Why Your Compost Pile is Taking Forever to Break Down (And How to Fix It!)

[@simplifygardening]

Want to go in-depth on composting? Check out my book Composting Masterclass. www.amazon.com/Tony-ONeill/e/B09Z79VFRB/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk

[@rollyvilla6888]

What temp do you maintain?

[@123munter]

Brilliant book, at times I feel I'm doing a university course but brilliant :)

[@truth3358]

Unless you want rats don’t add food

[@TonyYouens]

Just bought it 👍🏻

[@karenbrown5177]

I'm a grandmother in Illinois, USA. We are in the midst of shelter in place orders now. My daughter and my grandies are thankfully working in the garden. It took the pandemic to get everyone to help. I cant do as much as I used to plus I'm watching my other daughter's son since schools are closed for now. I always enjoy watching other gardeners all over the world. Blessings and prayers to you all.

[@simplifygardening]

Hi Karen. Im seeing this happening all over the world. I think the current situation has scared a lot of people into learning how to grow their own food

[@lufe8773]

Best of luck to all of you

[@MayaDominique]

I appreciate the description of the compost bins as "Dalek style" :)

[@simplifygardening]

:) good

[@johnnovosel2417]

He grew up watch Dr Who

[@dano956]

Finally! The carbon to nitrogen ratio explained properly, I have watched many videos and they all give different ratios ( 50/50, 5:1, 5:3, 30:1) no one ever talks about the content of each ingredient. It all makes sense now. Thanks so much

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was helpful Danny. this is the problem I think. A lot of people here the ratios and regurgitate them without really understanding them thats why I made this video

[@heatherthomas7545]

This is hands down the best, most informative explanation I have seen anywhere. Had a bunch of Aha moments between this and your leaf mold video. Cannot thank you enough for taking the time to share your expertise. Time to go out to the bin!

[@simplifygardening]

Glad you enjoyed it Heather. Thats what my channel is about. helping people like you to understand why things work like they do

[@sandieblack4860]

Love the video. I am a compost maker from way back and have being building my own compost heaps for many years. I am strongly in favour of not wasting anything if I can help it and that goes for weeds, vegetable scraps, leaves etc., At present I have 8 compost heaps, bins and barrels in my garden and I still don't have enough of the finished product for my needs. I have just finished "harvesting" one of my bigger bins, (it started out it's life as a rabbit cage) it measure roughly 8 feet long 4 feet wide and roughly 3 feet high. Unfortunately, due to ill health I was unable to turn this pile so it pretty much got left to decompose on it's own. When I uncovered the top layer, some of which was still not broken down, I found the underneath layer to be a fine mixture of beautiful, rich soil ready to start my seeds in, use as mulch or add to my raised beds to top them up ready for the coming growing season. The top layer that still needed to be broken down and a few odds and ends I found in the compost as I harvested it, just went into my next bin and will decompose along with the newer stuff I am putting in it. As a matter of fact that bin is almost full and as I will be unable to turn that one I am leaving it to do it's own thing, so, while that is happening, I sprinkled a couple of inches of finished compost on top and planted a few butternut squash seeds in there to see how well they will do. I did a similar thing with a barrel that I had been using to put most of my household scraps in, I added a layer of rotting leaves every now and then and topped it off also with a couple of inches of finished compost, I now have a great crop of potatoes growing in it, come fall when I harvest the potatoes the bin will be emptied into one of the raised beds and put under a layer of leaves, grass or straw or maybe a combination of all three. Then that bed will be all ready for planting up next year. So for anyone out there who has never tried composting for themselves I would certainly urge them to give it a go, it is the ultimate form of recycling. (Sorry for the long post but you just opened up my pet subject haha) Anyway, take care and stay safe. Sandie from Ontario Canada.

[@simplifygardening]

Wow thats great Sandie like you i qish to reusevas much garden waste as possible and making my own is better for the garden

[@dave710]

Nice one mate!

