I live in zone 3 of northern Minnesota, I have the worst time keeping my compost from freezing. I’m alone and it’s just too much work to add to everything else so I just layer it up, spray it down and cover it with a black tarp. In the early spring when I can get the tarp lifted, I start pouring urine on it. I start turning it when it thaws enough to get the potato fork in it. That urine breaks it down so fast it’s amazing. Oh how I wish it was a little warmer here !!! Blessings…. I love your channel !!!
@ I have, one huge pile and have tried with a black tarp cover and a clear plastic cover. The very middle near the ground may stay thawed but when it’s -20 or -30 everything freezes and it takes a lot of warm weather to thaw it. It’s just life in the tundra I guess :(
Thanks for the tutorial. We live in the city, and rats are rampant. Even just adding only yard waste we still got rats building nests, so the new bins we lined with quarter inch wire mesh. It wasn't that expensive. Absolutely worth not digging into a rat's nest while harvesting compost 😨 (been there). I don't worry much about weed seeds. They blow into the garden the second you put compost down anyway, but are suppressed by the leaf mulch (veg garden) or chip mulch (flower garden) we add after layering compost in the garden.
Good warning about rodents - I’m sure that is what would happen to me. I will think about lining everything with wire mesh which I guess could become problematic when trying to turn the pile.
Consider collecting several 5-gallon buckets of FREE coffee grounds from local coffee shops. Coffee grounds are a great green/nitrogen feedstock to kick start the heating up process in your compost pile.
@Blossomandbranch That didn't make sense. Coffee is used as a feed stock in vermicomposting. Worms can't survive in a thermophilic compost due to heat anyway.
@@Freeland-Farm That's right. Free coffee helps it heat up, then worms move in when it cools and they love it! Her reasoning doesn't make sense. Must be a beginner.
Hedgerows! If you watch the tour video you'll see the rows of golden currants, they're a big help. Plant hedgerows of trees or low shrubs on the windward side of the field/garden
@@Blossomandbranch We just moved from one side of our state to the central side . (western WA zone cool 8B to Central wa zone 6B) so we aren't 100% sure about the wind pattern yet but we are a funnel next to the mountains and from what our neighbors have said the wind comes from multiple directions. 🥴 I will definitely be planting hedgerows. mock orange is a native here so there will be a row of that here for sure. 😍
I use alfalfa pellets in the garden you can spread them around the plants and I use alfalfa cubes in the compost, just soak overnight and mix in the compost pile, breaks down great!
He’s a hoot !!! I had a husband once and he thrived in working against anything I did and would certainly NEVER help me with anything, some people love to watch and even cause others to struggle or suffer. Needless to say, I’ve been single for many years and am afraid of marriage but in a way hope for a good one. I’m leaving it to the Lord 🙏
This was really great. I don’t know why creating a compost pile is so confusing! I live in CO in the mountains, at 9.200 feet and struggle with having enough water. I’m always so frustrated with how much water it takes to keep them pile wet! I am wondering when you said the ratio to greens to browns - you didn’t say which? Also, when you said you could put the alfalfa pellet mixture in the garden in the spring as a fertilizer - did you mean just put the pellets on or after it ‘cooks’? If it ‘cooks’ will it then be too hot to put in in the garden? You are the absolute ‘wonder teacher’. Appreciate all that you share!
Sorry, less greens than browns! You can use the alfalfa pellets directly in the ground as a fertilizer instead of adding to compost :) And yes, it can be intimidating--just start! Nothing that can't be fixed :)
@@Blossomandbranch REALLY appreciate your reply! You are one busy lady so I know answering these questions is time consuming! Really enjoyed the greenhouse tour and tips and really looking forward to the soil recipe. SO gracious of you to share all this information! I learn so much from you. And you are such a skilled teacher!
Q: what about growing ur own alfalfa? I've used it before as a cover crop for a few small raised beds & rabbit food. Then the rabbit poop became fertilizer. But that was so small scale compared to a 50lb bag of pellets 😮
We are planning to do some of that in our home farm where we have more space, but on our limited scale we don’t grow enough to make sufficient quantities!
