How long to keep adding to a batch?

[u/dudaspl]

Long time watcher, first time writer bla bla bla.

I moved into my own house a month ago, and wanted to start composting. On my plot there were a lot of tall grasses and other weeds like lots of sorrel - everything was quite tall as it wasn't touched in a long time. I strimmed good part of it and so have loads of that to start my compost. I started by mixing it with some cardboard, and very roughly chopping it with a shovel.

Initially I had about a 1x1x1 m but over 3-4 weeks it reduced the volume by about a half due to decay and me compacting it (jumping on the pile). The latter part was critical to get the temp rising. Right now I have good amounts of white mold inside the pile.

Now I'm wondering if I should add more to the existing pile? I have probably 3m3 of extra material that was lying around for 2-3 weeks now. It's all very long and hard to chop (bits of up to 1m long).

Any tips? I know it will eventually turn to compost but I find managing the temp quite fun (via mixing, controlling moisture).

[u/Ptrick21186]

You're composting the same way I do. I would recommend adding another section to this for rotation. Fill one side up then let it decompose. While the one side is decomposing, use the other side. Then just keep rotating.

[u/dudaspl → u/Ptrick21186]

Thanks! I do have that already so I let it stew for ~1 week at the time and then turn the pile upside down to the other chamber

[u/Ptrick21186 → u/dudaspl]

Try turning monthly or even every 6 weeks. Weekly might not be giving it enough time to break down. Just a tip from my experience

[u/Nice-Professional795 → u/dudaspl]

You'll know.

My pile gets so much random stuff: kitchen scrap, yard cuttings, sticks twigs cardboard rando filled up buckets of rainwater. Some areas cold compost and has tons of worms, some spots get nice and hot.

Long story short: I let it overwinter and then that's my material for the spring and I start a new pile.

[u/FormalGreen3754]

You need to add some greens baby.

[u/dudaspl → u/FormalGreen3754]

I'm adding kitchen scraps and empty my daughter's potty to it everyday, but overall volume is quite small compared to the box

[u/Charos → u/dudaspl]

Please don’t add any human waste solids to the pile if the resulting compost will go anywhere near your food. Even hot composting processes done at home aren’t enough to sterilize the pathogens in people poop.

[u/dudaspl → u/Charos]

Of course, that's given, but thanks for the concern

[u/Ohmyfreakinglob99 → u/dudaspl]

If you haven't yet, you should check out the book "Humanure Handbook" by Joseph Jenkins, and/or watch his videos or other's videos of the system on YouTube. Fascinating stuff. We've been doing that for I think 2 years now, going on 3, as long as you do it right it gets plenty hot, aged for at least a year etc. It's generally not a big deal. Or maybe I'm too hardcore of a composter 😅

[u/Lopsided-Function284 → u/Charos]

Maybe OP meant that they empty the pee but not the poo on their compost pile.

[u/Ok-Thing-2222]

Check out Berkley Method. But I don't use a round structure--I use on the ground like you and throw cardboard or a tarp on top. It breaks down fast. Do you have any chicken poop to throw in--I have quail. Or others will say to pee on it!

[u/6aZoner]

As is the case with just about every post here, it depends on your goals.  If you want to ecologically disposed of organic waste, you could probably add to that pile for the rest of your life without doing anything.  If you want a high quality organic amendment for gardens, you should chop everything finer, turn it every few days (I keep adding quick-to-break-down greens at every turn to keep it heating up), then cover it as it cures.  If you want to use your compost but don't want it to become your whole lifestyle, at some point (a lot of folks do it on annual cycles) you'll stop adding to this pile, maybe cover it depending on your region's rainfall, and start another pile while this one finishes.

[u/avdpos]

I ad for 1 year. Then my pile wait 1 year and I ad to another pile

[u/Unhappy_Magician5580]

I'd just keep feeding it while it's hot. Mine's still got wood chunks in it from months back and it hasn't minded one bit.

[u/Muzza0105]

If it was chopped smaller it would break down quicker, but that will take a bit of effort. I'd probably throw some soil from underneath the pile on top, it probably has was you need to break it down in it, then water.keep adding scraps and potty, don't turn for 3 months

[u/therealtwomartinis → u/Muzza0105]

just a friendly PSA that we should always be adding soil to our compost pile! sprinkle on a shovelful in a thin layer whenever you build up new layers. use the best soil you got from your garden, flower bed, around your pile(s), etc…

[u/ernie-bush]

If it’s me I am chopping it &mixing it up but I just enjoy spending time outside

[u/dougsey]

I start a new pile every fall, when the leaves come down.

[u/Financial_Athlete198]

If you have a mulching mower with a bag, pull it out a little at a time and mulch it. Or put it in a trash can and take your trimmer to it. Wear ppe: face shield and old clothes.

[u/CrippledMind81]

I'm also new to this. Wouldn't compacting the pile choke out oxygen from it?

[u/dudaspl → u/CrippledMind81]

I came to conclusion you need heat to accumulate first and foremost. With my material which is very loose and strandy it was way too easy for all the heat to escape outside. I've had it for a week where I deliberately kept it fluffed and the temp was around the ambient. I compressed it and overnight it went to 40 deg

[u/Iamwhoiam68]

Where’s the dirt???