[@tbluemel]

Tony, I am almost finished reading your fantastic book, "COMPOSTING MASTERCLASS" and it is absolutely the best book on ALL kinds of composting I have ever read!!! Sooo comprehensive!!! Thank you for all the time, research and hard work you did to write it! Anyone interested in composting will surely get an amazing education from your book!!!

[@simplifygardening]

Thank you so much Thom I’m so glad you enjoyed it

[@tbluemel]

@@simplifygardening It is a masterpiece, Tony! Can't wait for your next book!

[@simplifygardening]

You know your first vegetable garden is out right?

[@tbluemel]

@@simplifygardening I do now, though I am well past my first garden. My First Garden is next on my list! You know your KZbin channel is also a masterpiece. I have enjoyed and learned from it for years. Tony, you are truly a gift to serious gardeners!

[@ollie2244]

When I hear a Welshman talking about gardening I know I can trust him.

[@simplifygardening]

Hey Oliver. :) Thanks Pal. Being a firefighter too im a pillar of the community lol Only joking

[@MonkesReturn42069]

@@simplifygardening Thank you so much for not only your contributions to your community, but across the world!

[@fionadt8745]

ThatGuy Ollie I was just thinking why are all the compost and gardening videos I have just watched been with welsh guys I’m not following any set people yet so it’s not even the same few people in different videos

[@margipovey]

Could Listen to him all day ! 😊

[@jeffreybonell4641]

I was wondering what that accent was! thanks

[@nancyhaney4477]

Best explanation of greens and browns I've ever seen. Thank you.

[@simplifygardening]

Thank you Nancy i am glad you found value in the video

[@nellythree]

Great video mate, this should be mandatory for every house, it would improve the life of us humans👍🏽

[@dave710]

100% agree!

[@OGgiraffeneck91]

Great information! Shout out from Kentucky

[@janicejurgensen2122]

I have watched this tutorial before and my compost is very successful because I literally used all of your advice and now have the pleasure of adding it to my beds and knowing that I have healthier food for my family!! Thank you so very much, it’s brilliant!

[@simplifygardening]

So glad your now making your own quality compost. Great job :)

[@rosebloodwater13]

I love when you call them delek style bins and it's funny because you're not wrong.

[@budj13]

Excellent video! You are clearly a very analytical guy and your rigor in composting is impressive. Your information and principles are the key and every person has to find their own way that works in their situation. I mow a very large lawn and collect a lot of grass during the summer months. I also live under a lot of fir trees so I collect a LOT of fir needles and small fir seed cones. I generate about a cubic yard a month for 6 months, so bins are not practical for me. I have a nice hidden field behind my workshop and I keep two large piles there-- one with fresh content and one with nearly finished compost. I use a tractor with a loader bucket to turn the piles and pile them high. It works great. The second pile gets moved into the garden each spring-- all by shovel and wheelbarrow at that point.

[@simplifygardening]

Perfect that’s what it’s all about

[@stevenbuck4090]

I never thought I'd get pumped for making dirt, but I'm ready to go make some compost! 🤘

[@simplifygardening]

Perfect wait until you pull your first batch

[@karenlatham4053]

What's really a shocking is whenever you get all excited about seeing worms in your compost... Who da thunk an old lady would get excited about worms.

[@tyrotrainer765]

Brilliant video Tony, another one - the best gardening channel I've come across, consistently clear instructions and delivered with authority.

[@joyfulstand7398]

I'm in hot desert area of southern CA. I just make a pile 3 feet high 4 feet wide on the ground, about 3 feet next to my favorite tree (pine or large grapefruit). I turn it 1-2 x per week with a shovel and hose it down with water after layering kitchen scraps and old brown leaves in the garden. Thank you for the detailed info it helps. I stopped covering with tarp becuz the tarps deteriorated in the hot summers, and the fibers (sometimes plastic) had to be picked out of the compost. Now I leave it uncovered. No rat or rodent problems becuz it's piled high and hot. Away from house so no smell problems. My tree next to the compost loves it's proximity, and thrives with the extra watering & soil near it. Thankyou kind sir!

