2 Min. Tip: Heat up Compost without Turning It (Quick & Easy!)
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- In today's 2 minute gardening tip, I show you how you can heat up a compost pile without turning it.
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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, mulch, and compost tea. No store-bought fertilizers, soil amendments, pesticides, compost activators, etc. are used.
Awesome! I am 75 years old and have never heard this before. I appreciate the easy gardening methods you share.
This is the way I’ve composted for years! I call it stirring the pile. Instead of rebar, I use an o’o or Hawaiian planting stick. At 25 lbs it works super easy to penetrate anything.
Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, and hot compost gets it done quick! I built my "winter pile" recently and am working to keep it cooking through the winter. Last winter my pile froze because I didn't do anything to reheat it after the initial 6 weeks. This year I will be adding more nitrogen (mostly horse manure, coffee grounds, and food bank produce that's past peak) and more carbon (leaves) every month along with some water. I like to soak my leaves and manure in a 5 gallon bucket for a day and then add them. I feel like they soak up and hold the moisture that way. When you use a hose and spray the pile I feel like a lot of the water just runs through it and out the bottom. I also have found it helpful to run my leaves through my mulch vacuum (leaf blower reversed.) I run them through 2 times and it breaks them into very small pieces which I notice break down way faster than whole leaves. And you don't get the matting of leaves where they clump together and are hard to get apart. Happy gardening to all and to Patrick "you da man!"
I love this method. I have also adopted using a cordless drill with a 3 in auger bit to mix and create those holes. I have turned my pile twice since starting in November but it is a bear to do every time so I for sure prefer this longer sit and just let it cook method. I likely will only turn completely once more in early march. until then I will be using this method and added coffee grounds again from time to time.
that was great - got a leaf + coffee ground pile started - in 24 hours it feels warm to the touch. I love the leaf + coffee grounds approach since it eliminates the variables with food waste. Much simpler to redirect food waste to vermicomposting - great channel!
Thanks! Yeah, leaves and coffee grounds make great compost. Best wishes with your compost pile!
Greetings from Nova Scotia,Patrick! Must be just about that time when those of us who live to garden stir from hibernation.
Last year we acquired 10 chickens and I was quite amazed how quickly the chicken poop heated up and broke down my compost and how quickly the worms moved in to complete the transformation.....so yes adding nitrogen is a very good thing!
That was terrific! I like a slow compos method myself, but for jobs that I need a lot of compost very quickly, I absolutely agree with this. Your channel is really becoming a wealth of knowledge and information!
***** Thanks, Luke! Yeah, we have slow compost piles as well, but if I want to have finished compost in the spring, and not just a big pile of leaves, I need to get this pile cooking!
MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living k
You two have the best channels on UA-cam. Thank you for all your hard work and please write a book or starts a podcast you would blow up so much this goes to both of you!
Why do you prefer slow?
MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living I?
Excellent tip. Last year we struggled with keeping our compost pile hot. We have a very large pile and turning got to be difficult. Your method is much easier than simply turning.
Thanks, Marvin! I'm glad you found it helpful.
This is a great way to heat up your compost pile for the coming winter - and it's a lot easier than turning the whole pile!
Thanks, Scott Baker ! Yeah, turning a yard of compost is no fund!
Just like he just said it in the video.
That man loves his compost folks. Always great to hear more tips and tricks for better composting, thanks Patrick.
You're welcome, Mark! Believe it or not, the compost pile is still cooking along at 60 C, despite being uncovered in the cold and snow.
Excellent tip, I save coffee grounds at home and at the office to add to compost, didn't realize how useful it was.
Special thanks for the metric and Celsius. :)
You're welcome, atizeg !
Seconded! If I ever vlog my garden (and budget recipes), I'm going to try to remember to do this from the other side :)
Where's the smiley button, heehee
This is helpful, thank you. And an extra big thank you for proving that it works by showing the subsequent temperatures.
Great idea! I like to throw a bucket of compost tea on the pile from time to time. That increases the heat as well. As always great tip.
Thanks, Indoor Hydroponix !
Thanks, Barbara Moss !
Like the video short and sweet and to the point didn’t waste time thanks for sharing
Thanks!
I use a big garden auger in my drill to turn mine at times to add nitrogen, auger is about 3 inches across. Of course I liked your idea, thank you
Really great idea.. Wow... Why is this the first time I have seen someone suggest this technique... Thank you...
