Thank you Kelly - I'm glad you found it helpful! Truthfully, I have done this enough times that I knew the seeds were killed. But I really didn't know any of the actual limits as had been tested.
You have by far and away my favorite videos on composting and gardening. I appreciate your synthesis of literature and personal experience and your indifference to hamming it up for a YT audience. Please consider uploading (unironically) long, un-cut videos of you turning the compost and gardening. I think it fills a nice niche: 1) there's known demand for long-form ambient videos of everyday life (walk with me in cities, video game long plays, train videos) 2) gardening is a form of catharsis unavailable to a larger segment of the population 3) the sound of garden work is nature is as soothing as something like, listening to the rainforest It actually blows my mind that you can't search for long-form videos of people doing garden work.
I appreciate your videos. Subject matter is always something I've been wondering about, and I am glad you provide the details needed for people to make good decisions. Totally like the fact you also provide the basis for the information you provide. This may get me to try composting again. Not the lazy way I've been doing. :)
Thank you Donna - I've got plenty of experience over the years composting - and I knew that if I got it hot it killed the seeds. But it was quite fun digging into the details of what limits there actually were for time/temperature. Or at least, what has been found.
Great video! Maybe a next one with details on viruses, bacteria and fungnal issues and how hot compost can kill them. Many flower growers will love it since there is a spike on bacterial and viral diseases through imported plant material!
@@growitbuildit yes! As far as I m concerned there is a huge spike of A. tumefaciens and Rhodococcus fascians due to the dahlia imports… and also fungal diseases like mildew and viruses like from tomatoes etc… It’s so sad to have way much plant material and throughing huge plastic bags away instead of composting because of potential diseases…
Greetings, I have been enjoying your vids, especially the compost and leave ones. I generally use grass clippings and leaves from the fall that I collect. My question is, what is the ratio for leaves to grass to get it cooking? I've heard some say on vids, 1 to 1 and others have said 1green and 2 brown
Hi Fish - the ratio doesn't matter as much as the size. I target 50/50 green to brown, and try to get enough starter material to make a pile 3-4' tall, and as tall as it will stand up too. When people can't make a hot pile the most common reason is that it isn't large enough, don't have enough green, or there is not moisture. Farmers have been setting hay bales on fire since Ancient Roman times by making tall haystacks that were 100% green. The large size means is takes longer for heat to escape - aka the center temperature can rise higher. Go for 4' diameter pile, 50/50 green to brown, evenly moist and aerated. You will have a hot pile in 3 days.
I stopped worrying about weeds and temp in my compost pile. Long term, I keep the pile in the shade, and wait for the decomposition. I use leaf and grass clippings to mulch my garden strips along my fences. Over time, I continue to top dress. I'm lazy that way.
Did you ever make that video about compost fires? I didn't see anything after a quick scan of your uploads. You covered it pretty well in this video, but I was just wondering if you made that follow-up video you planned.
Hi - no, I have not made that video yet. Sorry - I get pretty busy with my regular job and kids, but my plan is to actually get one to smolder in my yard, in a fairy controlled manner. The big thing is to monitor your temperatures, and don't let it hit 160F. If you think it might go that high, then reduce the size into smaller piles. I actually did that last year before I left on a business trip - I didn't want my wife to potentially deal with a compost fire!
@@growitbuildit No worries, at all. I understand life gets busy. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss it, and if you were still planning on making that video. I have worried about a compost fire. Not from my regular compost piles, but from grass clippings. I pick them up at the beginning of the season to use as mulch in garden beds. I don't always get around to spreading them right after mowing, they'll sit a day or two. I know grass pile fires are a real concern. Heck, we just had a ton bale catch on fire near here not too long ago. They baled it when it was too green. In my case, if I can't spread the clippings that day, I spread them out so they're no more than a foot tall so the heat can escape. I'm actually using that method now to sterilize a new bed and kill the existing weeds and grass. Mixed the clippings with shredded cardboard and spread them out about a foot, foot and a half tall. Let them sit for a couple of days. Then, turn the pile and move it over to the next section. I got a compost thermometer for this year, so knowing the temperature(s) that kill seeds was very timely for me. So, thank you for this video! I really enjoy your content!
