Top Compost Misconceptions Broken Down (pun intended)

[@Coccinelf]

I think you meant 27 cubic feet. I can't wait to start my first compost pile!

[@MIgardener]

Yes, very sorry. My brain was froze.

[@Coccinelf]

@@MIgardener Yeah I totally get what you mean with the damp cold. It's like your bones are freezing!

[@michaeldorety624]

Or a cubic yard

[@susanpeters4608]

I have favored calling it 'brain freeze' and the dampness just adds..lived in IN most of 60 years... a 100 year old farmer dubbed this phrase a couple of decades ago cause when you are cold to the bone your brain slows down. Thanks for the info and the memory!

[@dragoncarver287]

"sucks the heat right out of you" That is exactly what happens. Make sure you have a good thickness of clothes on.

[@karenadams8439]

An employee in a garden center told my bf that composting in Az is impossible. I told him I didnt care what she thought. Used trash cans with holes and its breaking down like crazy! It's so cool.

[@mikaellindqvist5599]

Why arent you walking in miles high piles of nonbroken down leaves twigs and other compistable materials produced by nature i wonder... 🤔

[@ausfoodgarden]

Excellent points on the overuse of compost. The more varied inputs you start with, the more 'well rounded" your compost will be. All my raised beds are filled with about 90% compost and both leafy and fruiting plants are doing well. I use lots of autumn leaves in the compost for minerals etc. used coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, garden waste, animal manures, hardwood sawdust and much more. Very nice job on the video 👍

[@homesteadingintheheartland8106]

My husband built me an awesome 3 stall ea 3x3, and I love it. Thanks for the great info on the blight/mildew and spores, I was kind of thinking that it didn't matter anyways, and put the couple tom plants that had it in the compost anyways, have enough chicken droppings to offset the massive 2 K sq ft garden that got composted. We intend on doubling to 4K sq ft next yr. Not bad for my first yr. Blessings from ND!

[@davidhutton]

I just dig a hole in my garden and bury my kitchen scraps. I don’t add meat, too many coyotes around here. A couple weeks later I will go out and turn the soil. Most of the scraps have already broken down.

[@terriesmith8219]

I do the same. Especially the leftover pulps from my juicing, those break down the fastest as it's already grounded by the juicer.

[@batenkait0s657]

you should throw old meat into a warm enzyme bin and if exposed to air fly larvae if not exposed to air water and ph stabilizer along with a pressure valve to release extra gases - if possible add a tube to the pressure valve leading to an airtight container with solution of lye baking soda and water along with another pressure valve (preferrably at slightly above an atmosphere for optimal sulfur filtering) pass the gas through an alkaline gas mask filter with sodium carbonate/hydroxide pass the gas through a dehydration filter,a CO2 filter and finally into storage system (why? well because you may or may not be left with methane from anerobic decomposition and It would be wise to use it as fuel) why the air filters? sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide,ammonium sulfide and other sulfur fumes react with alkaline sodium and potassium salts to form useful sulfur salts. with this setup you can efficiently break down meat without wasting sulfur fumes or attracting cyotes.

[@susannareaume6209]

I do the same. Worms love it.

[@vajra0765]

We would like to see you making episode on a compost tumbler and walk us along through the entire process.

[@Caz1242]

Yes! Agreed!

[@trowbridgetina]

Actually a compost pile is better than a tumbler because the composting material is in contact with the soil and the natural worms/insects/bacteria will just naturally move into the pile to decompose!! You can make bins if you want, but leave the compost on the top of the natural soil. Really works better.

[@brg2743]

On the ground is probably best for making compost, but this can attract mice, garders, and other varnints. In the city a better option is starting in a plastic tub with a lid. You can see how it breaks down, what you need to add etc. Then we switched to a turnable composter. Easy to turn. Will have to dump it out and sift soon to see what it is doing in there. I always sift out what is done so I can use it. Really helps the soil.

[@SQWIB]

Great video just a few observations from my experience, Fermentation creates heat, a few examples, a pile of grass will get hot by itself, a pile of apples will rot, ferment and create heat. I have a 28" x 28" x32" compost bin that has gotten quite hot, so the 3' x 3' x 3' compost "rule" in itself is a misconception.. I mainly cold compost but on occasion the compost bin gets the right ingredients and will heat up. I also in-situ compost a lot in the fall and winter in my Hugelkultur beds, in the spring I will use unfinished compost as a mulch. Thanks for sharing.