I add coffee grounds to my bin, but it sure feels good to pour the left over coffee over it too 😃
Great tip mate..
Have been adding dispatched cane toads as well as fish scraps to our slow wood chip heap & it has kept it cooking along nicely Patrick..
Cheers..
Thanks, Rob Bob ! Yeah, we recently added fish scraps from a sushi restaurant to one of our piles, which really heated it up. We also add mice dispatched by Oscar to the center of the pile. There's absolutely no sign of the mice by the time the compost is ready.
Cheers!
That's cool Rob Bob. I have recently been bird hunting in Colorado for ducks and pheasants. When I clean the birds to prepare for eating I pluck and save all the feathers and add them to my compost. After I cut away the meat from the bird I take the remaining carcass and bury it in my garden about 2 feet down. I figure that way the raccoons and skunks can't smell it and won't dig it up, but I imagine some of my tomatoes' roots get down there and eat the available nutrients. I read an article about chicken farms adding chicken carcasses to a large hot pile to dispose of the waste without throwing it in the landfill. There's way too much good, organic nutrients being thrown away in this country.
David Livingston Am with you there David.. Might as well make use of all that's available.. Setting up the black solider fly farm again here is very high on the list as a way to compost/process scraps for the chickens..
Cheers..
You two are inspiring! This is my first year gardening and can’t wait to start my first compost pile!
Great tip Pat, I've collected lots of leaves from generous neighbors who were going to throw them out.
Thanks, BIGJHOUSE ! I'm glad to hear you're putting your neighbors leaves to good use!
That's a great idea. From a disable point of view I love this. I might venture into a larger pile after watching this. Thank you!
Thanks, FrostPlutarc ! I'm glad you found the tip helpful.
Instead of (or in addition to) the water, pour in beer. All those microbes get happy and heat that pile right up. Thought it was B.S. until I tried it and it works!
+Rebecca Wood Very true, Rebecca!
Add a can of cola as well. Those little microbes like the sugar.
Im not wasting a beer...just buy nitrogin..sold in any hardware store...
You can pee on it but I think you'll cause a bit of a stink with a neighbours
After watching a few of your videos I see you really are the coffee ground kings!
Yeah, we definitely use a good amount of coffee in the garden!
I am also, I take the coffee grinds from the giant pot they make at work. I probly compost 50lbs a week. Keep up the good work.
Chris Marsh 50 lbs per week? I think that makes you the king, Chris!
I started hot composting in the '50s, two weeks start to finish. Now, I don't have any of my old assets, e.g., no greens, no way to turn, no animal dung. I use leaves I get from land scapers working on my street, a little kitchen waste, and my urine in a 5-gal. bucket. So far, so good.
I once (1992) had a tomato volunteer grow from an old compost pile and it was the biggest ever. I concluded my soil could never get enough compost. I mulched with shredded leaves in the fall to protect the barren soil.
You can often get free coffee grounds from coffee shops. They're excellent for compost.
My pile was leaves. Leaves leaves leaves. When spring rolled around and I started mowing the lawn I added grass clippings. It immediately started cooking. Now I go to a nearby park after the city mows and I pick up extra grass clippings to throw into my piles as needed.
Thank you. I also have my compost in a wire cage and was wondering how to turn it. This is a great idea.
You're very welcome, DonnaldaSmolens ! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
this is a very helpful tip. i’ll definitely do this because my pile in a 55 gal drum only gets up to 110 deg F. Thank you very much!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 👏 I always have trouble with ours! No Chemicals 💕
+Dianna Skare You're welcome, Dianna!
Thank you. You've saved alot of people alot of back breaking labor : )
You're very welcome, Oukoyami !
I'm not a coffee drinker, but my family save their grounds for me. Every once in a while I can pick up a bucket or two, which is brilliant. It's a great source of nitrogen and will even benefit the soil long after it's been decomposed. When spread around in between crops, it will also have a deterring effect on slugs and snails. Not for a full 100%, but every bit helps.
Compost worms also love coffee btw, so be sure to introduce some of those to your bin. They use it to grind their food, since they don't have teeth, and I'm pretty sure I saw some working extra hard because they were on a caffeine rush. :) Even though our sometimes harsh European winters cut into their population, they still manage to get back up and thrive for the rest of the year. I love my worms. I always tell curious neighborhood kids that I've got more than a thousand pets. Obviously I then have to prove that, which makes for a nice tour of the compost/worm bin.
