Another composting question.

[Gold Metal Flake]

I don't think that I have enough compost for my gardening plans, so I plan to get yard clippings from neighbors to add to my pile. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to pick up a couple of bags of cow manure to add to it as well. I could use the bulk, and its different than the yard clippings, tree leaves and kitchen waste that I have been using so maybe it would add something to the mix? Thoughts?

[Kolesar]

1. Cow manure is a high-nitrogen fertilizer

I would presume that the cow manure that you purchase is already "composted" and does not need further "processing" in a compost heap. If you had "raw" uncomposted cow manure, you could compost it with a high-carbon organic waste like hay, leaves, shredded paper or wood shavings and have a "balanced" source for your composting project.

If your source material right now is grass clippings and other green cuttings, then that is itself a "high nitrogen" material. You could balance those "greens" in the compost pile with high-carbon material like the hay and woody products I cited above.

I am no expert on composting, myself. My only successful compost was kitchen scraps and some yard waste that took about two years to "process". I used it successfully to reseed a yard.

[XemaSab]

2. My guess would be that even though the manure is already composted

it can't hurt to add something high in nitrogen to the pile.

If anyone has chickens, uncomposted chicken manure would probably allow the high carbon stuff to break right down.

[LWolf]

3. You are welcome to

come by my place for raw materials, lol. ;)

I've got a huge amount of old goat manure/bedding that has been slowly breaking down. Way to much to "turn," so it's been slowly aging over the last 3 years.

I also have too much fresh, and lots of aged, horse manure. The fresh stuff will heat up your pile.

I used to spread a huge layer of leaves over the top of the soil and till it in in the fall, letting it compost in the garden over the winter. I've also been known to sheet compost that way in the fall with bulk ingredients.

It's been 20 years since I kept a more traditional compost pile, so that's the best I can offer.

[conscious evolution]

4. Wood chips work well also

We get them from tree surgeons for free.Plenty of it that way.
The only drawbacks are you have to have plenty of room for them and it takes longer for them to compost.But when they do it produces a nice soil that stuff likes to grow in.

[pleah]

5. The composted manure will make your pile cook faster. Just be sure

to add it in layers with the rest of your compost.

[NJCher]

6. you're not going into a growing season, are you?

I wouldn't put it in unless I was.



Cher