[@jcdesignsandboat-works8290]

I simply love hot composting! I do a bin for household scraps that I don’t give to my pigs or chickens such as tea bags and coffee grounds. I also have two bins that I use for composting manures like cow and chicken manure that I blend with leaves, pine straw, cardboard, etc... and it is fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

[@batenkait0s657]

i know hot composting is more environmentally friendly but you should consider the biosynthesis of ammonium nitrate and sulfate from anaerobic compost as a source of useful chemicals - any sulfur gases could be captured with baking soda to yield valuable sulfur salts (valuable to a kid with no money or access to sulfur acids) which could be used for bargaining or in the kraft process

[@jackren295]

Great video as always! Just want to share something from my experience: if you have too much nitrogen (and moisture) in a closed-container cold compost, it's still going to smell, even if you don't have sulfur. It will turn into a black and slimy goo. I learned it the hard way...

[@Bamboo4U2]

Yeah, exactly. I don't know what Luke was talking about there. His compost probably doesn't smell because it's so freakin' cold where he is, but let the temperature rise about 20 degrees and he'll be running out there with shredded paper, junk mail and leaves, lol.

[@miriamrobarts]

@@Bamboo4U2, I think the open air makes a big difference, too.

[@cricketcrickey449]

My compost unfortunately turned out that way. :( I added a few handful of dried leaves in the hopes of ‘saving’ it, but now I’m wondering if it will even break down those dried leaves or will I still be able to use that slimy goo as a fertilizer?

[@dana102083]

@@cricketcrickey449 update?

[@pamkaufman3662]

I live in SW lower Michigan so I know exactly what you mean about the cold, damp days. It just seeps into your bones and stays there. Loved your video. I tend to just throw my scraps on the pile and, when I remember, I'll throw some paper or leaves in. I tend to get pretty good compost but also get critters eating the scraps sometimes as we do live in the country. So far they are not a big problem mainly racoons, possums and deer.

[@verona1016]

This past year I ended up growing peppers in containers with 100% composted horse manure (because that's what I had on hand). Just manure, no bedding or hay or anything else, kept turned whenever the temperature dropped until it no longer heated up anymore. The peppers loved it! I had so many peppers I didn't know what to do with them all, and I'm not even that good at growing things!

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

You got it right!! Keep it turned once temp starts to drop. When it don't heat up very high, it's usable & you'll have excellent yields.

[@erector5953]

Heavy feeders plants will love this type of compost !

[@suzannahharris8007]

Wow-- I learned so much and SO useful! I'm so into composting in my small backyard, and have tossed some powdery mildew leaves in the trash. Also, I'm always composting and it's amazing how quickly it gets used up in my beds. My main source of browns (we don't have leaves) is animal bedding from shredded cardboard and straw that I get from a local farmer. They seem to work well.

[@cupofjae]

Hi!! New subscriber! Can I just say, your videos are ASTRONOMICALLY informative and lovely to watch. I'm basically saving every video so I can reference later. Thanks for all your content!

[@kazoonomad]

Who thumbs down your content? Great stuff Luke!

[@angelaanderson5360]

You are so fortunate to have compost available to you in your community. I can't make compost fast enough for my garden.

[@wendysgarden4283]

there's never enough compost. Ain't that the truth, for most of us, at least? : ) I rake someone else's yard in addition to my own 1/3 acre, shred the leaves, and I'd even like more leaf mold to mulch with the following year. I beg for wood chips from tree services. I collect downed branches in the neighborhood after windstorms and chip my own small branches too...still not enough! Some weeks it feels like hunting for more safe organic material is a half-time job. lol.

[@marta8e]

Very useful video (just like your others 😉). Thank you! Question: how about composting weeds? We collect cuttings from 5 acres of land (weeds, grass, everything). Can we compost all that together or should we only collect the grass clippings?

[@valerieelfering692]

Compost it all! Not if they have gone to seed though. Just pick them before that point.

[@digicandy70]

Here in Central Florida the soil is primarily sand, therefore I grow in Raised Beds with 100% compost. It works much better than growing in the soil. It appears that the compost ultimately, after a few years, being in contact with the soil becomes an amended soil, probably primarily silt, and holds moisture better then new compost and continue to functions well to garden in. Some of my compost RBs are approximately 10 years old. Also when they are 3 years old or so there is little need to continue to add new compost to keep them filled up. Thanks for the video. And you are correct many think that it is absolutely possible to have to much compost. Maybe some places but not in Central FL.

