You are doing fine... ;-)

I have added "finished compost" to new piles to inoculate them with awesome organisms, but it certainly isn't necessary. It is more like we are all just having fun (mad scientist's ), there is no "right way" .... just keep doing what you are doing,and make piles anywhere you want...It's all good ;-)

I just took this pic for you from my bin this morning,and I didn't add any compost,dirt,soil..etc etc.. as you can clearly see ...it still rocks ;-)

{{gwi:284153}}

Thanks, Jon! I love your bins! I laugh about, but envy them all the time! I've watched some of your videos, too! I had watched some a couple weeks ago not realizing it was you.

I went out today to turn the piles and add some leaves and stuff that I had found sitting by the curb (14 extremely full bags all mulched up!). I use the paper bags to mulch with and smother weeds. I add compost on top of those around my plants. They seem to really like it...

So as I was turning and watering down the dry stuff, I found myself shredding the sod that we had put in the piles. I have arthritis and was only able to do this for a few hours. But I actually got most of it in very small pieces and I made a concerted effort to spread the garden soil around evenly with my layers.

This may sound silly, but I rigged up a 2x4 with long nails in the ends. The nails are measured so that they are on the outside of the bins and so the 2x4 slides. I use the board to lean on when I'm working the pile, break up sod, and dump leaves (sliding the board so it supports the end of the bag. I also use it to tap my rake and fork on when things get stuck on them.

I'm pretty happy with the results. I raked it all out, turned most everything over, fluffed and added things. While my piles aren't nearly as nice as yours, I'm still proud of my efforts!

The only downfall I see to my old bins are that they are directly on the ground. But the former homeowners picked a great spot, I believe. They are behind my shed (partly shaded throughout the day), no direct winds to dry them out, and the ground is slightly inclined to the direction they are facing so that they get get pretty good drainage. I was wrong about the size. They are 6ft X 5ft. The depth is 4ft, but my piles are usually about 5ft.

They are big enough that when I turn the piles I take it from one side to the other by the time I'm done. It's HARD work, though! Usually after turning the piles I come in for a hot shower and a couple drinks to relax my muscles and joints! LOL (Probably a good thing that I don't turn them everyday! ;)

gawdinfever
I think you are doing great. I admire your determination to keep on working through what must be fairly painful for you.

Right off let me say I'm no compost expert. I would be ashamed to post pictures of my compost anywhere near a thread with pictures of Jon's compost. It would be like posting a 3-year-old's finger painting next to the Mona Lisa.

From what I gather around this forum it is perfectly fine to put your compost right on the ground with nothing under it. That is one way to get the microherds and worms to move in and do their thing. Mine is on bare ground. I put soil in mine if it happens to be attached to something I'm composting. I don't go out of my way to add it to the pile. I have added finished, or nearly finished, compost as a "starter" though.

As someone on this forum said (forgive me for not giving proper credit as I can't remember who it was)....

"compost happens"

Eventually, even if you have done it all "wrong", stuff is going to decompose. My piles don't steam. They get warm in the middle, but no steam. No matter how hard I wish for it I never wake up and find that someone has moved Jon's piles to MY back yard. When I get impatient and dig into them I find compost where there used to be grass, leaves, and horse manure. Something is happening in there. I've given up on the "hot and fast" idea and now I'm just taking it "slow and steady".

"The only downfall I see to my old bins are that they are directly on the ground." Why is that a negative thing? Mine always have been and it's worked for 40 years.

Hi gawdinfever,

You said "They are big enough that when I turn the piles I take it from one side to the other by the time I'm done. It's HARD work, though!"

That is hilarious ;-)

No Kidding ! ! I don't know how anybody turns their piles without machinery... I know I wouldn't... ;-)

That stuff is friggin' HEAVY..... and there is just so much of it.... if I didn't have machinery...I would definitely go for "cold piles".... on the ground contact......,right where I wanted to plant next year,and I would move my piles each year to my next planting spot.... that would be the way I would do it if....... ;-)

" It would be like posting a 3-year-old's finger painting next to the Mona Lisa." LOL I like that as that's exactly how I felt when I first saw Jon's pics!