I think the tree will be fine. I have my piles underneath Black Locust trees, and they don't seem to suffer any ill effects. Just make sure that you turn piles weekly, even when finished during the growing season. That is because the tree roots will start to invade them and rob them of nutrients.
That matches my experience. I really want to know how big a pile I would need to make with grass to get it above 160F, where chemical reactions would take over. But then again, I don't want it to catch on fire!
Hi, I saw a post on your website where you tagged some plants which can grow around walnut trees and among them you mentioned "Oxalis corniculata" I hope to seek clarity on this
Content that delivers as always. Kill weed seed--- 140F for three hours/ 7 days in moist enviro--- got it. Not enough room to compost in a big pile --- I chop and drop --- but seed heads I will kill in a makeshift green house. Wife wont let me do it in the car--- which must get up to 140F in July/ August.
Thank you Jeff - I can't say for certain just how hot it would get, as I've not tested it. But I know that many resources recommend killing invasive plants by placing them in black trash bags out in the sun for a few days. Perhaps I should test that - I've got a remote temperature sensor. I'll try to do that this summer.
1. Make sure to use non chlorinated water to moisten your compost pile 2. Human urine is a good source of nitrogen to heat a compost pile up. 3. Cut a square of old carpet to cover your compost. Keeping excess moisture out will speed decomposition and prevent anaerobic conditions. 4. Leaves and shredded cardboard boxes are great carbon sources for composting. 5. Grass clippings that haven't been treated with herbicides/pesticides and any green growth are great nitrogen sources. 6. Remember to flip your pile and mix the ingredients thoroughly every couple days. This will greatly speed the process of decomposition and keep your pile from getting slimy and stinky. 7. Dead animals such as roadkill or anything that was formerly living are fine to compost, but the larger the pile is the less likely you are to smell any of the decomposition. 8. The smaller the particle size, the faster everything will break down. 9. If you're composting dead animals you're going to want a pretty good sized pile and keep the decomposing animals in the center of the pile and completely covered. 10. Any organic matter is fine to compost for the most part. You don't have to be a scientist to make good compost. Just pile a bunch of stuff up and it will break down. Keeping it mixed, moist, and carbon to nitrogen levels at ideal levels greatly speeds the process, but all piles will break down. 11. The only bad compost pile is the one you aren't making.
I think this video is for more advanced composters or people trying to do it better than they do now. Your input sounds like excellent beginner info. 👍
You mention winter composting. I live in the Northeast, where snow will last several months are temperatures are routinely well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Is hot composting still doable at those temps? Thank you!
My compost piles won't get above 85 deg. I adjusted the water to just making the material damp not soggy. It has direct sunlight for 8 to 9 hours a day. My mix is wood sticks varing sizes on ground then grass, leaves, veg scraps, leaves that I shred due to most of them are cottonwood leaves, chicken poop, shredded paper, spent coffee grounds between each layer. I also have tried using compost starter. There are hundreds of several different worms. Thanks in advance I'm desperately in need of help.
The factors for a pile not heating up are as follows...Not big enough (should be at least 3-4' diameter), not enough greens, not enough water, not enough air. I've also had piles not heat up because they weren't packed enough, which sounds counterintuitive, but if your sticks are making too much separation within the pile it can happen. Also, I've had piles not heat up because they were windrowed, but when I switched it back to a mound the temperature rocketed +60F in a day (in winter no less). I suggest you watch the winter compost video, as it shows this principle in freezing temps - ua-cam.com/video/4ms2hyfU1CU/v-deo.html
I noticed in your winter compost video that you love pumpkins as green matter. Have you ever had volunteer pumpkins? Just wondering since a winter pile may not make it to 140+.
Hi Dennis, yes I have. It usually isn't too many. And many pumpkin seeds will germinate in the pile only to be killed when turning. But pumpkins are awesome for composting. And the center of the 'pumpkin pile' always gets very hot. The periphery....not as hot.
