Joe Jamies wrote:

...My idea is to get a truck-load of the sawmill "waste" and a truck-load
of cow manure, create a big pile by adding thin layers of the 2
materials, cover the pile with nylon and wait one year and hope for
the best!

Does this sound like a recipe for success? Is the ratio of 1:1 (carbon
and nitrogen sources) OK in this case? Should I also use fresh sawdust
and not just the aged "waste" stuff (which also contains rotted
sawdust)? Can I expect finished compost after one year?...


You have 400 sq. m of space to cover. 2 truckloads at 10 cubic
meters/load will cover this to a depth of 1/20 meter (about 2 inches).
If you use the rotted sawdust and manure mixed you can put it on now and
till it in. Depending on how rotted the sawdust is, you might have to
add some fertilizer to get a lawn started in those areas where you
aren't gardening.

I would use the older sawdust as long as you can get it. Large chunks of
wood will not hurt, (other than becoming an obstacle to tillage) as they
will eventually break down when buried. The amount of nitrogen they will
use to break down depends on their surface area. The fine sawdust has a
much larger surface area than the chunks of wood, so it will soak up
nitrogen quicker. However, the loss of nitrogen is only temporary, since
when it is decomposed, the nitrogen will be available again. However in
the meantime you might need to supply some temporarily.