[@growsoilbiology]

Cheers for the great video, love your bay system! I only have a small space on my allotment for composting. I use a "holding area" whilst collecting materials to start a batch of compost. I then rot it down using the Berkley compost method, which gives a finished pile in 14-18 days. Making fast batches of compost like this feeds my 300 square metre no dig beds just fine. With this system the pile does not shrink down, another bonus! A carbon : nitrogen ratio of 25-30:1 makes great bacterial dominant compost and 30-35:1 makes great fungal dominant compost. If you can't be bothered with working out precise ratios try going volumetric using say buckets, or barrows; browns : greens at ratio 2:1 generally works for the lazy gardener. Hope this helps someone out who: doesn't have much space, needs a lot of compost (fast) and doesn't enjoy maths!!

[@simplifygardening]

Excellents advice. Thanks for putting your knowledge here for everyone to benefit 😉👍

[@stepheneastwood4524]

I also use the Berkeley method these days. A couple of weeks of effort (in terms of turning the pile/heap every other day), and it's almost finished. As for ratios, I tend to go 50/50 with greens and browns, depending on the time of year and what's available, although our allotment has started to get regular finely-ground woodchip deliveries, which certainly helps with browns during the summer.

[@stepheneastwood4524]

NB I really don't think those ratio charts are useful to anyone, at all, let alone anyone new to composting. They're baffling, intimidating, and ultimately irrelevant. Aim for roughly half brown and half green (based on volume alone), chuck it all in, mix it up, add some water, and composting will happen regardless. If you want it faster, keep mixing/turning/flipping the pile every week or so. If you're not in a rush, just leave it for a six months, turn it once, and then it should be done a few months later. Oh, and buy some composting worms online and add them to the pile too. Works wonders.

[@voodoomotion5855]

We only have 2 dalek style bins, and find if we blend the grass cuttings into existing compost each time we empty the mower box, it composts better. It's probably more work but seems a good way to aerate it, as sometimes the cuttings clump together if we simply chuck them in. When they aren't very full we often empty one into the other doing alternate layers of grass and compost, blending it as we go. I think microbes in the existing compost help

[@simplifygardening]

Adding nitrogen does heat it up

[@voodoomotion5855]

@@simplifygardening definitely, I couldn't believe the heat coming from a barrow of cuttings that were waiting to go in for couple days.

[@judgej1710]

Such passion. Thank you Tony. Very much enjoyed the advice and enthusiasm towards making compost. I am a complete newbie and having never made compost before, I now feel confident that I can build, set up and produce something half decent. Thanks.

[@simplifygardening]

Adam I have plenty of videos on it including building a compost pile video. if you get stuck just holla

[@judgej1710]

@@simplifygardening Thanks. I even took a screen shot of the Carbon and nitrate deposits so I can follow that closely too. I have recently had a lot of Ivy taking over in our rather large garden. I have removed much of it. Would you use this as a 'green' also? I'm not sure as it spreads like wildfire doesn't it.

[@dave710]

AT LAST!!!!! Someone who knows what they are talking about - superb video - cheers mate!!!!!

[@guymcgowen4823]

You have a better understanding of compost than most. I have not seen you other videos. I saw no mention here about trace elements being a very important part of your compost. Also you did mention to take off the plastics before composting. By using the Archaea composting microbes all plastics are reduced to elemental state. all toxins and pesticides are eradicated. eliminates any and all possible pathogens and parasites. 100% organic approved. Cheers!

[@sonix5472]

Thanks for the vid. In case anyone needs those ratios written down: High Carbon C/N Ratio Fruit 35:1 Sawdust 325:1 Leaves 60:1 Shredded Newspaper 175:1 Straw 75:1 Woodchips 400:1 Hardwood Ash 25:1 Shredded Cardboard 350:1 High Nitrogen C/N Ratio Clover 01:23 Food Waste 01:20 Coffee Grounds 01:20 Garden Waste 01:30 Grass Clippings 01:25 Hay 01:25 Seaweed 01:19 Vegetable Scraps 01:25 Manures 01:15 Alfalfa 01:12 Weeds 30:1

[@victoriatrestrail]

This was extremely helpful and packed with more information than I’ve ever seen on KZbin. Thank you.

