Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps about it
before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the colourbond
fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high. After the
layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to mix it all up.
That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull it quick. It was
really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the other side. I was
wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was quite hot and very
uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side again Wednesday, Friday
and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday when I realised it was
noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still has a good warmth when I
stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it was a week ago. I though
it would be at least another week before it cooled down significantly. Is
this normal? It is looking very good and most of it has composted quite
well but as this is my first time I'm not really sure how decomposed the
final product should be.

Any thought?

Oops ... "Cooling"
"Petesin" wh@tthe**** wrote in message
u...
Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps about
it before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the
colourbond fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high.
After the layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to
mix it all up. That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull
it quick. It was really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the
other side. I was wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was
quite hot and very uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side
again Wednesday, Friday and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday
when I realised it was noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still
has a good warmth when I stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it
was a week ago. I though it would be at least another week before it
cooled down significantly. Is this normal? It is looking very good and
most of it has composted quite well but as this is my first time I'm not
really sure how decomposed the final product should be.

Any thought?

Sounds good,
I would have left the heap for a few days before forking it over again, but
it doesn't matter too much. The heat means you have the right combination of
ingredients for composting....I have found I needed to add a bit of water to
any parts that may have remained dry. This can make the heap heat up again
cos you improve the conditions. It will cool down again after the bacteria
have done their job, so that's part of the process.... After a bit bugs and
worms will come into the heap to finish the job, and they couldn't do that
if it was too hot for them...
If you are really keen to get it into the garden you could conceivably add
it after two or three weeks, but I prefer to leave mine till its quite fine,
dark, soil like and almost crumbly.... If any parts are not broken down
enough when I add to the garden, I just put them in the next heap...
Love and peace
SyrianPrince


"Petesin" wh@tthe**** wrote in message
u...
Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps about
it before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the
colourbond fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high.
After the layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to
mix it all up. That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull
it quick. It was really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the
other side. I was wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was
quite hot and very uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side
again Wednesday, Friday and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday
when I realised it was noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still
has a good warmth when I stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it
was a week ago. I though it would be at least another week before it
cooled down significantly. Is this normal? It is looking very good and
most of it has composted quite well but as this is my first time I'm not
really sure how decomposed the final product should be.

Any thought?

Petesin wrote:

Any thought?

You are turning it far too often.
Try monthly.

I think you've done your bolt on that lot. it will probably take ages now.

On Nov 19, 5:26 pm, "Petesin" wh@tthe**** wrote:
Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps about it
before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the colourbond
fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high. After the
layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to mix it all up.
That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull it quick. It was
really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the other side. I was
wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was quite hot and very
uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side again Wednesday, Friday
and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday when I realised it was
noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still has a good warmth when I
stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it was a week ago. I though
it would be at least another week before it cooled down significantly. Is
this normal? It is looking very good and most of it has composted quite
well but as this is my first time I'm not really sure how decomposed the
final product should be.

Any thought?

I agree with Petesin, that you are turning it too often. I recently
heard a lecture by Prince Charles' head gardner (David Howard). He
turns his compost heaps (he has eleven huge ones that are turned by a
tractor) only weekly, and appears to get good results. I am
incredibly lazy, and turn mine less than once a month and still get
quite good results. Save your energy for other things, like watching
your plants grow. Joshua.

When I compost grass it gets really hot for a week or ten days then cools
down - I'm too lazy to turn it at all - OK so it goes green and slimy , but
the worms love it when it gets into the garden.

If it has cooled, but not really finished breaking down, it is still
perfectly good - just bury it under about 15cm soil, instead of mixing it
with the soil. The worms and ground critters will do their job and when you
dig it over in a couple of months it will be perfect.

Geoff
wrote in message
...
On Nov 19, 5:26 pm, "Petesin" wh@tthe**** wrote:
Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps about
it
before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the
colourbond
fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high. After the
layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to mix it all
up.
That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull it quick. It
was
really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the other side. I was
wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was quite hot and very
uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side again Wednesday,
Friday
and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday when I realised it was
noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still has a good warmth when I
stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it was a week ago. I
though
it would be at least another week before it cooled down significantly.
Is
this normal? It is looking very good and most of it has composted quite
well but as this is my first time I'm not really sure how decomposed the
final product should be.

Any thought?

I agree with Petesin, that you are turning it too often. I recently
heard a lecture by Prince Charles' head gardner (David Howard). He
turns his compost heaps (he has eleven huge ones that are turned by a
tractor) only weekly, and appears to get good results. I am
incredibly lazy, and turn mine less than once a month and still get
quite good results. Save your energy for other things, like watching
your plants grow. Joshua.

I have found the key to good composting is having everything in the right
quantities - and that goes for oxygen and moisture as much as nitrogen and
carbon.
Grass is normally a fairly quick composter so its probably not a huge
surprise it got very hot quite quickly and then cooled off quite quickly
also.
Sticking the hand in to feel the temp. is a good way of gauging how your
pile is going. It should also be settling down too so by now you may well
have fund your pile significantly smaller than the 1m2 you started with.
Just about any form of organic material will compost eventually - you'll
learn as you go. Welcome to the wonderful world of compost - your garden
will love you for it.
On a related point - there are some major players moving into the wonderful
world of compost now that waste disposal/recovery is becoming big business.
Enjoy,
B
"Geoff & Heather" wrote in message
u...
When I compost grass it gets really hot for a week or ten days then cools
down - I'm too lazy to turn it at all - OK so it goes green and slimy ,
but the worms love it when it gets into the garden.

If it has cooled, but not really finished breaking down, it is still
perfectly good - just bury it under about 15cm soil, instead of mixing it
with the soil. The worms and ground critters will do their job and when
you dig it over in a couple of months it will be perfect.

Geoff
wrote in message
...
On Nov 19, 5:26 pm, "Petesin" wh@tthe**** wrote:
Last Sunday I started my first attempt at composting. I read heaps
about it
before I started and thought I would have a crack. I used mostly lawn
clippings and some leaves that I had mown up and put in a pile about 12
months ago (very dry). I layered the grass, leaves and some soil from
my
vege garden until I had what I estimated to be over a cubic metre. I
have
the heap setup in the 120cm sapce between my garden shed and the
colourbond
fence behind it with a barrier in the middle about 1.5m high. After the
layering I forked it all over the otherside of the barrier to mix it all
up.
That afternoon I stuck my hand in the heap and had to pull it quick. It
was
really hot. On Monday I forked it all back over the other side. I was
wearing thongs and the compost falling on my feet was quite hot and very
uncomfortable. I threw it back over the other side again Wednesday,
Friday
and again yesterday (Sunday). It was yesterday when I realised it was
noticably cooler but still warm. Today it still has a good warmth when
I
stick my hand in but is not really "hot" like it was a week ago. I
though
it would be at least another week before it cooled down significantly.
Is
this normal? It is looking very good and most of it has composted quite
well but as this is my first time I'm not really sure how decomposed the
final product should be.

Any thought?

I agree with Petesin, that you are turning it too often. I recently
heard a lecture by Prince Charles' head gardner (David Howard). He
turns his compost heaps (he has eleven huge ones that are turned by a
tractor) only weekly, and appears to get good results. I am
incredibly lazy, and turn mine less than once a month and still get
quite good results. Save your energy for other things, like watching
your plants grow. Joshua.