Composting - Advice needed

[Cheib]

We've had a decent amount of clearance work done in our garden and now have two large piles of shredded hedges/trees and grass the will hopefully turn into compost over winter





Way too much to put into compost bins (the first pile is probably 10 to 15 foot long and five foot high) and I have been wondering whether to cover it though from what I have read I think it needs to be permeable rather than a ground sheet or similar?

Anyone got any tips/experience with this much compost?! The second pile has been composting for a couple of months already.

[Cheib]

Thanks gents....too big for a spade but I've been giving the first heap a turning over with my Kubota BX.

I put some of this Compost Activator on the first heap https://www.edenproject.com/shop/Compost-Activator...

But yes a lot of wood debris....so you think pelleted chicken manure is the way to go ? I read in a previous thread (which I now can't find) that someone recommended adding fertiliser.

[Cheib]

otolith said:

Yeah, pelleted chicken manure is just a convenient source of nitrogen (like that compost activator). If your materials tend towards the woody, there will be a lot of carbon there and not so much nitrogen. It will rot faster with a bit added.

Excellent, I'll order some!

[Cheib]

Simpo Two said:

otolith said:

Yeah, pelleted chicken manure is just a convenient source of nitrogen (like that compost activator). If your materials tend towards the woody, there will be a lot of carbon there and not so much nitrogen. It will rot faster with a bit added.

If you're after N, what about some lawn clippings?

The first pile we had (which is the second photo) has got a decent amount of lawn clippings in it and it probably pretty close to 50/50. The newer much bigger pile...we just don't have enough grass cuttings. It doesn't look that big in that photo but it's probably about the same volume as two VW Golf's parked end on.

[Cheib]

otolith said:

Simpo Two said:

Do you mean sulphate? sulphAMate is weedkiller.

It's also a compost accelerator.

So it is

https://www.amenity.co.uk/compost-accelerators/amm...

So what would be better this or the pelleted chicken manure ?

[Cheib]

Have just ordered 60kg of chicken pellets to mix in with the compost....no clue if that's enough. Will just have to wait and see.

[Cheib]

otolith said:

That's a lot of chicken crap!

Don't overdo it to begin with, you can always add more.

No I wont but it's a big pile of compost! I have a 1.25 ton trailer I use behind my Kubota....I reckon to move that pile of compost would take 20 plus loads easily.