I mix my grounds into my bin when I'm building it up (because I have that luxury of a constant supply) but I'm wondering if you could just mix it with water and poor it over the compost pile. I've got a feeling that the water will flush most of the grounds down with it.
That's great! I'm glad you're putting coffee grounds to good use in your garden too.
Thanks for the comments. I'm a senior with the typical back issues and I found that turning the compost was rather taxing so I looked for an alternative. Now I use one of those long, metal post-hole diggers (the kind to loosen soil and rocks) to punch several holes in my compost pile. When the pile cools, I punch several holes and add a little water and green material. Seems to work to re-heat the pile. Sigh, I guess I'll eventually have to turn the pile to get the outsides to cook. Cheers.
Captain Ron
Right! Those post-hole diggers even have some kind of spiral drill part at the end, don't they? That's a great solution indeed. If that doesn't get you to the bottom, nothing will! hahah.
I'm going to try and insert a bunch of wooden poles while I'm turning my bin for the last time before winter. I'll put them up vertically, bury them, and have the ends sticking out on top. I should be able to pull those out when needed, mainly to drop my food scraps and coffee grounds at the place where they're most wanted by my worms, and to try and keep the temperature up during those freezing nights.
Its not really a post hole digger ... its like a thick, heavy, straight crow-bar with a blunt, knife-like end. Hmm ... I like the wooden pole idea and I might try that for my next pile. I've also seen where people have used broad-diameter pvc pipe (in which they've drilled random large holes), then built there compost around these pipes. That's another one I'll try. Cheers.
Captain Ron
Yes, those PVC pipes work great for direct access into the bin, for example to drop kitchen scraps etc. You won't even have to take out the pipe itself. .. However, for colder climates it may cause a problem because the cold can get into the pipe as well.
I used this method and it really works and works well.
Excellent tip my friend! I was a little late and was not able to find a compost thermometer. I may have to do this on the weekend when our temperatures get closer to Zero :) It may also be a good idea for me to add some heat sources via the windows or greenhouse plastic I have.
***** Thanks, Stephen! Yes, I'll be putting a hoop house over the pile this weekend. Last year, it stayed very hot well into December. Hopefully, it will this year too.
I am going to have to figure something out :)
Thats a nice tip with the rebar to help heat up your pile. I on the other hand am having a great deal of trouble getting my pile heated up. I have it in a 4 ' box and maybe my pile isnt big enough being only about 2.5 ' tall, but I did once heat the pile up to 130 but since then have not been able to heat it back up not even up 100. I have turned the pile added more leaves and kitchen scraps . The temp gauge stays at 60 nothing seems to be happening and it is moist. Not sure what Im doing wrong or not doing.
+yes350yes
In the past I have tried this tip although didnt seem to work for me. So now more work involved for me. Im going mulch my leaves better return the pile adding coffee grounds.,, whew!!
+yes350yes If a pile doesn't heat up, it's usually because of one of these reasons: 1) the pile is too small; 2) the carbon to nitrogen ratio is off (not enough nitrogen); 3) the pile is too dry or too moist; 4) there isn't enough air in the pile; 5) the material is already composted.
If the approach shown in this video doesn't work, turning the pile, adding more nitrogen, and making sure the pile is the moisture of a wrung out sponge will help. Also, increasing the size of the pile should help.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening
I decided to completely turn my pile from top to bottom. It also seems I may not have been using enough water as I was afraid of using too much, some other vids have changed my opinion. I also have some chicken manure which I have added in a way that Ive seen in another vid, so hopefully in a couple of days I will see some progress.
+yes350yes Great! Please let me know how it goes.
I love this vertical layering idea! I was literally about to go out and spend hours turning my very carbon rich humanure /sawdust compost and add grass cuttings, but this method looks WAY easier so I'm going to give it a try plus the suggestions in the comments of a few drilled pvc pipes for extra air. Thank you all 👍
add the urine bro :) and the molasses as well if you have it in your area :)
@@cptbolla1610 I’ve read any sugar will work. Even from a soda pop.
@@catherinegrace2366 just the info I needed!!!!!left over cake icing and donut glaze....dissolved in water i hope will work too....
Good video. Well presented. Concise and to the point. Thank you for putting this video on You Tube.
Outstanding!
Just stirred the poop pot and we will see if it comes back to life
That's a neat trick Patrick. Thanks for sharing!
suburban homestead 11
Thank you! i don't have the strength or room to turn a pile that large and coffee grounds are a wonderful idea
You're welcome!