[@shirleyk623]

Larry. Try doing vermicomposting. It's very easy to do. The worms do all the work. I too live in central Florida. I make all of my own soil. I use it to fertilize with it, put it in my raised beds, everything. I use old washing machine tubs and they work great! Do a little research and I think you will like it also.☺🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

[@sardar5150]

Thank you! Agree 100% Great video. I like using horse manure but found that my soil has too heavy phosphorus and potassium. Garden was ok, but could have been more productive. Calcium was being tied up apparently. Not bringing in manure for a while. Just using what I compost.

[@montano0222]

Simple Misconception: *exists* Luke: This cannot be further from the truth

[@sandyp2485]

Very interesting information. I've had a small plastic bin jusy shy of the square yard to compost in for many years. I toss stuff in and it breaks down to compost. No matter how much I put in there's always room for a bit more. And it doesn't stink. If it did, my townhouse neighbors would mention it or the Homeowners Association. No animal products are put in--not even milk or fish. If there is fish bits, it's from my cat's dish and that is simply buried here and there. It may have save my roses after a too enthusiastic garden helper nearly ruined them one spring. I also save the water left from steaming veggies and pour it in assorted garden spaces--after it's cool, of course. Come to think of it, I haven't missed not having a garbage disposal and it's been non-functional for a number of years.

[@sandyp2485]

PS I know what you mean about the damp cold. We get that a lot here in Northern Virginia and it's way worse than what I experienced growing up in Port Huron.

[@berlyn1187]

Huh, thank you for clearing up that misconception about powdery mildew! Makes me wonder then if pruning plants when you start noticing it is completely futile?

[@valh9858]

Thank you. Very useful video and good timing, as I am putting the garden to bed with dried manure and leaves.

[@sarahdawson5349]

Is it ok to keep adding to the pile over winter? And should you continue to turn the pile in the winter? Thanks!

[@wendysgarden4283]

My rule is, if i'm as cold as Luke is in this video, I'm not standing there and turning a pile! lol. I do add kitchen scraps once a week, though and cover them with a handful of leaves. Decomposition slows down in cold weather, and you can fight that, but it takes work, insulation of straw or leaves on all six sides every time you turn, and a pile more like 5 x 5 x 5, or 125 square feet in climates like Michigan. I bet most people are like me, and just let things slow down in winter, knowing it'll pick up again in spring.

[@CatfishSkinner]

I mixed a bunch of fish carcasses in my compost pile several times last summer, & they were completely broken down in about a month.

[@menachemporter5367]

I threw some roadkill cats in the compost heap and 3 months later there wasn't a trace. Even hair and bones were entirely gone

[@lilyxciv5637]

Menachem Porter What a good way to honor those poor kitties that met their untimely end. I just added a rat into my compost pile that my cats left in my yard, so I am glad to see that you have had success composting animals.

[@marilynbennett9868]

July 2020. We live in San Diego County. We have a huge lemon and an orange tree. I had been throwing away the citrus peel rather than composting. (We have a worm bin for most other kitchen food waste.) During the pandemic we have been using our lemon and oranges for juice every day rather than giving them away (about one lemon and 3 oranges per day). With so much citrus waste I decided to bury the peels. I keep them in a metal food waste bucket in the kitchen for a week until it gets full. I cut them up into at least 8 to 10 pieces before putting them in the bucket. When I put the peels in the hole they are very mushy and I use a shovel to chop them up more. Twice I buried the insides of squash (butternut and spaghetti) on top of the citrus pile. I had soaked the seeds for a week on the porch. Within days they sprouted. Some we transplanted and some we have left there and they are growing quite well. It may be because in Southern California we have alkaline soil but it was unbelievable that these seeds found it a favorable environment.

[@cherylgray5824]

Did I miss a video talking about blight? If not, I would really like you to make a video on how to have healthy plants in the blight and powdery mildew soil. Thank you

[@giggiwidit5638]

Luke has done quite a few videos about Blight and Mildew, and also how to make stuff to help combat them... try looking up his Tomato videos, because I think there is a section in there about blight and mildew =D

[@hopeking3588]

Luke i took my geraniums in house for winter and every time the leaves die I throw them in the same pot and come March I had beautiful flowers!!