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Victoria. I am glad it has been of interest for you

[@turiaturiana7529]

Perfect explanation of the 30:1 ratio. Thank you so much!

[@thecapoeiristauk]

First time composting after watching your video and it is steaming! I'm so excited and I talk about it to anyone who will listen :)

[@simplifygardening]

Thats awesome. I am so glad my video has helped you to get it hot and working for you. Wont be long your going to be growing in your own home made compost. Great job and well done :)

[@julesmuhammad5836]

The same here 😁

[@sheenalittle4246]

Thank you I’m a very very newbie gardener so your video has explained so much about compost for me that I can have a go

[@norwichhouse]

Thank you Tony for a great video. I am lucky - with added hard work - in that I have the means to make about 20 cubic yards of compost a year in two systems. I have nearly half an acre of bracken, nettles, grass etc. which I strim off in summer when it can get up to head height. This is piled up in a big heap which is gradually moved along to keep the system active. This is used on the no-dig vegetables and in the garden where needed. For kitchen waste and smaller waste I have four 900 litre bins where the compost starts at number one and comes out for use from number four. This is used for potting etc. I also have two 70 litre bins that I use for kitchen waste with added greens. This is fed into the first 900 litre bin when full. Complicated I know, but it works for me. Just a word of warning bracken spores from mid-august to mid-september and the spores are decidedly bad for your health so steer clear during that time. I have a few poor quality - definitely not up to your standard - videos on my channel where I show the compost systems. One other thing I forgot my wife and daughter work from home producing confidential material so I get a large amount of shredded paper which alll goes into the system.

[@simplifygardening]

That is brilliant Malcom and its only complicated if you dont know what your doing, makes no difference if no one else can follow as long as you know and can churn out high quality compost

[@laurelweiner8]

Your chart really helped thank you for such a great video

[@shirleycastle5170]

Your not just a pretty face, you sure know what your talking about. I'm always learning from your videos.

[@simplifygardening]

Lol thanks Shirley

[@leowaisanen1672]

I built three 8x8 ft. bins and mostly filled with leaves. I was also able to haul several tons of rotting wood from my woods to a staging area near the garden. I have a TO 30 Ferguson that is a great help and makes what some may call work a whole lot of fun. Thanks for the great vid Tony. regards, L

[@simplifygardening]

Very nice Leo and the Ferguson will make light work of it

[@JJLewin1]

Thanks Tony, just started to make my own in 3 x 330 litre bins. The mix ratios are very helpful.

[@lnytita6763]

Aloha! Beginner gardener here. I'm learning a lot from your videos. I'm trying to be resourceful with the limited availability of gardening supplies/suppliers where I live (very isolated). Our long-time hardware store closed down at the end of last year, and we are awaiting the reopening of a new owner with more of a wide-reaching network. I'm hoping I can acquire the basic supplies to get our neglected tiny garden back in order, and supplement the flower plants with a few food plants. Having my own compost will allow me to utilize the kitchen waste more effectively, and hopefully, cut down costs on much needed potting soil. I designated a tiny patch for the green waste from the yard, but was unsure as to what else I can add to it to make a proper compost. Your information is greatly helpful! Thank you.

[@chrispedersen6999]

Your garden looks amazing. Thanks for sharing the different vistas to show how productive growing your own food can be. Great video 👍

[@simplifygardening]

Cheers Chris, Glad you enjoyed the video

[@ednalcollie6044]

Thank you for such a clear understanding of how to get away from making or producing compos

[@Captainllama]

A few large(ish) branches can be a boon on the floor of a heap, giving oxygen access to the centre and allowing excess moisture to both drain and evaporate. As a pyromaniac I find it fascinating how composting is fundamentally similar to fire in slow motion, material transformed as air rises through a hot core, hence taller and narrower being more furnace-like instead of a cooler, spread-out bonfire.

