[Arid_gardener] Re: Composting Methods

[Dick]

Derek, I didn't respond to some of your questions but will try to do so 
belatedly as best I can. My "expertize" in this area is a bit foggy but 
basically, desert soils are notoriously deficient of organic (hydrocarbon) 
compounds because of low rainfall. Composting is an attempt to rectify the 
deficiency with the use of compost to convert dirt to live-soil with 
micro-organisms that exist where ever there is a food supply. They chow down 
on decaying organic material and the digestive processes in their guts break 
down complex organic compounds to elements that plants can, with the help of 
Mycorrhizae, adsorb as nutrient to build new cells.

Your process sounds like an ideal compost operation but the procedure would 
be a bit too strenuous for my 83 years. With the use of Ammonium Sulfate and 
the bins, I believe the process might be a bit faster, too. and if that is 
too strenuous, I can get my wife to do it.  In a part of my yard, I just 
layer a 4 inch thickness of shredded leaves, keep the strata damp and let 
soil organisms feed off the underside.

Home gardening is not complete, in my opinion, unless composting is a 
critical component letting nothing go to the landfill.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
U of A Maricopa County
Cooperative Extension


----- Original Message ----- 
From: bit_eimer
To: 'Dick' ; arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:16 PM
Subject: RE: Composting Methods


Dick,

Interesting to see a different approach to composting.  We have 3 bins 
side-by-side bins, each 4'x4'x4', each with a front gate and hinged top (to 
keep the roof rats out), each with an adjustable system of micro-sprinkler 
heads.  Over the course of a year I accumulate double-shredded material in 
Bin 1, including 1/3 acres' worth of trimmings, kitchen scraps, bones, etc. 
Around October, I fork this over into Bin 2.  In June-July I turn off Bin 2's 
sprinkler system so that it will dry out a bit.  In September, I screen 
 (1/2") this into Bin 3 and then almost immediately run this through my 
shredder again. That means I don't actually use Bin 3 for composting action 
at all.

I usually end up with about five or six 55-gallon drums worth of finished 
compost with a consistency and look similar to that of moist coffee grounds, 
but I have no idea as to its nutritional value.  We use most it to cover 
winter-grass seeding (2000 sqft) in October.

So the differences I see are that I only turn the pile once, keep it moist 
automatically with sprinkler system, and have not used fertilizer (with 
which I think I will now experiment).

Is the fertilizer primarily as a composting-action-enhancer? Or to add 
nutrients to the final product?

Any idea how I can determine the nutritional value of my compost?

.Derek

-----Original Message-----
From: Dick [mailto:rkgross3 at cox.net]
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 5:10 PM
To: bit_eimer; arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
Subject: Re: Wonderful Pomegranate Pests

Thanks, Derek, for the information. I have just been lucky with roof rats 
but, strangely, have not been plagued by the critters even though I have 
five full grown trees with a lot of fruit litter that I have been negligent 
in cleaning up. I once had a mouse colony in a bin but it disappeared 
promptly after a couple of rotations.

For compost, I use three of the recycled City trash bins that I try to turn 
every other week when I don't forget. To turn, I just insert a finger in 
both sides through the 1 inch holes, lift it off the pile, set it aside and 
fork the stuff back in, blended and rewetted withwater and about a half cup 
of 21-0-0 disolved in a 3 gallon sprinkler can. It gets so hot it almost 
blisters. When the stuff will no longer stay in the tines of a garden fork, 
I sift it through a half inch screen and bag it where it will continue to 
decompose if kept damp. What won't go through the screen goes back into the 
working bin where it acts as a starter, apparently.

I have learned that the finer the organic waste can be reduced in particle 
size, the faster it will decompose because there is a much greater surface 
area for micro-organisms to breed and feed. I have an efficient shredder 
that is the best garden investment I have ever made.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer.
U of A Maricopa County Cooperative Extension.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bit_eimer" <bit_eimer at cox.net>
To: "'Dick'" <rkgross3 at cox.net>; <arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 9:15 AM
Subject: Wonderful Pomegranate Pests