We just bought 3 acres of alfalfa and plant to keep some of it , build a house, and have a beautiful flower farm and garden to feed our family. After following Bri's advice for the last several years I have seen and reaped the benefits and also planning on getting sheep. lol we have a dog so I have been using his hair instead of wool but sheep seem like an easy pasture "pet" with loads of benefits and with 4 kids they seem doable. AND with egg prices we are getting chickens too. Any who I want to learn how to make pellets or how to used our home grown alfalfa. So @blossomandbranch I will be keeping an eye out on how you do it and try to share our experiments as well. We are getting a tractor with a sickle mower on it since we don't plant to keep a ton of it. 3/4 - 1/2 acre.
I usually wait until spring and then start using dried grass clippings! But with the leaves that’s pretty rare, it also cooks slower over winter so I’m not using browns as quickly then :)
Thank you for sharing!! Are you able to source untreated pallets? I’ve always been worried about adding chemicals to my compost, but I’m not sure if there’s evidence it would transfer over from treated lumber. Would love your perspective!
Most pallets are heat treated (HT). Very few are pressure treated or treated with methyl bromide (MB). Look for a marking on the side of the pallet. HT is what you want.
If you’re turning it and keeping the temps up for at least a week it will kill off any pathogens :) we show how to keep it cooking in the winter soil building video linked in the description!
@@Blossomandbranch I love this. Just watched the recommended video. I'm going to empty my two black rolling compost tumblers, create a big pile, add leaves (maybe do the alfalfa recipe), continuously turn and keep covered. Will put my thermometer in to monitor the temps! Looking forward to an outdoor winter project (In Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Thank you!!!
I want to buy your covercrop course soon. I am preparing a small garden for next year. Do I put mulch or compost before starting with cover crop? I just love your channel, thank you ❤
I have a whole section on planting cover crops in my course - so glad you're interested! You can too the seeds with a fine layer of compost after sowing. :)
Horses are not ruminants, that is why their manure is to be avoided, by contrast to sheep and cows, which are. Ie. They have broken down weed seeds way more, through the fermentation process.
Whoops, you’re right, horses aren’t ruminants! Thanks! But even seeds that pas through ruminant stomachs still maintain about a 25-30% germination depending on the seed. :)
I see you are using compost bags for your kitchen scrap. Do you throw that into your pile too or just use it to hold the scraps until they go to the pile?
I've watched your channel for 3to4 years now. Why are you so concerned with any possibility of contamination when you are a flower farmer? I can understand limiting it as much as possible, but what you are doing is for most people unattainable
That $25 is to jump start what will be about 5 yards of compost, well worth the cost, but it's also not a vital step--as I mentioned you can also source manure from a local farm, they love to give it away.
Gardening and composting shouldn’t be expensive but it’s not without some expense!! I got alfalfa pellets on sale for $17, I spend very little on my garden.
I live in zone 3 of northern Minnesota, I have the worst time keeping my compost from freezing. I’m alone and it’s just too much work to add to everything else so I just layer it up, spray it down and cover it with a black tarp. In the early spring when I can get the tarp lifted, I start pouring urine on it. I start turning it when it thaws enough to get the potato fork in it. That urine breaks it down so fast it’s amazing. Oh how I wish it was a little warmer here !!!
Blessings…. I love your channel !!!
Have you tried making a bigger pile? I’ve found that helps a lot!
@ I have, one huge pile and have tried with a black tarp cover and a clear plastic cover. The very middle near the ground may stay thawed but when it’s -20 or -30 everything freezes and it takes a lot of warm weather to thaw it. It’s just life in the tundra I guess :(
I made my area with straw bales instead of pallets. I stink at power tools and the straw will eventually become part of the compost. ❤
Brilliant!
Thanks ! Compost is gold! ❤
Thanks for the tutorial. We live in the city, and rats are rampant. Even just adding only yard waste we still got rats building nests, so the new bins we lined with quarter inch wire mesh. It wasn't that expensive. Absolutely worth not digging into a rat's nest while harvesting compost 😨 (been there). I don't worry much about weed seeds. They blow into the garden the second you put compost down anyway, but are suppressed by the leaf mulch (veg garden) or chip mulch (flower garden) we add after layering compost in the garden.
I hear you - I think we all have to find solutions that work for us and our individual circumstances!
Good warning about rodents - I’m sure that is what would happen to me. I will think about lining everything with wire mesh which I guess could become problematic when trying to turn the pile.
Consider collecting several 5-gallon buckets of FREE coffee grounds from local coffee shops. Coffee grounds are a great green/nitrogen feedstock to kick start the heating up process in your compost pile.
