.

[@gregorymcdaniel2249]

will rose bush decompose in my compost piles started in December

[@OneYardRevolution]

It will eventually decompose but not necessarily by spring. If the compost is hot it will decompose faster. Chopping it up into small pieces will also speed up the process.

[@gregorymcdaniel2249]

Thank you very much,this is my second attempt at composting,first time a falure,thanks to utube I am a little more educated now,plus older

[@thomasgronek6469]

I am sorry to hear about your failed compost, and I'm always very curious about why a compost would fail. Did it not get hot? How big was it. Was it wet enough? Please help me with any info or ideas,,, any observations or ideas are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Tom

[@TheMW101010]

Will there not be slugs or insects that breeds in the compost pile?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Slugs, pill bugs, earthworms, and other creatures that eat decaying organic matter will be attracted to the compost pile, but I've never seen a pest problem originate from a pile. I hope this helps!

[@telfordpenfold18]

Where do you garden?

[@CuriousinNY]

I have one of those. How do you make yours stay together and stand up?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Linda! They key is to press the material around the perimeter of the bin as you fill it. This will help the bin stand up and have a nice round shape.

[@CuriousinNY]

I just saw another video of your’s where you were putting a geobin together for composting and struggling a bit (that is me and why I asked the question - haha) until it came time to fasten the two ends. Where did you get the keys. Mine didn’t come with anything to connect the two ends, therefore the struggles to get it to stay standing. Please let me know where I can purchase these keys from. Forever grateful.

[@RevolutionGardens]

Patrick, Where did you get the container? You said it was a Geo?

[@auuurrrgh]

geobin theyvsell online and on Amazon amzn.to/29cP4c8

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yep, the one Ryan linked to is the one we bought. (We actually have 2).

[@ameliarose727]

Does anyone know whether dog faeces is okay to compost? We pick up all the poop before mowing but sometimes we end up mowing over some and it ends up in the grass clippings. Our green waste is usually taken away by council services but if some dog poop is okay, I might add our lawn clippings to the compost.

[@OneYardRevolution]

There are many different points of view on this topic. The waste would have to be exposed to 140 F / 60 C for several days to kill pathogens. This article gives a balanced perspective on the topic. They recommend hot composting dog waste but only applying it to ornamental plants: sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/compost/dog-waste.shtml

[@ameliarose727]

Thank you so much for your reply and for the link. Very helpful. And also thank you for the fantastic videos you produce.

[@OneYardRevolution]

My pleasure, Margo!

[@rosaliekiff1132]

May I ask how long is the steam on the thrmamititer and dose it go down to the bottom of the ben thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I think it's just under 2 feet.

[@WavesAndSunsets]

Hi, I'm in Arizona and it's over 105 degrees here. Is it a good idea to start it now? The humidity is very low and I'm worried it will dry out too fastened if I add water too often, it won't heat up. Or, should I wait until September? Thank you for your great videos! Sasha

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Sasha. I think any time is a good time to start a compost pile. If you don't have enough material to build a complete pile now, you can start accumulating organic waste now and build the pile in the fall when it's cooler and you won't have to use as much water. I hope this helps!

[@WavesAndSunsets]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening thank you for taking the time to help! I will do that because I don't have enough to started now anyway. Thank you again for your video! Hopefully I succeed :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

My pleasure, Sasha! You will definitely succeed. Even if the pile doesn't heat up, you'll get compost. It'll just take a little longer.

[@WavesAndSunsets]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening thank you!

[@rosem4584]

OK on my way!, Ha ha ha !have a good day!

[@kolapyellow7631]

What is that green bush next to u ?

[@OneYardRevolution]

sunchokes

[@barbararickman8543]

Where do you get "geo-bins?"

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Barbara. This is where we got ours: www.amazon.com/1-X-Geobin-Compost-Bin/dp/B0085O6NXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1467591925&sr=1-1&keywords=geobin

[@barbararickman8543]

Going there now! thanks a lot. I have passed your videos on to others so that they can benefit from your garden knowledge. Great lessons!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you, Barbara! I appreciate it.