[@mhanavan4]

I got a 4x4 grow tent so I could grow some salad greens and a fig indoors this winter. Thanks for the inspiration!!

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

I just love your channel you always have so much good information.

[@wokest118]

I like cold composting, and not having to wait for it to break down to use it.. How?? I fill a pot and have plenty carbon in there and fertilize, end of the season it’ll be broken down.

[@FoodThymeAndGarden]

Luke I've been watching many of your composting videos this morning, and I would like to ask a question about adding the spent coffee grounds into the making of compost. Does the caffeine remain in the coffee grounds and will they harm the flowering plants by causing anti bacterial compounds . I am confused by all of the different information out here for gardeners. Thank you for your help and your desire to teach gardeners how to grow big .. Take care from Laura in Ontario, Canada

[@Caz1242]

Can you please address whether you can compost in winter?

[@ArtbySusanKing]

I have a compost pile that is , leaves, grass clippings and lake weeds. Should I add soil to it or is it okay just with those?

[@PinballPreparedness]

You're fine with just that

[@stephanieeverett383]

I watched a Hoss Tools video that said they never compost squashes (zucchini and pumpkins etc) because they don’t want the squash bugs and eggs to propagate in their compost and be spread through their garden. Is this really an issue? What about the bugs that get into my beans and peas? Should I not compost them too?

[@maryjane-vx4dd]

You can see your soil. No snow. My garden and yard is about 1 foot deep. Today's Hugh 27 F

[@debpotter7552]

wow... mind blown, powdery mildew cucumbers can be added to my compost pile!?! thanks for clearing that up!!

[@jeffsullivan3362]

If you need carbon and nitrogen to get hot compost why do grass clippings get so hot in a lawn bag after I cut the lawn? I realize you won't get a complete NPK balance but It sill gets hot.

[@jackren295]

Maybe because the bag can trap the heat? Also, I have gathered a huge bag of grass clippings, but they did not heat up when I just left them out there, in the bag, and it was in summer. So I think it's not guaranteed to work.

[@jelatinosa]

Because all plant matter has both nitrogen and carbon. The main difference between "greens" and "browns" seems to be moisture levels and decomp state.

[@elizabethbaldwin7307]

I would love to know how to compost while keeping voles out of it. Any suggestions? My two main problems with gardening are the deer and the voles.

[@pascalxus]

So, you can't have too much compost. And, you can grow directly in 100% compost! got it! thanks so much for the tip. I can't wait until I can someday make my own compost :)

[@suebar5177]

Hi🤗 just noticed you guys have over 500k subs....congrats!

[@irinab7524]

827K December 29, 2020

[@jonorton7475]

Oh my! I will let my husband hear this and see if he will actually believe it!! He piles everything from the garden high and then the leaves and grass only go on the garden or another pile.

[@marinaallen1721]

First comment ever on youtube: Luke, where did you get your jacket from? Brand? Thanks. P.S. I'm a huge fan of yours! I've been watching your videos for almost 6 years. Thank you for all the gardening knowledge and information!!!! You are amazing!

[@samuelvine]

I'm from Florida - it doesn't get cold frequently here but every time it does it's humid. Humid cold has such a bitter bite to it.

[@nathanargos4490]

Thank you so much for this video! I have a huge yellow jacket nest inside my compost pile. I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

[@carlkessler303]

I have a black plastic, stationary bin that I put my kitchen scraps in. Around July, I get black soldier flies in it and they make short work of it. How good are the castings from the larvae?

[@rainspringing]

Good, and earthworms love it. Composting worms will move right into that stuff, no waiting. The only part that hasn't been studied on them much is if their guts render seeds still viable or not. I would say very likely viable, because BSFL basically don't eat the fibrous parts of plant matter. Just BSFL do remove considerable compost bulk, so if you had planned to use the compost as bulking materials in raised beds or pots then they aren't the most desirable.

[@bloominginplace4791]

We have black tar spot on the trees in my neighborhood, so I stopped using the leaves and grass clippings in my compost. Instead I have been bagging, and having dpw pick us for trash. I now gather leaves from other people outside my area for compost. Am I wasting my time? Will the mold die during compost?

[@deborahhayes825]

Great video but please check your closed caption text. The KZbin automatic text capture is affected by voice speed, frequency and accent and there are always inaccuracies. Remember, the closed caption is the only way your hearing impaired audience can enjoy your video and they want to enjoy and use this information as much as the hearing audience.