I tend to avoid using too much coffee grounds due to their tendency to kill off worm populations in excess! It’s ok in moderation :)
@@Blossomandbranch I'm guessing they were suggesting stockpiling, like you stockpile leaves.
@Blossomandbranch That didn't make sense. Coffee is used as a feed stock in vermicomposting. Worms can't survive in a thermophilic compost due to heat anyway.
Where did you get the green bucket that you put your kitchen scapes in?
@@Freeland-Farm That's right. Free coffee helps it heat up, then worms move in when it cools and they love it! Her reasoning doesn't make sense. Must be a beginner.
Bri I love your Scandinavian sweater! I’ve been keeping an eye out for one of those. 💙🤍
It's my dad's! My favorite
lol dave, Great video as always thanks Bri! I would love advice on how you deal with the wind in your flower field 🙂
Hedgerows! If you watch the tour video you'll see the rows of golden currants, they're a big help. Plant hedgerows of trees or low shrubs on the windward side of the field/garden
@@Blossomandbranch We just moved from one side of our state to the central side . (western WA zone cool 8B to Central wa zone 6B) so we aren't 100% sure about the wind pattern yet but we are a funnel next to the mountains and from what our neighbors have said the wind comes from multiple directions. 🥴 I will definitely be planting hedgerows. mock orange is a native here so there will be a row of that here for sure. 😍
I use alfalfa pellets in the garden you can spread them around the plants and I use alfalfa cubes in the compost, just soak overnight and mix in the compost pile, breaks down great!
Yes and a good slow release fertilizer plus plant growth hormone, great combo!
Where are you getting these alfalfa pellets and cubes?
@@dglemmer1 at your local farm feed store, it comes in bags over by the horse feed. It comes in pellets or cubes.
Oh my goodness I’m cracking up 😂 Ah, for the love of husbands 😜 Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your process!!
He’s a total nut. Every time I try to put the man in a video… 🙄
He’s a hoot !!! I had a husband once and he thrived in working against anything I did and would certainly NEVER help me with anything, some people love to watch and even cause others to struggle or suffer. Needless to say, I’ve been single for many years and am afraid of marriage but in a way hope for a good one. I’m leaving it to the Lord 🙏
This was really great. I don’t know why creating a compost pile is so confusing! I live in CO in the mountains, at 9.200 feet and struggle with having enough water. I’m always so frustrated with how much water it takes to keep them pile wet! I am wondering when you said the ratio to greens to browns - you didn’t say which? Also, when you said you could put the alfalfa pellet mixture in the garden in the spring as a fertilizer - did you mean just put the pellets on or after it ‘cooks’? If it ‘cooks’ will it then be too hot to put in in the garden? You are the absolute ‘wonder teacher’. Appreciate all that you share!
Sorry, less greens than browns! You can use the alfalfa pellets directly in the ground as a fertilizer instead of adding to compost :) And yes, it can be intimidating--just start! Nothing that can't be fixed :)
@@Blossomandbranch REALLY appreciate your reply! You are one busy lady so I know answering these questions is time consuming! Really enjoyed the greenhouse tour and tips and really looking forward to the soil recipe. SO gracious of you to share all this information! I learn so much from you. And you are such a skilled teacher!
Me too!!
Thanks for all the great info! And I obsessed with that sweater you are wearing at the end. Where did you get it??
Aw thank you! It was my dads, from Norway in the 1980s-look up nordstrikk vintage sweaters!
@@Blossomandbranch that is so sweet!!! thanks for the info, and all the great videos :)
Thanks so much for the advice ❤❤❤
So glad it was helpful! 😄
Q: what about growing ur own alfalfa?
I've used it before as a cover crop for a few small raised beds & rabbit food. Then the rabbit poop became fertilizer. But that was so small scale compared to a 50lb bag of pellets 😮
We are planning to do some of that in our home farm where we have more space, but on our limited scale we don’t grow enough to make sufficient quantities!
We just bought 3 acres of alfalfa and plant to keep some of it , build a house, and have a beautiful flower farm and garden to feed our family. After following Bri's advice for the last several years I have seen and reaped the benefits and also planning on getting sheep. lol we have a dog so I have been using his hair instead of wool but sheep seem like an easy pasture "pet" with loads of benefits and with 4 kids they seem doable. AND with egg prices we are getting chickens too. Any who I want to learn how to make pellets or how to used our home grown alfalfa. So @blossomandbranch I will be keeping an eye out on how you do it and try to share our experiments as well. We are getting a tractor with a sickle mower on it since we don't plant to keep a ton of it. 3/4 - 1/2 acre.