I did a best way for garden it is just like what you did but I covers it with 10 Inches soil and it's very good to plant vegetables and few months later I got a lot of vegetables and very rich soil underneath so thanks
You're welcome!
Nice, Ive heard coffee grounds are useful - but that is remarkable. Frankly it looked like you had way too much BIG leaf carbon .... so I was especially surprised to see it heat up so well.
+Garry Hoddinott Thanks! Yeah, it can be tricky to get the right ratio of coffee grounds to leaves because the grounds are so compact and the leaves aren't (lots of air between leaves). I sometimes have to make adjustments a few days after building the initial pile to get things cooking.
Very well explained without unnecessary detail!
Wow I had no idea compost could get that hot! That's pretty cool lol
Yeah, with the right size, mix of browns and greens, and moisture, compost can really heat up. This pile stayed around 140 F (60 C) for several weeks.
Fab idea will be doing that on my heap ! Mrs C from Lytham st Anne's UK
Thanks, Angie!
That's a great idea to do in between turning the pile, and I use a piece of rebar to poke holes through my compost as well, but I would still turn it every two weeks or so, so you can get the materials on top and on the outside of the pile into the middle where they will heat up and kill weed seeds.
Thanks, Alan. The plan is to turn the pile once in early spring, focusing on moving the material from the outer parts of the pile to the middle. This will get the pile cooking again and finish off the unprocessed material by early May when it's needed in the garden.
May I suggest you to insert 2 or 3 PVC pipes of approx 3 inch wide with holes drilled around it into your compost bin. Do not drop any compost matter into it. It should remain hollow. This will allow the microbes to breathe and in turn heat up your compost.
lovepeace29981 thanks bro
I use a 3’ piece if 1 1/2” pvc pipe with lots of holes drilled in them for air. 3 per bin. I also use the rebar (steel digging bar) for boring down and recharging with green material between the pvc pipe. Works very well. I do turn the batch, sometimes twice, to get the cooler outer layers mixed in better with the inner materials. Using the pipe and steel bar reduces the number of turns way down while getting very evenly composted material.
I am trying using two geobins hooked together into one along with the pipe and steel bar method. If you are shy on green material use alfalfa meal or pellets. They really charge the system quickly and add a lot to soil structure. Buy it cheapest at feed store or Tractor supply.
Good video. I'll be using this tip as well!
Love your vids and I'm sure I've watched them all! Good stuff but ... I gotta say that "hot composting" doesn't exist - at least in my experience. I've been composting for 3 years now and I've never been able to get my compost heated. Trying to get the right mix of moisture/greens/browns. Sheesh! And now you're talking about how to heat it without turning it? Sure wish I had that problem. Haven't given up yet! Keep the great videos coming. Thanks.
I would Suggest looking Up Elain Ingham she has pioneered the food web and composting.
That's really strange, because even with a 'wrong' mixture you should get heat in that pile.
You mentioned the moisture and the ratio of greens/browns, so the only thing I can think of is either a lack of oxygen (which is a very important component) or perhaps the volume of the pile is to small?
It's really a shame that you can't get it to work like it should. Every time I turn my pile during the colder months, autumn for instance, I'm literally standing in huge cloud of steam. One time a worried neighbor came over to check if everything was alright. :)
I hope you got it going in the months after you posted your comment.
Thanks for the comment! I finally succeeded! By accident, I think. I was using my lawn-tractor with leaf-collector attachment to collect leaves from my 1/2 acre back yard. I lowered the blade slightly and that seemed to add a few grass clippings to the leaves. I then shredded the leaves in a heavy-duty plastic tub, using my weed-eater. I put the shredded leaves in several of those leaf/garden waste bags. A few days later I noticed stream emanating from the bags. Tested the temp with a thermometer and saw that it was 120F.
Guess I achieves the right combination of air, water, greens and browns. Applied these principles to my compost pile and had even greater success. Almost too hot - 140F. I think I finally got it!
Captain Ron
Hotdang that's brilliant! Welcome to the club man! Hah.
Yeap, when leaves are packed together they don't have a lot of space left for oxygen. That might have been your problem initially.
Oxygen is a more important ingredient than a lot of people realize. I often notice that when my pile gets colder and I just turn it, it starts heating up again like mad.
Isn't it awesome how nature showed you the way by herself. :)
What is this compost ring you are using?