Hi Tyrell - I've got two videos on compost. 1 - Composting for beginners (grass is the main green ingredient) - ua-cam.com/video/nxTzuasQLFo/v-deo.html 2 - Composting in the winter (pumpkins, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps) are the main ingredients. ua-cam.com/video/4ms2hyfU1CU/v-deo.html Both go through the principals and process of making a compost pile. But to get a pile hot, you need to make it roughly 3-4' diameter and as tall as it will allow. Use a good mix of green/brown (50/50), keep it aerated and moist. It should heat up within a couple days. If it isn't heating up, it is usually for a lack of green material, too dry, too compacted or wet, or too small. The volume is really important. You need to make it large enough. But you've got to troubleshoot which element is wrong, and correct it. And if you don't think it is getting hot enough, find a way to get more material and mix it in. This Winter I made a 4' diameter windrow that was about 7' long. It was 50/50 green brown, moist, all of that. But it wasn't heating up. So I went out, and without adding anything else I changed it from a windrow to a large mound. The internal temperature went from 40F-110F in roughly 48 hours, while the outdoor temperature was around 10F. This is just an example, but the problem of that pile wasn't a lack of material, but how it was arranged. The 4' wide windrow let too much heat escape. That same pile would have been fine in the Summer though, as the outdoor temps are higher, less heat escapes....
@@growitbuildit Excellent, thanks so much for this response, I really appreciate your time. I'm not new to composting, but I can't say that I've been intentional about how I compost and now I feel I have the basic understanding now to be more efficient. Have a great day!
It can be done Jim, but it really needs to be aerated...and stay aerated. Also, it is likely going to compress on itself and mat-up, which can result in anaerobic bacteria, and turn to sludge. This will turn to compost eventually, it just takes longer.
Hi - the extreme temperatures will kill the roots too. Now, if a piece of the rhizome root doesn't reach the necessary temperature....well, then it could survive. But if you turn your pile regularly, you will probably figure out if part is alive, and kill/smother it in the process.
Compost piles can even explode due to volatile compounds off gassing i.e. ammonium. You are poor at arithmetic. Fifty degrees Celsius is 122 degrees Fahrenheit while 130 Fahrenheit is 54.4444 degrees Celsius. Golden Rod is not just a weed. George Washington Carver told Henry Ford that it could provide a substitute latex to make rubber tires.
I 100% believe you! This year I threw a small cabbage that was particularly buggy into the middle of a hot pile. A few days later when I turned it, it smelt like....cooked cabbage. I obviously didn't eat it though, as I was just throwing it away.
Joe, help! The cottontails and their offspring are eating up my green compost ingredients and the robins and THEIR offspring are making off with the worms! 😆
It's a big help when you trust the source. Thank you for all the evidence-based guidance!
Thank you Kelly - I'm glad you found it helpful! Truthfully, I have done this enough times that I knew the seeds were killed. But I really didn't know any of the actual limits as had been tested.
You have by far and away my favorite videos on composting and gardening. I appreciate your synthesis of literature and personal experience and your indifference to hamming it up for a YT audience.
Please consider uploading (unironically) long, un-cut videos of you turning the compost and gardening. I think it fills a nice niche:
1) there's known demand for long-form ambient videos of everyday life (walk with me in cities, video game long plays, train videos)
2) gardening is a form of catharsis unavailable to a larger segment of the population
3) the sound of garden work is nature is as soothing as something like, listening to the rainforest
It actually blows my mind that you can't search for long-form videos of people doing garden work.
I will take that under consideration Ryan. Thank you. I'm not sure if it would make sense to do it here, or start a new channel for that specifically.
Thank you for sharing this information with us.
You are very welcome Shelia - glad you enjoyed it!
I appreciate your videos. Subject matter is always something I've been wondering about, and I am glad you provide the details needed for people to make good decisions. Totally like the fact you also provide the basis for the information you provide. This may get me to try composting again. Not the lazy way I've been doing. :)
Thank you Donna - I've got plenty of experience over the years composting - and I knew that if I got it hot it killed the seeds. But it was quite fun digging into the details of what limits there actually were for time/temperature. Or at least, what has been found.