[@johnliberty3647]

I used Bamboo to do that, tunnels of air.

[@jasonsejkora4578]

hugelkulter beds are built like this. Takes a really long time to break those pieces of lumber down.

[@Captainllama]

@Ching Vang They do. The compost is on the ground and the branches just provide gaps for ventilation. The branches don't suspend the entire heap off the ground.

[@mariacompayan7312]

Thanks for your informative video🙏. I learnt so much, added my little knowledge about composting😊

[@SuzyTopAgent]

My husband and I compost, but we just throw things in a couple tubs, but after watching this video I now learned how to have it break down quicker. 👍Thanks

[@70washington]

Growing up we had a compost hole next to a pie cherry tree....that tree produced tons of cherries every year as a bonus along with the use of the compost.

[@simplifygardening]

All the compost run off was feeding the cherries each year

[@terrybailey941]

Thank you so much for an interesting and factual documentary on making compost.

[@susanbrezina6112]

This was very helpful! I've started a compost bin for my garden in Corpus Christi, Texas and now I know it needs more carbon. I didn't know about adding cardboard. Thank you!

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was helpful! Sorry for the late reply

[@plantsoverpills1643]

You have really put the art of composting into a relatable perspective. Thank-you.

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks I am glad you found value in the video :)

[@mammacass5311]

This is a great video!! The most comprehensive and easy to understand that I’ve seen!! Thank you Tony

[@carl3459]

Excellent video, thank you sir.

[@DrAntoYoussef]

You are so patient in explaining in details the step by step of composting! Thank you very much!

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks glad you found value

[@rasserfrasser]

It's like making a cake. It's like making a frickin' cake. Brilliant Mr. Tony. Thank you so much for this video, I'm sure I'll watch it later as well.

[@laurelharrison1977]

Another fantastic video Tony. I have been composting for a few years now but never quite understood the carbon/nitrogen ratio. After watching this I now have a better understanding of this process which I will put into practice. Thank you Tony. 🇦🇺

[@simplifygardening]

Thats great laurel glad its helped u a little

[@petersmith425_]

Just getting into gardening and propogation. Composting seemed like a logical next step. This video was so informative, literally going through it from start to finish. Excellent work putting this together. You’re an excellent communicator / instructor. Thank you from North Carolina.

[@wayneu1233]

This is the most useful composting video I've yet seen. Thank you.

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Wayne. I really appreciate that :)

[@abigailknight2045]

You just saved me from a lot of headaches😅 Thankyou from South Australia!!

[@christaylor751]

Great Video Tony, very enthusiastically delivered. I have a large lawn which generates lots of grass clippings curently trailling mixing them with shredded cardboard in the main compost heap. Also moving away from using the 'plastic' darlex to using a cardboard box for a compost bin, i'll probably trial it with my leaf mulch in the autumn to.

[@simplifygardening]

Leaf mulch is great stuff to make too, let me know how the box goes for you

[@Irish_qatari]

U have educated the creator of the living organisms preacher and servant me. Bless you in this realm and the next ❤

[@denisebrady6858]

Tony I also add old soil from pots & garden so I am having great success with mine. Cheers Denise - Australia

[@simplifygardening]

Denise, that is perfect. In fact the batch I made in this video is ready and will be showing it in an upcoming video so stay tuned in

[@laurafilip1491]

I just ordered a compost bin........I am excited and I hope I will make some compost.....for next year 😊. A very good educational video 😊😊

[@simplifygardening]

Best of luck!

[@carlroberts4915]

Thanks for this, super informative, the table was really good and helped clarify my misunderstanding. I use a "Hotbin" which is really good (though more expensive) and speeds it all up (I think) but the principles are of course the same. I like the fact that you even ended with what to do with it when you've made it - real end to end help.