I never thought about just making a hole to add the coffee grounds. I hate having to stir it all the time so great idea.
Hi, I have four 20 litre pails into which I put all my kitchen waste and my urine. When the buckets are full....about every 10 days or so, I dump into my compost pile and cover. Works slick. Oh yeah, I never turn my piles.
Cheers
Very useful thank you! Great tip. I've been looking for information like this. Great help, especially giving the degrees as confirmation as well -and in celsius :) Two min tip- what a time saver. Have just subscribed. Thanks again.
You're welcome! I'm glad it helped.
Why is that text ruled through?
This is incredible idea.. Thanks for share this tips..
Thanks, Anna Sohan ! I'm glad you found it helpful.
I appreciate the text add on for celcious!
-international audience
I took a plastic heavy duty Pallet as a base and built 1 mtr. high sides around it also from such pallets for long term use.
Then I drilled a series of 12mm diameter holes in 6 PVC pipes of about 80 mm diameter, positioned them at equal distances inside the bin and filled in compost material to hold the pipes in position.
I then added material until the content of the bin was about 1 mtr high.
In theory enough air should circulate through the pile to sweeten it and not need to be turned every so often [I have a back issue] but still maintain the required temperature.
Time will tell.
Outstanding...how often did you have to do that peocedure?
Nice work Patrick! I need to find some wooden pallets to make leaf mould bins with. I won't bother to pack them with straw as I do with the ones I use to make compost in. I'm a bit of an old fashioned boy and, while I add some tree leaves to the compost mix, I prefer to keep the vast majority for making leaf mould.
+Michael Ball Thanks, Michael! Even though we collect a lot of leaves, they don't last very long. Earthworms and red wigglers devour them by late spring/early summer.
I don't understand what you mean by that Patrick - do the worms and wigglers devouring them prevent them turning into leaf mould? I pile leaves up and just leave them for a couple of years to turn into mould, occasionally adding urine to them to speed things up a bit.
Went to another lunch club at a church earlier and sat next to my old Headmaster! Hadn't seen him since he retired 29 years ago. The lady who had cooked for us explained she had used lots of eggs but the shells were at the bottom of lots of other waste so she will hopefully save them for me on future occasions.
+Michael Ball Yes, even when I collect huge quantities of leaves, the worms eat them all by late spring or early summer. I'm glad to hear you've found a possible eggshell source!
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening I would love to hear more about this.. Do you just pile them on dirt or put them in an enclosure? Do you add the worms? Do just leave it and the worms show up? Do you turn it? Is this part of your worm bin process?
+Dreamingrightnow We use most of our leaves as mulch (on the soil surface) and the worms devour them by June. Most of the worms are native earthworms, though some red wigglers are added to our garden beds when we amend them with vermicompost.
I use some pieces of black plastic drainage pipe that have holes in them. Make my piles with them in the middle to help get air in without any work.
Wow! Thanks for this tip! I'm going to try it myself!
This is a very helpful tip, thank you. I would just like to know how often do you have to use this method to turn the pile?
Indeed quick and easy!!! Thanks for sharing the tip!!!
I mulched my leaves and built a compost pile by layering mulched leaves, spent coffee grinds and water until the bin was full. In the early spring I threw in a 1/2 lb of red wrigglers and over the summer the pile reduced itself by half. I harvested more worms than my indoor wormery could handle. The worms did all the work as I did not turn the pile and this fall I was able to fill 32 bags of leaf mulch which I then spread into my raised beds, tub planters and perennial garden. I am about to build another leaf and coffee compost pile and I will use my garden thermometer to see how hot it becomes before the snow falls. Thanks for the rebar tip. I will likely add some components of that technique as well.
Do you have any experience with leaving red wrigglers in exposed compost piles over the winter?
+Johanne Daoust That's great Johanne! We're doing something very similar now - namely, turning compost less and letting composting worms do the work for us. Yes, we've had great success keeping red wigglers alive over the winter in compost piles, even during record setting cold.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thank you I came across your other video on keeping red wrigglers alive in compost piles during the winter so I will give it a try this winter and see what happens. I am really hoping it will work and that when I have a chance in early spring to peek into my leaf bin I will be greeted by happy and healthy worms.
+Johanne Daoust Best wishes, Johanne!
Does the mango work with humans as well ?
I like your 2 minute tips, thnx for sharing
***** Thanks!
the quickest way I have found to heat up compost is add alfalfa pellets as you pile the material. pellets are available at pet stores, big box stores and online
Thx. I really thought you had to add manure for a hot compost , now I know .
