Thread: Composting 101
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Old 05-23-2002, 09:27 PM   #38
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organic is starting to flower.organic is starting to flower.organic is starting to flower.

The compost pile heats up because of a combination of factors...when the pile has the right combination of air, water, and source material, natural bacteria start reproducing extremely rapidly and start breaking down everything in the pile. This process creates heat. (This is a very simplified answer.) Anyway, you have to create the proper conditions - the posts above tell you what you need to know) for your pile to heat up in this manner.

Because you don't have animal manure, you will need something else to replace the nitrogen that it would supply. Regular dirt won't have enough, although you can use a little (no more than a 5-gallon bucket full). Vegetable scraps or freshly cut grass will give it some, and you could even use some blood meal to give it some N. The key is to have the right C:N ratio.

I'm not sure how much you'll need, but a rule of thumb is that when the composting is finished you'll end up with about 1/3 the amount of whatever you built it with.

I suggest re-reading this post also, there is a lot to learn.

O
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