[@6996katmom]

I had heard that putting cornmeal over the soil at planting time kills fungus. Is that true?

[@CTR6067]

I think a small series on composting would be wonderful. Also, Is it true that oak and ironwood leaves should not be composted?

[@batenkait0s657]

im not sure about ironwood but it's true oak leaves take a bit longer to decompose due to tannins and such though I doubt it would hurt to sprinkle a little in here and there though it is good to count them as part of the "carbon" content due to their unusual properties - also you should do the schweizers reagent experiment with some leaves for a science project - nothing like seeing someone dissolve some leaves and precipitate it as rayon (I don't have mineral acids so I use dehydrated epsom salt to make a cellulose paste though i suppose I could make rayon with a supersaturated solution of magnesium sulfate and a saturated solution of ammonium cellulose complex).

[@robmarkovitch]

I've always composted oak leaves. Never a problem. If you're looking to speed up the process, shred your leaves.

[@batenkait0s657]

@@robmarkovitch hmm maybe it depends on the tye of oak tree - where I live along with the usual oaks there are some fairly uncommon species that could possibly have slower decomposition rate - do you think it would be possible to speed the decomposition of material via sodium hydroxide treatment (or endocellulase) ?

[@robmarkovitch]

@@batenkait0s657 Lye is so basic, you're going to destroy all beneficial microbes. Don't think of compost as fertilizer. Rather it's a soil inoculant, which provides the beneficial microbes that help plants extract nutrients from the soil. In addition to shredding leaves, if you want to speed things up, add a high nitrogen source like grass clippings, blood meal, and/or urine. I suspect you are looking for a quick fix, but sorry, there isn't. Good compost/ leaf mold takes time.

[@batenkait0s657]

@@robmarkovitch I never said I wanted a quick fix and am aware of the problems - I am simply wondering if it is in theory possible to make leaves break down faster using lye or endocellulases - as for the part about the ph killing the beneficial microbes it is possible to inoculate the material after treatment to have it break down as if it was never treated - why am I wondering about such impractical composting methods? well because im looking for a way to use spare wood ash which contains sodium and potassium hydroxide - speaking of which do you know anything about potential solvents for cellulases? I have been planning on doing extractions from various sources such as rotting wood dead termites and leaf mold to compare the differences in breakdown mechanism but no matter how hard I look I can't seem to find information on potential solvents for the enzymes. oh yeah would it be possible to grow portobellos in leaf mold piles?

[@lymandeann-gaines3921]

So if the minimum is 3x3x3, how do compost bins work that are smaller than a 3x3x3 area? Ex: tumbler bins or a garbage bin.

[@rainspringing]

Minimum for easy hot composting, fast breakdown. Tumblers get hot if well constructed and filled in a different way than a forked.turned/flipped over pile. Usually garbage bins and similar small piles don't get to hot composting temps, but they cold compost just fine.

[@flowerpixel]

@@rainspringing thank you. I'm a newbie and was worried I couldn't compost at all because not enough space

[@scottaloha8543]

I'm using a 32 gallon trash can with holes. It does heat up but i don't know if it is that 160 degrees that I see in videos and the material is breaking down. I noticed that it would work better when I made sure to turn it, kept it moist, and tried to have about 2 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. Luke did a video on trash can composting.

[@stephanieeverett383]

I forgot to add that we opened a pumpkin that our pig had prematurely harvested for us and found a white, cotton candy like mold in it. We looked it up and were told that it could get into pretty much anything. We were then advised not to compost any of that pumpkin because the mold would get into our compost and infiltrate our garden when we use that compost dirt. My husband believes that the heat has microbial action in the compost would break all of that down into neutral dirt and cause none of the negative things to move forward. I’m a bit scared to even try.

[@dawnmorris3252]

Great video...cleared up a few things I have wondered about 💚

I reeeeally want to start a compost pile, but I have a few concerns. 1) how do you deal with ants? Especially when trying to stay organic. I have dried Molasses sprinkled everywhere. But, I’m still finding them in my garden area I am building. 2) what about critters- deer, turkey and SNAKES 🙈 3) I feel like I’m going to need several raised compost bins if this is the best option....is that normal for most folks?

[@jelatinosa]

Snakes won't rummage through your compost, unless you have mice, rats or roaches. The little garter snakes might actually like the worms, but those things are harmless!

