Compost in 45 days
How to make compost in 45 days ready to use? By using the Dr. Elaine Ingham thermal composting method. Thermal composting is a couple formulas and a planned turning schedule to create living soil. In a living soil, microbes and a whole soil food chain break down the materials. Like with all living things there are basic needs: water, air, food and heat to thrive. Water content 50% Air by turning 5 times, food by the materials we collect following one of the formulas and heat needs to be between 130 to 158 degrees. 160-165 the pile will be steaming and smell bad like shit. That’s because it got too hot, all the good living stuff got cooked and the pile went anaerobitic. Depending on the season and material sources there are two basic formulas:
spring / summer
25 % Hi “N” (manure) 30 % green and 45 % brown
Fall
10 % Hi “N” (manure) 30% green and 60 % brown
The piles need to be at least a cubic yard and two is better. Save a space equal to the pile, so you can turn (add air) the pile back and forth in the turning schedule.
25% Hi “N” C:N 10/1 stimulates bacterial and fungal growth which makes heat. This is mostly manure, or chopped legumes alfalfa, clover, beans, peas, soybeans.
30% Green C:N 30/1 feeds the whole soil food web. This is any and all green material, egg shells, grass clippings, coffee tea grounds, bakery items, pasta, rice, hair: human or animal. To facilitate the process, break items down into smaller pieces to help our composting partners out. A lawn mower or weed eater in a barrel works for me.
NO MEAT, DIARY, GREASE, OIL, CHEESE or CHOCOLATE
45% Brown C:N 60:1 is the carbon source to feed fungi and most of the bigger soil critters without being a name dropper. Nobody likes a name dropper. Leaves, leaf litter, woody debris, straw, hay, shedded newsletter, paper products, and sawdust.
Make a pile, water, cover with a tarp and monitor the temperature with a compost thermometer looking for 130-150 degrees. If the pile is steaming, turn itimmediately, it's 160 or more!!! After the first turn, turn again in two days, again in two days, then in three days and the last time in three days. Turn - 2 days - 2 days- 3 days- 3 days, if it gets dry water it, cold cover it, during the turning process. After turning the pile 5 times the temperature will start dropping. When it reaches 90 degrees or less it's ready to put in your garden.