Well, after I turned the pile yesterday I got to reading more and figured I probably don't have enough greens. I called Starbucks and asked them to save what they had. I brought home about 50 or 60lbs of coffee grounds! It's a shame I didn't do that BEFORE I turned the pile! Aw, well; it keeps me moving and I get a great workout!

I still have lots of things stockpiled, so now I just need to figure out exactly where I want another new bed. I'm going to do that, as I don't think my body could stand removing this thick sod again! The people that lived here before put mega effort into this lawn and it shows. Now here I am trying to get rid of it!

Oh! Can we compost squirrels?? (Just kidding!)
Thinking ahead for my tomato harvest...

"Oh! Can we compost squirrels?? (Just kidding!)"

Absolutely, squirrels, chipmunks, and bears, too. ;-D But only if you can catch them! LOL

Sounds as if you are doing great with your composting! I rarely add soil, sometimes a bit of old compost, sometimes a bit of soil from our forest, always compost directly on the ground, sometimes just dig in the veggie scraps between plants, almost never turn the piles anymore, only sometimes have steam, have 5 bins and a pile, use unfinished compost as mulch, and it all eventually improves the soil for my plants. I also don't use chemicals in the garden so the worms flourish. Might as well feed those little helpers as they probably make more castings than I do compost.

You could just poke some holes in the compost and put the coffee grounds in.

I'm trying to go organic (okay, for the most part!) And when I do use chemicals now, it's very limited! The only reason I've used any this year was poison ivy and virginia creeper, which I'm allergic too. And that is a way far away from compost bins or garden beds.

I did wind up turning the pile some to incorporate some of the grounds. I wasn't able to do it thoroughly, as I'm still to sore and tired from yesterday's turning. But I'm guessing it'll be fine.

I think I broke my lawn mower while mulching up the leaves yesterday. Shoot!

Anyhow, I took a pic of my piles. It's a close up, as my camera lens was too big. But it shows that I've got it mixed pretty good.

I have to say; I think it's beautiful! LOL

{{gwi:285812}}

yes tree rats can go in, right now there is a possum in mine. Sigh. however tree rats don't get composted here, I have a couple dogs that enjoy snacking on them if I can catch them.
Sandy
tree huggin' soil worshippin' trash pickin' dog lovin' recyclin' woman
please control the pet population, spay or neuter your pet
Mystic(German shepherd rescue), Ginger ( Vizsla boxer (?)mix rescue) and Pixie (JRT and Chihuahua mix)

Sir Albert Howard, and those of that generation, believed that we needed to "innoculate" our compost with the bacteria from the soil to get the material digested. However, since then we have learned that the bacteria that digest our compost are not the same as those that dwell in the soil so putting some soil into your compost bin is an unecessary step. The bacteria that will digest what you put into your compost pile are already present on that material and will work to digest that material whether you compost it or not. Making a compost pile, properly, provides the right environment for those bacteria to get to work.

Well said, as usual, kimmsr.

Re: bins on the ground -
I can chime in about that one.
If your pile is very close to, say for example, a maple tree, then having the pile on the ground means extra work with a machete to convince the tree roots to let go of the compost.

Other than that sort of thing, seems to me fine to have the pile on the ground!

lcpw

The only that I am close to are some of my grape vines---and that's a chore! They LOVE the compost pile! Whenever I've dug out finished compost from the bottom, he loves to pull them and help dig them up. It's a losing battle of course...

We got most of them out (that I could see) a few weeks ago. I'm sure we'll have to work at this constantly.

momstar: You are very kind...thank you!

Sandy: I love your signature!!!

My piles are directly on the ground and are near maple trees. (everywhere on my property is near maple trees - its a challenge!) After three years of fighting with the roots coming up and stealing all the nutrients from my pile, this year I put down 2-3 layers of cardboard (old corrugated boxes that I had around) They will compost eventually, but hopefully will make it easier to turn the piles and remove the compost when its ready.