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mrgreen1633]

one of the best gardening advice I've seen

[@simplifygardening]

Sorry for the late reply. I have been unwell. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@pattieaguilar]

I'm so excited I've learned sooo much from you. You take care to explain everything so clearly. I can't wait to get started. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos! I'm saving each one I waTch so I can use it for a reference when I need a little help. Happy gardening !!

[@karenbutler7258]

I'm just tackling the whole compost thing as a city girl gone country. Thank you so much for the basics.

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was of help to you Karen

[@alexiswilliams4721]

Thanks for another great video Tony, much appreciation from up here in Gogledd Cymru. I've been experimenting with the 'lasagne method' where you layer greens and browns alternately and I have a cheap paper shredder in the garage to help with this because at this time of year there is an abundance of greens such as grass cuttings and flower prunings but not so much brown material. Dead leaves are not quite so readily available until autumn so old newspapers and cardboard shredded up are ideal. I turn the heap monthly to aerate it and don't seem to need to add water as there is plenty moisture in the greens from grass clippings and veg peels from the kitchen

[@simplifygardening]

Alexis exaclty the same here when i first build the heap i use lasagne methods too

[@hungkiet7535]

Very informative,thank you.

[@brooklyngiraffe]

Thank you for this very informative and clear explanation about composting. Your gardens are beautiful and I learned so much. I am composting in a small bin on my tiny balcony in New York City and will change the ratio of browns and greens based on the table. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thank you!

[@simplifygardening]

You are so welcome!

[@harmonicresonanceproject]

Just built a small pallet bay, just checking back to see how to proceed, got all the info I need - brilliant - thanks!

[@allaboutthatbase4347]

Very informative! Your passion for sharing information is quite obvious. Thank you, I will use your channel as a go to for information.

[@simplifygardening]

Awesome, thank you! Welcome to the channel

[@marywaldmann2641]

Thank you so much for the 30:1 ratio explanation!

[@christineparsons2384]

Never thought I would watch the whole video but it was so interesting that I did. Thank you. I never turn my compost but will from now on.

[@simplifygardening]

Hi Christine. I am glad you found it interesting. Sometimes its hard to pass over enough information and keep people watching at the same time. a recent study shows the human race on youtube has an 8 second attention span. even goldfish have 9 seconds lol :)

[@adminjjtrading8110]

Thank you so much for the valuable info on compost and potatoes. Excellent stuff.😊❤

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was helpful! check out todays video on potatoes I think you will enjoy it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmLVl2R8jdl8b9U

[@theelpydimension]

Very informative and detailed video, thank you. I appreciate knowing what's happening behind the curtain though I'll be doing more slow composting for the time being , but we'll see. Thanks for the help!

[@veneshpillay3635]

Thank you so much. You have made me understand what many people could not explain. Have been using too much wood chips in my compost but I totally understand now with the break down you showed. Greetings from South Africa.

[@simplifygardening]

Thats great I am glad it has helped you get to grips with it

[@twistedtwitt]

I just discovered you, THANKFULLY!!!. Amazing content and delivery of crucial information. I love the passion and experience and will follow from now on. The more I watch this video and others the more impressed I am. THANK YOU! you are a wonderful source of inspiration and information to nature and gardening.

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks and welcome to the channel. I am glad your enjoying my videos :)

[@richardheironimus8494]

My compost smells very sour. Is that ok?

[@kensymons6440]

Outstanding, Man Outstanding.

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Ken

[@thomascallaghan5988]

I’ve just put my pallets for the compost bins in the allotment,it’s great that you have shared this,it gives me more info.thanks for your time and generosity

[@simplifygardening]

Your welcome Thomas and glad the info is of use to you

[@robolover2003]

With no doubts you Toni are one the best childs of Mother Nature. Keep going and be strong

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Behnam :)

[@christinecarpenter2365]

Love it! Such a comprehensive instructional. I’m excited to start composting!

[@simplifygardening]

That is brilliant Christine. I'm here to help motivate people into gardening and improving their soil quality and soil life

[@evejohn5732]

Excellent!