Great video! Maybe a next one with details on viruses, bacteria and fungnal issues and how hot compost can kill them. Many flower growers will love it since there is a spike on bacterial and viral diseases through imported plant material!
That is a great point. This would have been a great video to tie in the disease killing aspect of hot compost.
@@growitbuildit yes! As far as I m concerned there is a huge spike of A. tumefaciens and Rhodococcus fascians due to the dahlia imports… and also fungal diseases like mildew and viruses like from tomatoes etc…
It’s so sad to have way much plant material and throughing huge plastic bags away instead of composting because of potential diseases…
Very good reasons to hot compost, requires work for more benefits.😊👍🏼 Thank you for looking at the studies🌾
You are welcome Hang - I'm glad you found it interesting
Greetings, I have been enjoying your vids, especially the compost and leave ones. I generally use grass clippings and leaves from the fall that I collect. My question is, what is the ratio for leaves to grass to get it cooking? I've heard some say on vids, 1 to 1 and others have said 1green and 2 brown
Hi Fish - the ratio doesn't matter as much as the size. I target 50/50 green to brown, and try to get enough starter material to make a pile 3-4' tall, and as tall as it will stand up too. When people can't make a hot pile the most common reason is that it isn't large enough, don't have enough green, or there is not moisture.
Farmers have been setting hay bales on fire since Ancient Roman times by making tall haystacks that were 100% green. The large size means is takes longer for heat to escape - aka the center temperature can rise higher.
Go for 4' diameter pile, 50/50 green to brown, evenly moist and aerated. You will have a hot pile in 3 days.
I stopped worrying about weeds and temp in my compost pile. Long term, I keep the pile in the shade, and wait for the decomposition. I use leaf and grass clippings to mulch my garden strips along my fences. Over time, I continue to top dress. I'm lazy that way.
I do want to do a heated pile tho, so thanks for the info.
You are very welcome Jeff - the lazy way works great. I just like knowing that I can cook any seeds to death that I need to.
@@growitbuildit I'm working my way up to a hot method like the big boys. I worry about killing the beneficial fungus/bacteria tho.
Many a barn, has burned because of hot bales. Always be aware!
Great video as always! congratulations on a 100,000 subscribers!!!
Thank you!
Did you ever make that video about compost fires? I didn't see anything after a quick scan of your uploads. You covered it pretty well in this video, but I was just wondering if you made that follow-up video you planned.
Hi - no, I have not made that video yet. Sorry - I get pretty busy with my regular job and kids, but my plan is to actually get one to smolder in my yard, in a fairy controlled manner. The big thing is to monitor your temperatures, and don't let it hit 160F. If you think it might go that high, then reduce the size into smaller piles. I actually did that last year before I left on a business trip - I didn't want my wife to potentially deal with a compost fire!
@@growitbuildit No worries, at all. I understand life gets busy. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss it, and if you were still planning on making that video.
I have worried about a compost fire. Not from my regular compost piles, but from grass clippings. I pick them up at the beginning of the season to use as mulch in garden beds. I don't always get around to spreading them right after mowing, they'll sit a day or two. I know grass pile fires are a real concern. Heck, we just had a ton bale catch on fire near here not too long ago. They baled it when it was too green. In my case, if I can't spread the clippings that day, I spread them out so they're no more than a foot tall so the heat can escape.
I'm actually using that method now to sterilize a new bed and kill the existing weeds and grass. Mixed the clippings with shredded cardboard and spread them out about a foot, foot and a half tall. Let them sit for a couple of days. Then, turn the pile and move it over to the next section. I got a compost thermometer for this year, so knowing the temperature(s) that kill seeds was very timely for me. So, thank you for this video! I really enjoy your content!
Great video with information that is most helpful. I have started a compost pile under a peach tree. Will that harm the tree?
I think the tree will be fine. I have my piles underneath Black Locust trees, and they don't seem to suffer any ill effects. Just make sure that you turn piles weekly, even when finished during the growing season. That is because the tree roots will start to invade them and rob them of nutrients.