[@billieblake115]

Hey Luke.could you give some examples of these minerals that you talk about .Like what vegitation is nitrogen,compost example)etc...

[@shellyrees5946]

Question...for over the winter, can I just add food scraps and leaves/sticks to my garden beds directly? I have two beds that about 16" deep with soil and nothing is planted in them. I also have a few beds that are about 6-8" deep. One currently has garlic in it. Could I toss food scraps/leaves and such atop that too?

[@PaleGhost69]

Luke already did a video about that. Search MiGardener Core gardening

[@DeadeyeJoe37]

How well does compost work as a mulch? If I already have a layer of mulch (4-6" of arborist woodchips), would mixing in compost into that mulch layer give me any benefit?

[@bcrouch2626]

Yes it would make a compost tea every time it rained just put it on top and add a thin layer of wood chips on top of the compost

[@Aleman102]

yes i love these videos, It ties in well with my soils class!

[@christinewilliams1294]

Luke do you happen to know does putting raw egg shells into compost , possibly contaminate your compost with Salmonella? Would this mean you would be unable to grow food without cooking it first i.e. Lettuce or tomatoes or this a myth kind Regards Chris

[@Caz1242]

I would put rose leaves with black spot and rose rust in my compost before was told it would spread. Is this ok? Can I sterilize my compost with a bicarb of soda solution?

[@elizabee8273]

So...what about E Coli? If something like romaine lettuce is recalled and then accidentally gets to the compost instead of garbage, is it going to effect the pile?

[@miriamrobarts]

Good question

[@miriamrobarts]

Something I wonder about for paper / newspaper / ads is: Are the inks & paper healthy to use, or might they have something you wouldn't want in your compost & soil?

[@sandrachaluisan3048]

Hello, I was told that bagging new compost is not good because the microbes will die off. Is that true?

[@letitiaguachun3704]

So is it true that mulch will help protect against powdery mildew then?

[@tomjones4318]

Nitrogen is the least explained factor. Where is it, how do you keep it, how do you lose it, etc? Browns were once greens what's happening to the nitrogen? In winter we have too much carbon, in summer we have too much nitrogen. How to find material to balance that out? Why not 10-0-0 in a bag in winter? I see alfalfa pellets still have nitrogen even though they are dried out. What about growing comfrey of alfalfa in summer, dry it and store it till winter? How do you keep the nitrogen in dead material? Does hay that is properly collected and stored have nitrogen? Also how do you store compost till it's needed?

[@connie6661]

What is wrong with my navel orange tree? I live in Southern California. 6 or 7 years ago we planted that tree, an apple tree and a plum tree. We have gotten lots of plumbs and a few apples. The navel orange tree has not grown any taller. More leaves and nice and green. Why hasn't it grown ? We have a lemon tree that has tons of lemons.

[@lawrencegroelinger1562]

Any ideas what to do with root knot nematodes +

[@WDWormsnGarden]

I have raised beds 2ft high ant the only soil in them is compost.

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

Please help ! I used a tumbler style composters . And I still have compost in it. And now it is in the 30’s I left my compost in the tumbler. And I stoped putting kitchen scraps in it. But now I think I goofed on this .Can I still use my kitchen scraps in the composters ? The composter is out side my garage door.

[@rainspringing]

Unless your kitchen scraps are the only things in there, no dry items at all, there shouldn't be any kind of problem. Until the temps warms up. If it's super wet and gooey, vs simply frozen, you might wish to add some dry stuff and tumble before it freezes solid. Or just try to remember before thaw, to prevent leaking out of the tumblers/ smell. I also use tumblers the first 6 months or so of composting, because of what all gets composted and how I prefer to segregate the various things. I also add to all of them all winter, because they are sealed away from animals. If it's going to stay in the 30's where you are for long definitely can't see why you couldn't keep using it for kitchen scraps, even if it would be a watery goo after a thaw. Especially for just low risk things like kitchen scraps. There are insulated tumblers that apparently heat up hot, even outside the warmer winter areas of the world. (Won't stay 30f here for longer than a dip at night, usually, so my single insulated tumbler will still provide a sauna experience all winter with little attention. The others must be tumbled and such to get hot/have no smell on warm days.)

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

Rain Spring Thank you should I add some wood pellets with the kitchen wast?