What do you do if you run out of brown?
I usually wait until spring and then start using dried grass clippings! But with the leaves that’s pretty rare, it also cooks slower over winter so I’m not using browns as quickly then :)
Thank you for sharing!! Are you able to source untreated pallets? I’ve always been worried about adding chemicals to my compost, but I’m not sure if there’s evidence it would transfer over from treated lumber. Would love your perspective!
Most pallets are heat treated (HT). Very few are pressure treated or treated with methyl bromide (MB). Look for a marking on the side of the pallet. HT is what you want.
Yes, if it says "MB" on the side you won't want to use it but honestly I've NEVER come across one and they're pretty rare. :)
@@Blossomandbranch That makes me feel so much better! Thank you for the response:) Can't wait to start using more pallets now.
Do you buy organic alfalfa pellets or conventional farmed ones?
I thought I put a note in there-try to source organic as often as possible due to herbicide concerns :)
@@Blossomandbranch thank you
Love the ending chipmunk voices 😂
lol I sometimes edit sped up and this little interaction had me giggling so in it stayed!
We get several feet of snow during the winter so it makes it so hard to compost. Any suggestions?
If you can get it going before the snow falls it will actually help insulate it and keep it cooking under there!
How can you tell when your compost is "ready to spread" and does not have dangerous bacteria in it (I"m thinking e-coli?)
If you’re turning it and keeping the temps up for at least a week it will kill off any pathogens :) we show how to keep it cooking in the winter soil building video linked in the description!
@@Blossomandbranch I love this. Just watched the recommended video. I'm going to empty my two black rolling compost tumblers, create a big pile, add leaves (maybe do the alfalfa recipe), continuously turn and keep covered. Will put my thermometer in to monitor the temps! Looking forward to an outdoor winter project (In Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Thank you!!!
I want to buy your covercrop course soon. I am preparing a small garden for next year. Do I put mulch or compost before starting with cover crop?
I just love your channel, thank you ❤
I have a whole section on planting cover crops in my course - so glad you're interested! You can too the seeds with a fine layer of compost after sowing. :)
@Blossomandbranch thank you for replying ❤️❤️❤️
Do it! you won't regret it!
Thank you, so glad you liked it!
Horses are not ruminants, that is why their manure is to be avoided, by contrast to sheep and cows, which are. Ie. They have broken down weed seeds way more, through the fermentation process.
Whoops, you’re right, horses aren’t ruminants! Thanks! But even seeds that pas through ruminant stomachs still maintain about a 25-30% germination depending on the seed. :)
Cow manure is the worst for weed seeds !
I see you are using compost bags for your kitchen scrap. Do you throw that into your pile too or just use it to hold the scraps until they go to the pile?
We reuse the bags, I personally don’t like to put them in the compost and I’m just using these because they came with our kitchen cabinets haha!
Does anyone know what zone she is???
5/6, just had a very dry winter! Normally we have snow on the ground 😬
I’m concern if you find snakes I see videos they like the compost pile
Turning it regularly prevents it from becoming a haven for unwanted animals :)
❤
It’s compost time!!! 🤗♥️🌱
woooooo Dave
When adding kitchen scraps, is there concern of attracting rats?
Yes-I avoid adding meat or dairy, keeping it turned will also help!
@Blossomandbranch thank you! 😊
PS love your content 🩷
Why don’t you like to add paper?
Unknown ingredients and PFAs are commonly found in paper!
I recycle shiny, coated, and heavily printed (both cardboard and paper)
I use the rest for compost.
Horse manure will smother weeds very nicely
I've watched your channel for 3to4 years now. Why are you so concerned with any possibility of contamination when you are a flower farmer? I can understand limiting it as much as possible, but what you are doing is for most people unattainable
"Composting should not be an expensive endeavor"
Dumps $25 worth of alfalfa pellets in compost. 😂
😂🤣
That $25 is to jump start what will be about 5 yards of compost, well worth the cost, but it's also not a vital step--as I mentioned you can also source manure from a local farm, they love to give it away.
Gardening and composting shouldn’t be expensive but it’s not without some expense!! I got alfalfa pellets on sale for $17, I spend very little on my garden.
Thanks - Nicely explained🤎 Dave did good😉😁
He did okay ;) Haha, he's a good sport