View Single Post
Old May 23, 2010   #5
David Marek
Tomatovillian™
 
David Marek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: St Charles, IL zone 5a
Posts: 142
Default

Nice bin.

If you turn the pile at least once or twice it will stay hot, decompose faster and gives the outside a chance to become part of the inside to kill off many weeds and disease organisms.

I had an aerobic (the bacteria breathe oxygen like us) "batch" pile get up to 165 after the second turning, but 150-155 for a week or two is about average followed by a slow two or three week cool down. At 170 or higher the good guys start to die off and nutrients begin to volatilize. I take the reading with a short meat thermometer from the center of the pile when I turn it.
David Marek is offline   Reply With Quote