@@growitbuildit thank you,I will.
our hottest was about 145-50 during dead of summer after adding grass cutting
That matches my experience. I really want to know how big a pile I would need to make with grass to get it above 160F, where chemical reactions would take over. But then again, I don't want it to catch on fire!
Hi, I saw a post on your website where you tagged some plants which can grow around walnut trees and among them you mentioned "Oxalis corniculata"
I hope to seek clarity on this
Hi Mary - can you elaborate? Oxalis is not effected by Juglone, so Wood Sorrels can grow near Walnut trees.
Content that delivers as always. Kill weed seed--- 140F for three hours/ 7 days in moist enviro--- got it. Not enough room to compost in a big pile --- I chop and drop --- but seed heads I will kill in a makeshift green house. Wife wont let me do it in the car--- which must get up to 140F in July/ August.
Thank you Jeff - I can't say for certain just how hot it would get, as I've not tested it. But I know that many resources recommend killing invasive plants by placing them in black trash bags out in the sun for a few days. Perhaps I should test that - I've got a remote temperature sensor. I'll try to do that this summer.
@@growitbuildit I was wondering if a dark tarp would help, if not hot enough after a week or 2 in the summer.
Yes, that would help. Some of the studies I cited were specifically investigating if solarization would get hot enough to kill weed seeds
1. Make sure to use non chlorinated water to moisten your compost pile
2. Human urine is a good source of nitrogen to heat a compost pile up.
3. Cut a square of old carpet to cover your compost. Keeping excess moisture out will speed decomposition and prevent anaerobic conditions.
4. Leaves and shredded cardboard boxes are great carbon sources for composting.
5. Grass clippings that haven't been treated with herbicides/pesticides and any green growth are great nitrogen sources.
6. Remember to flip your pile and mix the ingredients thoroughly every couple days. This will greatly speed the process of decomposition and keep your pile from getting slimy and stinky.
7. Dead animals such as roadkill or anything that was formerly living are fine to compost, but the larger the pile is the less likely you are to smell any of the decomposition.
8. The smaller the particle size, the faster everything will break down.
9. If you're composting dead animals you're going to want a pretty good sized pile and keep the decomposing animals in the center of the pile and completely covered.
10. Any organic matter is fine to compost for the most part. You don't have to be a scientist to make good compost. Just pile a bunch of stuff up and it will break down. Keeping it mixed, moist, and carbon to nitrogen levels at ideal levels greatly speeds the process, but all piles will break down.
11. The only bad compost pile is the one you aren't making.
All good tips - thanks for sharing
I think this video is for more advanced composters or people trying to do it better than they do now. Your input sounds like excellent beginner info. 👍
We have chlorinated water and the hot composting works fine.
You forgot that if must use chlorinated water air it out for 2-3 days prior to use. Never put compost pile in a natural depression.
You mention winter composting. I live in the Northeast, where snow will last several months are temperatures are routinely well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Is hot composting still doable at those temps? Thank you!
It is doable. I got you covered. See here - ua-cam.com/video/4ms2hyfU1CU/v-deo.html
My compost piles won't get above 85 deg. I adjusted the water to just making the material damp not soggy. It has direct sunlight for 8 to 9 hours a day. My mix is wood sticks varing sizes on ground then grass, leaves, veg scraps, leaves that I shred due to most of them are cottonwood leaves, chicken poop, shredded paper, spent coffee grounds between each layer. I also have tried using compost starter. There are hundreds of several different worms. Thanks in advance I'm desperately in need of help.
The factors for a pile not heating up are as follows...Not big enough (should be at least 3-4' diameter), not enough greens, not enough water, not enough air. I've also had piles not heat up because they weren't packed enough, which sounds counterintuitive, but if your sticks are making too much separation within the pile it can happen. Also, I've had piles not heat up because they were windrowed, but when I switched it back to a mound the temperature rocketed +60F in a day (in winter no less). I suggest you watch the winter compost video, as it shows this principle in freezing temps - ua-cam.com/video/4ms2hyfU1CU/v-deo.html
Have more greens and the pile should be be to your shoulder’s height with a base about 4ft in diameter.