[@SudeeshSubramanian]

Since you don't plan to turn the pile you could also have inserted a PVC pipe (with lot of holes) into the center of the pile to get Oxygen to the worms.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I wouldn't go to the trouble because the coarse material in the pile will create air pockets and the worms themselves will create channels through the soil which will bring oxygen into the pile.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I meant to say channels through the compost.

[@SudeeshSubramanian]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening You're right, but eventually when those coarse materials too decompose and the pile is getting to hot we can have the pipe as an insurance right.

[@OneYardRevolution]

By the time the coarse materials have decomposed, the pile will no longer be hot and earthworms will be channeling through the pile, which will bring oxygen in. Of course, you could add the PVC if you'd like, but I'm always looking for ways to work less in the garden while still getting great results.

[@SudeeshSubramanian]

As a rule of thump we always say to add Browns and Greens in "layers". But don't you think that in theory the same "layered" pile if mixed very well so that the Browns and Greens are perfectly blended, will be the best idea over the layered one(for the bacteria at least !! )?? :)

[@mukunda3001]

Coffee grounds when fresh do not give Nitrogen. They should be composted first. You can apply directly but they release nitrogen after 30 days or more. When fresh we can treat them like fresh leaves and fresh grass clippings. Black color does not mean they are used like aged compost.

[@thomasgronek6469]

Fantastic observation. Yes, composted grounds are better than uncomposted grounds. Only an observation: I have noticed that animals do not feast on plants that have been treated with composted coffee grounds or fresh coffee grounds that have been spread near the plants. Although composted grounds are superior for nutrition, uncomposted grounds might act as a deterrent to critters.

[@rosaliekiff1132]

May I ask where could one buy that long of a compost thermometer,Thankyou

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Rosalie! This is what we're using: amzn.to/2a6FRkM

[@cannasgarden2481]

do you water the compost with regular water from the hose? or is it being filtered? i ve been doing the same thing with my garden hose and I'm wondering .. chlorine and chloramine in the water kill beneficial bacteria and microbes. so wouldn't this slow everything down in our piles?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Though I sometimes use harvested rain water, I used unfiltered tap water in this video (I was out of rain water). The pile immediately started heating up and is up to 110° f (43° c) after less than 48 hours. This is a clear indication that bacteria are thriving. I've never seen any indication that tap water sets back the microbial population in any meaningful way.

[@cannasgarden2481]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening thank you for the response! I've been using tap also even though I've been told that tap water kills your beneficials . My compost feels cool to the touch but what I put in there looks like it is breaking down into good dark organic matter that holds a good amount of water. I started the bottom layer with wood chips that I had sitting around from last year and then I added some compost and garden scraps , coffee grinds , tea bags , and organic table scraps and I also layered more wood chips in between and turned every couple days . Am I doing something wrong? Thank you in advance

[@OneYardRevolution]

Is it cool to the touch even under the surface? When piles don't heat up, it can usually be attributed to one of these factors: 1) the pile is too small (1 cubic yard is the perfect size); 2) there isn't enough nitrogen; 3) there isn't enough air; 4) the material is too dry or too damp (should be as damp as a wrung out sponge). Because you're turning frequently, air is definitely not the problem. So, I'd focus on the other factors. Also, I recommend turning much less frequently. I'd use temperature as a guide. Once you get the pile cooking, only turn when the pile reaches 150 degrees f or when it cools down and you want it to heat up again. I hope this helps!

[@cannasgarden2481]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening yes its cool all the way down . i also have a pile of wood chips just sitting around and when i dig into that it smokes. u see webs of fungi and bacteria all over the wood chips its great. idk what I'm doing wrong with the compost tho . maybe my ratios are out of whack?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yeah, I'm certain it's one of the factors I mentioned. I'd also turn less frequently based on temp.

[@IndianaBackyardGardener]

so you only add garden waste? no kitchen scraps?

[@OneYardRevolution]

We add all our kitchen scraps to our worm bins in the basement.

[@IndianaBackyardGardener]

Ok good to know.

[@davidlarsen8652]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening oh my! that reminds me I would be thrilled to see your worm strategy

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thank you for your interest, David! I hope to do a vermicomposting video this fall or winter.