[@jamiewalker5216]

Ok..... now I know why my compost is taking so long to decompose. Thanks Tony for this information.

[@simplifygardening]

Glad it was of use Jamie 👍😁

[@roberthaynie5957]

Thank you for the fine detail and explanations of why you provided! I've tried composting before with little success because I broke almost everyone of the cardinal rules you went over in the video. I think I can do it much better now that I have the understanding of why to do or not to do.

[@sergiosaenz859]

Thank you! Tremendously informative and well-paced!

[@simplifygardening]

You're very welcome! thanks and welcome to the channel

[@mrsclfb9697]

A frugality note on dalek bins: I created one from a worn-out plastic trash container. I trimmed off the broken-down top to even it out, cut off the bottom, turned it upside-down, and filled it with chopped up leaves. It has a lid which I put on or off depending on weather. I leave it off if it is raining or covered on warm sunny days. I occasionally add rain water if it seems too dry. Plastic trash containers can be purchased for about $10. BTW: I have a LOT of leaves and forest/yard debris. I invested in a chipper-shredder. Well worth it!

[@simplifygardening]

A fantastic tip

[@nodiggitygardens9750]

So hard to explain c/n ratio to folk u did real well here man 👐

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks. It takes time to grasp but once u know its easy

[@gordonloughnan3110]

Congratulations Tony. Excellent tutorial covering off all the main points which I would agree with having been “brewing” this stuff in NZ for donkeys years. I’ll even forgive you for being Welsh as long as we manage to keep that 1953 All Blacks record going next time we meet up.... not this year sadly due to a little matter of CV19. Talking about donkeys, we have a good donkey farm near where we live, so that does provide an excellent source of rich animal manure which does definitely assist in breaking down and accelerating the whole process. I also add a 1:4 mix of course pumice sand to the finished compost to make an excellent potting mix loam. Thanks once again for your helpful tutorial Cheers Gordon

[@simplifygardening]

Yeah lol all blacks certainly give us a run for our money lol. Im glad you enjoyed the video Gordon :)

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Nice one Tony! Very informative. More and more Tea Bags are becoming fully compostable as the plastic awareness builds. Steve

[@simplifygardening]

Thats gd news Steve hopefully all companies follow suit

[@mfrobert100]

This is wonderful! Thank you so much for your very comprehensive tutorial. I will give you feedback when I've done my first "well done" compost.

[@weirdheathersgarden]

Making compost is something that fascinates me, so this was really interesting.

[@simplifygardening]

Glad its been of interest to you. Thanks for commenting 😁👍

[@joanweightman2275]

Thank you so much for this video. I run a Garden Gang with kids and this years has been really tough going for personal reasons, so the plot n GG have been neglected. I saw the other clip about 'not beating yourself up'. I have decided to be 'plastic free' by 1/1/20 and have been trying to get compost going...wiffy...now I know why. What a sound and sensible gardener you are. Thanks for the encouragement to carry on.

[@finesse4848]

This man is amazing , hands down !

[@simplifygardening]

:) Thanks I am glad you enjoyed my video

[@SuryanamYoga]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@simplifygardening]

Thank you so much

[@benjamingough7497]

Thank you for this channel, the work and effort you put into these videos is incredible. I am one of the people who has discovered gardening during the lockdown and your channel has been fantastic for information and inspiration. I've started a few containers for vegetables and I'm planning on starting a raised bed or two next spring. I'm looking to start composting to get me ready for this and I have a couple of questions for you; 1) Where did you get the C/N ratio charts in this video? 2) Do you have a rough guide on the volumes of compost produced for the raw materials used for a compost pile? eg. If you compost a metre cubed of material how much finished product would you expect to get? Thank you for the videos again, I think you may have missed your calling as a teacher!

[@simplifygardening]

Those charts I made up for the video, but the information was provided by various universities looking into the CN ratios

[@simplifygardening]

Compost usually breaks down to about 30% of what the original pile was.