I noticed in your winter compost video that you love pumpkins as green matter. Have you ever had volunteer pumpkins? Just wondering since a winter pile may not make it to 140+.
Hi Dennis, yes I have. It usually isn't too many. And many pumpkin seeds will germinate in the pile only to be killed when turning.
But pumpkins are awesome for composting. And the center of the 'pumpkin pile' always gets very hot. The periphery....not as hot.
Do you have a video on how to cold/hot compost? How do you "raise the temperature" of your compost?
Hi Tyrell - I've got two videos on compost.
1 - Composting for beginners (grass is the main green ingredient) - ua-cam.com/video/nxTzuasQLFo/v-deo.html
2 - Composting in the winter (pumpkins, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps) are the main ingredients. ua-cam.com/video/4ms2hyfU1CU/v-deo.html
Both go through the principals and process of making a compost pile. But to get a pile hot, you need to make it roughly 3-4' diameter and as tall as it will allow. Use a good mix of green/brown (50/50), keep it aerated and moist. It should heat up within a couple days.
If it isn't heating up, it is usually for a lack of green material, too dry, too compacted or wet, or too small. The volume is really important. You need to make it large enough. But you've got to troubleshoot which element is wrong, and correct it. And if you don't think it is getting hot enough, find a way to get more material and mix it in.
This Winter I made a 4' diameter windrow that was about 7' long. It was 50/50 green brown, moist, all of that. But it wasn't heating up. So I went out, and without adding anything else I changed it from a windrow to a large mound. The internal temperature went from 40F-110F in roughly 48 hours, while the outdoor temperature was around 10F. This is just an example, but the problem of that pile wasn't a lack of material, but how it was arranged. The 4' wide windrow let too much heat escape.
That same pile would have been fine in the Summer though, as the outdoor temps are higher, less heat escapes....
@@growitbuildit Excellent, thanks so much for this response, I really appreciate your time. I'm not new to composting, but I can't say that I've been intentional about how I compost and now I feel I have the basic understanding now to be more efficient. Have a great day!
What about composting grass clippings only
It can be done Jim, but it really needs to be aerated...and stay aerated. Also, it is likely going to compress on itself and mat-up, which can result in anaerobic bacteria, and turn to sludge. This will turn to compost eventually, it just takes longer.
Would the root be decomposed too? (Cold and hot compost) because lots of weed spread through roots
Hi - the extreme temperatures will kill the roots too. Now, if a piece of the rhizome root doesn't reach the necessary temperature....well, then it could survive. But if you turn your pile regularly, you will probably figure out if part is alive, and kill/smother it in the process.
Yea I have never seen any issues with weed seeds in my compose or even in my worm bins. It seems like my worms eat that stuff up in my worm bins.
That may be the case Henderson. I've not had a worm bin.
That is exactly the case. Seeds are full of nutrients.
Exactly the info I needed no more no less
You are very welcome Laurie - I'm glad it was helpful.
Compost piles can even explode due to volatile compounds off gassing i.e. ammonium. You are poor at arithmetic. Fifty degrees Celsius is 122 degrees Fahrenheit while 130 Fahrenheit is 54.4444 degrees Celsius. Golden Rod is not just a weed. George Washington Carver told Henry Ford that it could provide a substitute latex to make rubber tires.
How do you do a cold compost?
Make your pile smaller, or use too much of green or brown. Then just leave it for a year. Make sure there are no seed heads in the material.
@@growitbuildit what do seeds do?
Seeds that survive composting will germinate as weeds in your garden
I once cooked a chicken in a compost pile (in an oven bag) true story.
I 100% believe you! This year I threw a small cabbage that was particularly buggy into the middle of a hot pile. A few days later when I turned it, it smelt like....cooked cabbage. I obviously didn't eat it though, as I was just throwing it away.
Joe, help! The cottontails and their offspring are eating up my green compost ingredients and the robins and THEIR offspring are making off with the worms! 😆
Heat man heat! Heat will keep them away
jesus loves you don’t get the cdbc