[@rainspringing]

@@deborahtofflemire7727 If you have those, for a stove or similar, you can use the dusty broken parts at the bag bottom. Or any used paper products from the kitchen, including ripped up small paper bags. Shredded white paper works ok too, just less absorbent initially. I personally prefer no jet printer ink in veggie gardens, but use mountains of shredded brown packing paper in the tumblers. Dry fallen leave are the absolute best, so I hear, if you have anything like that.

[@matthewblackwood4704]

Can i put garden lime on my pile to help with smell or will it mess up my compost?

[@urbanrewilding8003]

Matt Blackwood I read a box of baking soda will help with smelly compost, sprinkle it on.

[@edjo3430]

Luke, can the pile be much larger than 3' x 3' x 3' ?

[@busker153]

That is why I never listen to the "scientific" studies. I watch your channel, and see you sitting in the middle of your results. Your garden is your PhD.

[@dragoncarver287]

1 yard cube? I made compost in my wheel barrow and I know its not a cubic yard. Made compost all spring with grass clippings and leaves from last fall. Volume for volume worked just awesome. Had the best garden ever. Was good exercise turning it every two or three days.

[@erector5953]

3*3*3 it's the minimum average optimal size for the average materials in order to achieve a quality hot compost !

[@dragoncarver287]

@@erector5953 I never did "take" the temp, but in the wheelbarrow it got warm but maybe not 140 to 160 F. I did take temps on larger piles and got that hot though. The wheel barrow batch I only did once. Succeeding piles were definitely larger. I may build a semi round bin out of wood just for making hot compost (help keep in the heat)

[@kokrosy1]

Great video thank you, Luke. How about compost placement. Is it critical for the compost to be in the sun? I'm using a tumbler. Thanks

[@Bamboo4U2]

It's best if it's dark (like black) and in the sun, especially through the winter months. But you have to remember to keep checking it for moisture (hose it down if need be or add more nitrogen). Unless you don't care if it takes longer to break down.

[@scotchcrofter9964]

Interesting info. Should hopefully be starting our first compost soon.

[@danielsalach1234]

Is that why some people cut the bottom branches off tomatoes to help not get blight?

[@MIgardener]

daniel salach absolutely!

[@christopherfletcher5384]

Ground watering and drip irrigation helps a lot.

[@eltiobry3859]

The only way i can get quick compost is to mix very small pieces of brown and green materials and put dirt separating the mix with some water. It can get done in about 5 to 6 weeks this way.

[@ellensnell828]

quick question about cow manure composted with wood chips.... can you have to much of that?

[@Bamboo4U2]

It should be well-rotted manure and *definitely* not fresh manure.

[@erector5953]

@@Bamboo4U2 fresh manure will be higher in nitrogen that it's exactly what is needed to breakdown wood-chips ! The parameters to monitor in this case it's the availability of wood-chips or any brun ( dry carbon rich material) versus the availability of cow manure . A ratio of 40 % wood-chips and 60 % manure and a minimum size of 3 feet*3*3 then a 5 times flipping during the 18 first days ( wait 4 day for the first flip then every 2 day after ) will make quality compost !

[@Bamboo4U2]

@@erector5953 Wait. Are you talking about using fresh manure directly in a garden or how you compost manure? Big difference. People who use fresh manure in their gardens are nuts. That stuff needs to be composted for at least 60 to 90 days. Many experts recommend much longer periods for pig manure (like a couple of years).

[@ellensnell828]

@@Bamboo4U2 by the. time we use it in the garden it's 6months or older

[@Bamboo4U2]

@@ellensnell828 Ah, good. Lots of people don't know to do that. There's also a problem with properly sourcing your manure to make sure the cows weren't fed anything sprayed with pesticides which could, well, kill your plants, lol.

[@angelaanderson5360]

Luke if you had grass clippings to add to your pile wouldn't that speed up the process?

[@MIgardener]

angela anderson it certainly would speed up the composting process.

[@keithjoyal8981]

Can never have too much compost. Compost naturally sequesters nutrients into non-water soluble form. Plants use nutrients in compost as they need it, not all at once like non-organic fertilizer. I’ve grown a pumpkin plant in a compost pile and have never had a problem of too much nutrients.

[@larkatmic]

We went from summer to winter ☹️ too cold. Thanks for the tips 🙏

[@enlightenphotographyexcurs5289]

This was incredibly helpful, thank you!

[@dustman96]

Fantastic video. Much truth spoken today.

