Cool! "actinomycetes"............ I think the ammonia smell (and it is
faint) is coming from the top layer that's wet from the steam. It doesn't
seem to drip back down through the hot layer and is a bit compressed. I air
it out about once a week, mix the two layers and sprinkle it again. There
are still some dry pockets, surprisingly.
I might try to dig down to the finished stuff next time. I got a glimpse
of it when I straightened part of the fence. I have bulbs putting up spikes
and some random blossoming, dammit............... These guys couldn't have
given me a break for a another month or so........

"animaux" wrote in message
...
That white you are seeing is called actinomycetes. It's a decomposition
fungus
which means your pile is healthy. Ammonia smell, you should try to turn
as much
as you can. Don't get it too wet.


On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 02:51:41 -0600, "cat daddy"
opined:

Great, now you've got me eyeing Davey trucks........... I hadn't
considered it would be more convenient to dump the chips nearby.
On a related note, I did skip leaf trawling for one whole week, but
couldn't resist 6 bags that the city didn't pick up. I mulch mowed them
and
spread them directly on the flowerbeds, since I missed spreading the
finished compost that's buried under four feet of leaves.......
The big pile is still going great. Since I cover it, the top 1 ft.
layer
is damp and black, and underneath is hot, dryish, and covered in a white
fungus (like ash). I still worry if I'm getting enough water (there are
still pockets of dry leaves) and air to the center. There is a slight
ammonia smell. Turning more than the top layer is not an option, so next
time I think I'll put in vertical PVC drain pipe to see if that helps.