they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)

anaerobic, fermentation producing plant- toxic materials, not good!!!
here's a link for balancing the pile...

http://www.klickitatcounty.org/Solid...ompostCalc.htm



On Tue, 10 Jun 2003 12:02:20 -0500, Carl e Roberts
wrote:

they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)

Putting Ammonium Nitrate in a compost pile defeats the general goal of
compostinng....to produce healthy soil biota!!


On Tue, 10 Jun 2003 11:35:27 -0700, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

anaerobic, fermentation producing plant- toxic materials, not good!!!
here's a link for balancing the pile...

http://www.klickitatcounty.org/Solid...ompostCalc.htm



On Tue, 10 Jun 2003 12:02:20 -0500, Carl e Roberts
wrote:

they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)

yes.. I have confessed my sin and wrongdoing..

now what I need is your help to restore proper conditions "to produce healthy
soil biota"!!
should I get rid of the whole thing or are there some "fixes" here?


Tom Jaszewski wrote:

Putting Ammonium Nitrate in a compost pile defeats the general goal of
compostinng....to produce healthy soil biota!!

http://www.klickitatcounty.org/Solid...ompostCalc.htm

Use the information here to redo the compost process


Tue, 10 Jun 2003 13:39:34 -0500, Carl e Roberts
wrote:

yes.. I have confessed my sin and wrongdoing..

now what I need is your help to restore proper conditions "to produce healthy
soil biota"!!
should I get rid of the whole thing or are there some "fixes" here?


Tom Jaszewski wrote:

Putting Ammonium Nitrate in a compost pile defeats the general goal of
compostinng....to produce healthy soil biota!!

Carl e Roberts wrote in message ...
they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)

Yeah you are outgassing Nitrogen as ammonia.
Turn the pile and maybe it will even out or add some sawdust or
similar carbon containing material. A couple cups of sugar would work.
Don't sweat the white powder.
Try keeping the pile moist as a wet but not drippy sponge.
Go a little easier on the ammonium nitrate next time, you don't want
the BATF kicking your door in. Why did you use it in the first place?
feel a need for speed?

Carl e Roberts wrote:
yes.. I have confessed my sin and wrongdoing..

now what I need is your help to restore proper conditions "to produce healthy
soil biota"!!
should I get rid of the whole thing or are there some "fixes" here?


Tom Jaszewski wrote:

Putting Ammonium Nitrate in a compost pile defeats the general goal of
compostinng....to produce healthy soil biota!!



No problem. Add more newspaper to throw the balance back towards carbon.

regards,
bob

that powder is the growing fugus inside the pile, that's what does the braking
down of everything, YES it's a GOOD thing to see.


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towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the Stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and
along the path he once had followed, Man would one day go again.

Arthur C. Clarke "The City & The Stars"

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"Carl e Roberts" wrote in message
...
they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)




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Add more brown material and mix pile well. The smell will subside in a day
or so
Happy composting
Alice

Carl e Roberts wrote:

they say confession is good for the soul...

I overdosed on the nitrogen in my compost piles.. I added about a cup of
34-0-0 per 10" layer of my pile and yesterday when I turned the piles I
noticed a strong nitrogen smell. The first pile was also too wet but the
second pile was "heated" pretty good and contained a "white powder". Is
this "white powder" a good thing? Also what is the cure for my error?
frequent turning or should I just go ahead and add more carbon material?
(The piles contain plant material,grass clippings, leaves, and shredded
newspaper)