I’ve been working on compost this week, and it’s paying dividends already.
My compost bin is 8’ long, 4’ wide, and about 5 feet deep. It’s right next to the chicken coop and provides a handy way to dispose of what the chickens are done with. For the past 4 months I have been layering chicken poop into a 30 gallon trash can and covering it with wood ashes and cat letter. It’s stayed dry and doesn’t stink.
Last week I collected 2 large loads of shredded leaves and started layering leaves and dried chicken manure into the pile, and filled it to the top. I didn’t have to water it because we got plenty of rain.
The past two days I have been out there turning the pile with my mini roto tiller, and the pile is already up to 130 degrees! When I disturb it in any way it lets off an enormous plume of steam and heat. The chickens like to get up in there, peck around and sit in the warm compost on cold days. They also help mix the pile.
When I finished last week the bin was completely filled, and now that it has settled and started to compost it has compacted by about 1/3rd. I have plenty more leaves to gather and will probably add another foot or more of chopped leaves in the next week or two. The bottom line though, is that we will have several yards of finished compost to use come Spring.
I love seeing the steam rise from a compost pile in the morning!
My husband has been mulching leaves with the mower and putting them directly on the gardens. The soil was quite acidic so he is adding lime and then tilling it all in. Is there anything else to add at this time?
We do have a big compost bin as well but use that in the Spring as needed.
Thanks for any info from all you experts! You saved our tomato crop from ‘blossom end rot’!
Cat litter in the compost. Did I read that right?