As long as there are enough high nitrogen ingredients, the compost should heat up.
I am going to have to try that if I ever get ahold of leaves. I have about 30 right now but I doubt that will ever get warm enough :)
***** Leaves and coffee grounds are pretty easy to get cooking!
That composter can be a nice feature in any living-room and you can rid of the fireplace too. ;)
atizeg Next winter I hope to have it heating up my new hoop house!
Great compost making tips Patrick! I enjoy any videos that can make my life a little easier!(-: Thanks.
Eco Oasis Thanks Eco Oasis ! A week after doing this the pile is cooking along at a steady 147 F even though it's very cold here.
Will try it tomorrow!Thank you again :)
You're very welcome, PeachBlossom !
So if one prunes trees and bushes leaves are green, but will turn braun overtime. Do leaves contain Carbon or Nitrogen and are they consider greens or brauns? Tnx for the vid!
Smart way to Johnson su the pile lol. Genius.
Any tips for drying out a compost pile? I'm wondering if mine is a bit too wet. It's not quite wet enough to be able to squeeze water out but almost. It used to be hot but not anymore (it rained a lot in the last couple weeks). When I turned it a couple days ago there were a bunch of ants building a colony in the middle of it. Or maybe it's approaching being finished? It's not completely broken down though, there's still coffee grounds and twigs although nothing fresh since I stopped adding to it for about 2-3 weeks.
Keep turning it
That is so smart! wooow! Thanks, I will definantly do this.
Thanks, Raj Naturals ! It really is a big time saver.
great tip thanks! I've been thinking of using this idea in a hoop house to add some heat during this next winder months. Think that's a good idea?
Yes, I think it's a great idea! I'm going to do the same thing next year when I build my walk-in hoop house.
Great tips - thank you for short and succinct
I just run it all throw a mower. That mixes the N with the C and ensures even water distribution plus small particle size. This combined with your rod method should work fine. Plus tap water has chloramine which can be removed with vitamin c. I hit 169F this summer.
Patrick once your pile heats up to 140 degrees +- how long do you leave it before turning it again? My pile has been at 140 degrees for 5 days now but I'm concerned about anerobic bacteria forming. I had to turn the pile once already when the temperature reached over 150 degrees.
Joseph Strattard I don't plan on turning this pile until the spring unless it gets over 150 degrees. So far it's holding steady at between 140 and 145 and isn't likely to get much hotter given the cold weather. I'd just let your pile cook unless it gets back up to 150. Best wishes!
what is the danger of it being at 150 or over? fire? disease that may afffect human? thanks in advance for your info
Have you seen the Johnson-Su bio-digester. Just a few tweaks from what you already have.
Urine is another high nitrogen amendment that will also help add moisture.
Worked perfectly. Great advice!👍
great video !
if you really want to do something good with coffee-grounds and can't collect much- just ask at the gas-station or at a bakery / cafe.
A bakery provided me with 2kg / day - that's something you can work with, in a garden :)
Thanks! That's a great resource for grounds, Tommy!
I made 3 compost bins last year made out of chicken wire,I did all the layering, manure, grass, leaves, yard waste,water They are about 3 ft tall , and now that it is spring and I need to use them it is still frozen. I live in zone 4 so it still goes down to 0 at night and 16C during the day.
what can I do to get this thing cooking since it is still frozen.
I emptied a bucket of water in the center of mine and the effect was almost instantaneous. Sometimes it just needs a drink.
Nice tip Patrick! Thanks a lot!
Thanks stevieM82 !
I enjoy videos, where did you get the compost bin/hoop/containment featured in this video? Thank you
Thanks, Bob! It's a Geobin. We got it from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Presto-Products-Geobin-Compost-Bin/dp/B0085O6NXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427672683&sr=1-1&keywords=geo+bin
Wow. Nice result. Thanks for the tips.
-- Sheryl
TheSajeffe Thanks, Sheryl!
A great tip. Truly. Thank you. Very much appreciated!
How long should it take to heat up? Well that answered that. But mine takes days to get to 120. Do you add more on an existing pile once started? Mine seemed to reduce by one third within a vouple weeks and I keep filling up the bin thinking it has to be large enough to get hot....ok I would settle for active. Usually the best my pile does is 120.
How long does take decomposition of this method use .please reply soon and are you from uk
Hi friend, how the group bin hold up?
