Compost Troubleshooting Guide
Condition or SItuation
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Possible source or reason
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Other Clues
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Solution
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Pile fails to heat
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Pile to dry
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Cannot squeeze water from material
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Add water/wet the pilce
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Material to wet
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Materials look or feel soggy, pile slumps
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Tund and/or cover pile
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Not enough nitrogen
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Large amount of bedding
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Add high nitrogen ingredients, reduce bedding
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small pile size
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Pile height less than 3 feet
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Enlarge or combine piles.
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Temperature falls consistently over several days
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Low oxygen
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Temperature declines gradually rather than sharply
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Turn and/or cover pile
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Low moisture
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Cannot squeeze water from material
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Add water
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Odors
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Materials too wet, insufficient aeration.
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Low temperatures
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Turn pile, add PVC pipes, cover
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Fly problem
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Flies breeding in uncomposted manure
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Cover pile with a tarp or a 6-inch layer of finished compost to
prevent access.
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How to Know When Compost Is Ready for Use
The composting process begins as soon as you begin to pile up your manure.
Almost immediately, microorganisms begin their work and temperature increases
are often noticeable within a few hours of forming the pile. With adequate
airflow and moisture the pile's temperature should increase rapidly to
120°F-160°F and may remain in this range for several weeks. As active
composting slows, temperatures gradually drop to around 100°F and then
to ambient air temperature. Compost should "cure" for at least a couple
of weeks before use. Finished compost is a crumbly, evenly textured, earthy-smelling,
dark material that looks like a commercial potting soil mixture. It will
probably take about one to three months for each pile to compost during
the summer and about three to six months in the winter. If you monitor
your piles with a thermometer you will see a gradual drop in the higher
"active" composting temperatures as it begins the curing process and becomes
ready for use.
What to Do With Your Finished Compost
Spreading compost on pastures. The easiest way to spread compost
is to use a manure spreader and a tractor (or a strong riding lawnmower)
to load, pull, and spread your compost. But you can also spread it without
all that equipment: all you need is two people, a shovel, and a riding
lawnmower, small cart, or pickup truck. Simply have one person drive while
the other person spreads a thin layer of compost.
Only spread compost during the growing season (April-September) when
plants can use it and when it's less likely to be washed away by the rain.
Apply approximately ¼ inch at a time (you don't want to smother the grass)
and no more than three to four applications per year. Re-apply only after
the previous layer has worked its way into the soil.
Using compost in garden and landscape areas. Compost can be worked
into garden beds by hand or with a tiller or added to the soil when planting
trees, shrubs, annuals, or perennials. Compost is also an excellent mulch
or topdressing around flowers, shrubs, and trees. This mulch will help
your plants get through the dry summer with less need for irrigation.
When using it as a mulch around trees or shrubs, start three to four inches
from the trunk and spread the compost out to the dripline keeping it about
three inches deep.
Selling your compost. To find a buyer for your composted manure,
contact local topsoil companies, tree farms, landscapers, and organic
farmers. There's a good chance that you will need to deliver it to them
but you can still end up making a profit on your compost.
Giving away your compost. If you somehow end up with compost that
you want to get rid of, post a "free manure compost" sign where people
can see it from the road. Try to make your pile easily accessible so that
people can simply drive up and take what they want, when they want. You
can also put an announcement in local newsletters and newspapers-many
papers will let you advertise free things at no charge.
Compost Bin Designs
References
The Rodale Book of Composting. Rodale Press, Inc., 1992.
Field Guide to On-Farm Composting. Natural Resource, Agriculture,
and Engineering Service, 1999.
Healthy Horses, Clean Water. Horses for Clean Water, 2000.
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