[@juliahelland6488]

Thanks again for sharing! 💯

[@fyrfytrdub]

I use free local resources to help build my pile. Used coffee grounds form coffee shops, horse manure and bedding, spent brewery grains, kitchen peelings from work. The more the merrier

[@simplifygardening]

Great stuff Al. always good to see fellow FIrefighters doing their bit :)

[@fyrfytrdub]

They eat. I compost 🤣

[@lesliewatts2878]

Super duper vid. I've been composting for about 35 years and I can attest to how marvelous it is as a soil amendment. It is truly 'black gold'. Tony you are spot on with all your comments. That 30:1 C:N ratio is a mental ongoing 'target' that runs through my mind each time I work in the piles; i.e. what have I added, what should I add vs. 30:1 knowing more or less what the individual ratios are for most of my primary ingredients. Temperature is a huge indicator for judging bacterial reproduction and/or death and whether moisture or aeration is in order. Keep well. Thank you.

[@keaco73]

That scarecrow is something else! Thanks for the video!

[@simplifygardening]

Cheers Keith, He is 7 years old this month :)

[@keaco73]

UK Here We Grow he looks great for his age. 👍 😁

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Keith, hes only had 3 heads lol

[@paulhathaway6292]

Wonderful video! Thanks mate!

[@gordonlowok549]

Well done Tony , so informative even to an old composter like me, keep up the good work..

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks Gordon. Glad you found it of interest

[@moonchild6952]

I am going to start my first batch of beginner composting today.. 🙏👍 Thanku..

[@kcender3771]

We get a LOT of oak leaves on my property. Instead of burning them we made one giant pile; like forty cubic yards of them. After them sitting for about a year, I decided to move them with my tractor. I was kind of surprised by the natural composting that had taken place, especially in the interior, but everywhere really. I got some horse manure from a neighbor, which I added. I wet it and turn it every week now ( lucky I have a tractor, I know). Can you recommend a "soil" tester that would analyze the nutrient composition or should I pay to have it professionally tested? I think this is important. Thanks for the video.

[@simplifygardening]

I would send it off to a lab as its quite complex from leaves

[@AllanClarkeathome]

Hello again young tony, this is the first time I have seen this one, Your knowledge of gardening astounds me, you are the greatest, thank you.and greetings from down under.

[@simplifygardening]

Hey Allen. Thank you so much. Its very much appreciated

[@maryphillips6470]

This is so helpful, thank you for sharing!

[@simplifygardening]

Thanks. Im glad you found it useful

[@marcw8428]

Thankyou for the most informative single video I have seen on this subject. I have one question… Re this video you said “But if we were adding wood chips and grass clippings then we would need roughly around 16 times more grass clippings in volume then we would wood chips.” Wood chips being 400:1 and grass clippings 1:25 I get a different answer🤔. I calculate you need 1.875 times more volume of wood chips to grass clippings to get a 30:1 ratio. I also calculated that you would get a 1:1 ratio if you added 16 times more grass clippings. However I’m new to all this, and would like to know if/what I’m missing. On that note thank you so much for your very informative videos, and I look forward to applying this knowledge this coming season.

[@cameronbennett797]

That scarecrow scared the living s*** out of me

[@jason4617]

Same!

[@serenemountain6769]

i almost though he was going for the knife !

[@simplifygardening]

lol Sorry for the late reply

[@simplifygardening]

lol Sorry for the late reply

[@simplifygardening]

:) Sorry for the late reply

[@sandrafishman6588]

I have to thank you for your videos. I learn more and more everytime I watch. Been gardening since I was 8 and it is always good to learn more.

[@simplifygardening]

Oh Thanks Sandra, I am real glad you enjoy my content, Thanks for viewing

[@MyFamilyGarden]

Really informative video packed full of information. The bad thing about trench composting I find is that the foxes always dig it up no matter how deep.

[@simplifygardening]

Yeah that can be an issue if you have foxes around

[@jmlr2011]

@@simplifygardening Put chicken wire or hardware cloth over the top of it and that will keep critters from digging it up.