Dose it last 6 years and keep going?
Thanks! My compost pile is about 80% manure but it's not getting hot. I know the moisture is right so it must be an air issue.
If there's a lot of straw in the manure, it's possible that more nitrogen is needed.
Your pile may not be big enough (ideally 1 cubic yard / meter), be layered properly ( alternate 1 layer manure + green plant waste / 1 layer carbon = example dry leaves) or have a high enough carbon to nitrogen ratio (e.g. 30:1, you have the reverse) to get it up to ideal temp (130-150 f / 55-65 c) Make sure it is in an optimally aerobic vs anaerobic state, as Jeff demonstrates in the video. Optionally, you can add molasses, yeast, nitrogen / ammonia (e.g. urine) as beneficial decomposition accelerator.Good luck!
Aw an excellent tip! I will be doing this too now :)
Thanks, BevsArtsandCrafts ! I'm glad you found the video informative.
Very easy and well done. Thanks!
You inspired me so much that I started my own compost pile. It heated up to about mid 80s degree but seemed to have stalled so I tried the method you showed here. After you added coffee ground to each hole and watered it, do you leave the holes as is or do you close them back up? Also at the end of the video your pile looked a lot fuller. Did you add more leaves, and if so did you also water and/or mix the new leaves into the existing pile?
That's great, Alice! I'm pretty sure I covered the holes up on top, but it shouldn't really matter. As our piles cook down, I do add more material on top, so I may have added more leaves.
Where do you get a compost thermometer ? How long is the spike to read down deep? Could you use anything else?
I think this is the compost thermometer I have. The stem is 20 inches. Compost thermometers are the best tool for the job. www.amazon.com/REOTEMP-FG20P-Backyard-Compost-Thermometer/dp/B002P5RGMI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468370712&sr=8-1&keywords=compost+thermometer
thanks for the tip on hot composting
You're very welcome!
A great tip. Truly. Thank you.
God day Pat.
Thanks, MrMac5150 !
That's a wonderful idea. I notice you have a lot of leaves.
Thanks, Patrick! Yes, we have a lot of deciduous trees here and I collect leaves from all around the neighborhood every autumn. Thanks for watching!
this seems like a great tip
Hello, your videos are great, this is from Finland, i have been collecting the leaves around 30 bags, exactly want to do as in your video. in next a few days, i will build a 1mx1m compost bin, i can get a lot of coffee ground, just want to ask you, how much coffee ground and how much leaves in your pile. Here in winter is cold. Are these two material enough to get cooking? Thanks a lot.
+Yonghai Lu Thanks! We use roughly 2 to 3 times the volume of leaves relative to the coffee grounds. If the pile doesn't heat up enough, you can always add more grounds.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Hello, thanks a lot. Have been watching almost all ur videos, really nice, thanks.
+Yonghai Lu You're very welcome! Thanks so much for watching!
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Hi, exciting, tomorrow, i will go and buy the wood to build 1mx1mx1m compost bin, i do not know if it is too late to make this compost now. In Helsinki, it is still not below zero yet. Still one more question before action, leaves and coffee ground, do i need to add anything else to get it cooking, e.g. garden soil or something.
+Yonghai In my experience, you don't have to add anything else other than water. You'll want the pile to have the moisture of a wrung out sponge. I think your winters are similar to ours, so if you get the pile cooking soon you should have finished compost next spring or summer. Best wishes!
ANYTHING beats turning the pile! Man, I hate that job....especially in the PNW where it is always wet & nasty in Nov/Dec.
Quick note/question. Is that rain water you use to wet the pile? I've always hesitated to use municipal water 'cause I'm afraid the chlorine might kill off beneficial microbes and, hence, do more damage than good. I can't remember if you use rain-catchment or not....
Zerkbern Yes, this approach is much easier on the back! That's for sure.
I use rain water when available, but this time I used municipal water, which contains chlorine. Though rain water may be optimal, this is a clear demonstration of how the small amount of chlorine in the water does not kill off the beneficial aerobic bacteria that are responsible for heating up the compost. The pile would not have heated up so quickly and dramatically without them, so it is clear that they are alive and multiplying.
OneYardRevolution Good to know. I have all the parts for a Rain Catchment system....never got around to building it this summer. Top of the list for next season.
Zerkbern We've got a rain barrel, but haven't had much rain in the past few weeks, so it's currently empty. Otherwise, I'd use rain water.