[@geeyoupee]

Can you grow directly in compost from the landfill or should you add stuff to it (permite, woody material, etc)? How long should you wait before you use it? Until it's cool or even longer? Mine was around 115f when I got it. Thanks

[@swayback7375]

Probably not. You can always try, just take the compost, put some in a container and put some fast germinating seeds in, lettuce or greens are fast, then watch them. Theres not many composts you can buy that will even allow the seeds to sprout, others will kill the plant in a few weeks, some stays too dry and you can’t get it to take water, others will just stay swampy forever, some will stay swampy too long then dry out super fast. Theres so many variables! Most “compost” is not finished, most has lots of wood chips, chunks or super fine spreads of wood or bark, it’s basically composing wood mulch. But ya never know what they might have used, the cheapest thing possible in most cases

[@onalennasehume4586]

I heard that adding pine needles will make your compost acidic. Can you verify this in your next video perhaps?

[@WillowWarty]

Thank you that was an interesting eye opener !

[@UtahSustainGardening]

Pumpkin seeds may be high in nitrogen, but I seriously doubt the fruit part that we use for pies does.

[@dj4745]

My compost tumbler would not heat up with what I had available for free. So I started throwing worms into it for the winter. Let's hope that works.

[@Caz1242]

Can you give any advice about composting in a big black compost bin?

[@erector5953]

Be sure to have enough Air holes and the button need to have holes to ! First potential trouble it's inadequate aeration ! The second it's to much nitrogen !

[@cricketcrickey449]

Exactly what Void Main said. I tried composting in a bin. Punched several holes all around. But I wasn’t able to keep the carbon-nitrogen balance since I got way too many kitchen scraps and too few dried leaves. I ended up with a slimy black goo which smelled bad. :( the shredded brown paper bag blocked the holes I made, so there was too much moisture and not much aeration..

[@ranchoraccolto]

I love the Caribbean for this reason....!! no cold weather... no seasons only summer... love the last, not 100% agree with the first one... but could be because the weather here... when I made a pile with too much nitrogen, (fruit scraps) it got really really hot, but soon became anaerobic and smelly, way too accid for worms, they literally ran away from my pile... so had to add carbon for the sake of good compost... a few shovels of wood shaving did the trick

[@charliemaddox3226]

You missed one huge misconception about the C:N ratio and the brown and green ingredients. Most everything has both carbon and nitrogen in it at different ratios. Vegetable scraps by themselves can be around 10-20:1 and fruit 20-50:1 so a mixture can be perfect from a C:N ratio perspective, but lousy for composting. The real or at least dominant issue is that they usually have too much moisture (typically 80-90% when you want 50-60%) or pack down too much for good aeration to heat up well. There is also a huge range in the C:N between many "brown" materials (leaves 40-80:1, cardboard 600:1, softwood woodchips 200-1300:1 per. Cornell University). From that you could add one pound of leaves to your all veggie pile which would dry and aerate it it a lot with a small increase in C:N, or you could add one lb of softwood sawdust which would make a much larger increase in C:N and very small shift in moisture and aeration.

[@coleenburris6816]

I was just wondering if I could use pine shavings as carbon.

[@carolynmyers9891]

Mine compost pile is not tall but it gets hot.

[@Lisa-vf4zj]

Does anyone know how I can compost horse manure? Also, can I add anything to the horse manure in order to create a hot compost pile?

[@PaleGhost69]

Straw

[@alexriddles492]

One word of caution about composting horse manure. It is very rich in nitrogen. If you don't add a carbon source, such as straw, the compost will produce ammonia gas and a lot of your nitrogen will be lost. I find that half manure and half straw is about right. The pile will get hot without losing all your nitrogen.

[@janicejurgensen2122]

Thank you I learned a lot!

[@Lochness19]

You forgot about building a giant dome over your property before cooking your soil, because otherwise the spores will blow over from your neighbour's trees.

[@BrendaBodwin]

I think it would be easier to go to the city pile and grab some leaves and grass clippings and throw a layer in my compost heap.

[@trowbridgetina]

Thanks for this video!! I really enjoyed it.

[@weldonnicks8153]

Can you make compost tea out of trifecta 2

[@pattihayden8100]

Good information Luke

[@TheEMC2003]

What NPK test do you use?

[@lauryn_21420]

So one person buries fresh rabbit guts and the skin to compost but a lot of other people say not to. What do you think? I mean, in nature when animals die they compost in the ground. Thank you for a great video!