- Balancing Green and Brown Materials: The process of composting involves balancing green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials to achieve an effective decomposition. The ideal ratio is often described as 60% green to 40% brown, reflecting a carbon to nitrogen ratio of roughly 32:1.
- Composting as an Art and Science: Composting is described as both an art and a science, requiring a flexible approach due to the varying nature of available materials in different gardens. The composition of compost heaps can vary significantly, making strict scientific measurement challenging.
- Material Details: Green materials often include freshly mowed grass and live plant matter, which are high in nitrogen. Brown materials can include dry, woody substances or older plant materials that are high in carbon. Both types of materials can contain elements of the other, requiring assessment for proper balance.
- Handling Diseased Materials and Seeds: Diseased plants and weeds with seeds can be composted, with heat from the composting process helping to kill pathogens and seeds, especially if these materials are placed in the center of the heap where temperatures are highest.
- Compost Heap Management: Effective composting involves building the heap in layers to ensure an even mix of materials, using tools like shredders for larger, woody items, and managing moisture and air flow. The heap should not be turned too frequently to prevent loss of valuable carbon but should be moistened in dry conditions to aid decomposition.
Video source: Charles Dowding / Youtube
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Really interesting
Hi Charles, What are the dimensions of your compost bins ? Thank you for all the great videos
Hi all, I do not have the luxury of having a shredder, so I bash and slice soft stems with a hammer to expose the inside as much as possible, I am pretty sure it all helps with the decomposing process.
Always worth looking for marked down veg at your supermarket for composting, they sell them for pennies. Seems a little extravagant but worth it when supplies are short!
Thanks. Gt vid.
Hello,
I love your work! But on this vlog, I have a question: at 7:40, why do you say "slatted sides do not allow a worthwhile amount of air in"? I am not sure why because your heaps are kind of slatted, are they not?
Thanks.
I sent your clip to our Garden partner ( our operation is very small ) to adopt. Will keep you posted @CharlesDowding.
Is sugar beet bagasse green or brown?
I love your channel. Thank you so much, Charles.
Just made my 4 compost bins from untreated pellets and layered green waste and shredded paper ,mulched brown leaves ,green cut grass and kitchen waste,coffee grounds ,just need a lid on top and the process begins …. than you so much for the inspiration Charles,very grateful.
Glad I found this one! Thank you, Charles
I didn’t catch how often you turn your piles?
Great Video. Where are you located. Thanks.
Is dried horse manure still classed as a green please ?
Love your abundance of knowledge charles, so many great points you made, invasive weeds with long root systems have so because there greedy for nutrients, no dig makes sense if you starve there top growth the roots def run out of there purpose. Im going to try a few no dig beds this yr as i have some space now to do it.
I do make compost but theres never enough lol no dig def requires a lot.
Charles you said your compost bins have solid sides and not slatted but then you say it’s vital for a compost needs air. So how does sir get in to the compost if there’s no slats?
Thank you for your guidance 🙌🏽
What a great piece of advise you gave . I have started a new compost heap and never done compost heaps before well nothing worth talking about anyway . But I now have loads of vegetable raised beds where I want to make my own compost for next year as I am only growing in soil and my vegetables last year are so slow in growing . But the question is Charles I have horses and in their field I have to pick ragwort every year as it’s positiones to horses . Can that be put onto a compost heap as I struggle to get rid of it . And our local council won’t take it any advise would be so greatly appreciated thank you so much . I will carry on watching more of your compost videos:-)
Amazing
would love to have one of those shredders🙂
thank you 🙏🏾 i a off to compost all weeds
Thanks I’ve watched many of your composting videos and wondered why my bindweed just grew in mine, I understand now what I need to do thank you xx
I've known the theory of compost for a few decades, after making it while studying horticulture in the early 90's, and mum had piles that were the basis for huge pumpkin vines when I was a child. Now I have land, and I've been planting out fruit trees for 3 years. To get a head start I bought a truck load of compost, but, not knowing what was in it or how it was made didn't really sit well with me (my first property burned to ash in the black summer bush fires – including all my fruit trees, in the ground for only a year, so getting a head start was important enough for me to buy it). Now I have a few small compost heaps, in convenient places – next to the guinea cage and next to the chicken coop, and they will be enough to get my trees and veges happy for spring, which is just starting here. I've been trying to figure out how I want to build my compost bays, and your set up has inspired me (they are a work of art) – along with the pertinent information of 'only turn it once'. The turning has probably been the one thing that has put me off making huge heaps, as the idea of turning every other day is a lot of work with a big pile. Thank you so much for this video and the inspiration – you describe the process beautifully. Namaste
My first time I got the nitrogen ratio way off. So much toxic gas was coming off I was coughing for a few minutes after spreading it. I was drenched, because it was like entering a sauna trying to pull it apart. If anyone is scared of making the same mistake and stinking up the neighborhood, get a thermometer, and make sure the browns are more than half. If it's not getting quite hot enough, add more green as you turn it. Unless you only put browns in there, it will heat up. Just maybe not quite enough to reach 55-60 C to kill the weeds.
I bought a 470 litre compost bin. Can I put clumps of dug up grass that still have the roots and soil attached into the compost bin? Or does it have to be just the grass clippings?
Hi Mr Dowding, id like to know please, when do you hold from adding to the compost pile before turning?
How can I find the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 1) Dry wheat grain, 2) Dry field corn grain?
Thanks Charles, love the way you´re making your videos.
One question- What´s your opinion about throwing foodwaste on compost from food who´s not grown eco? I´m thinking about if pesticides on greens can get into your compost.
Best, from Sweden
I love you!
Excited to see 100 degrees F in my compost bin March 16 with 45-55 day air temp. Put a pipe in the middle when I turned and left it there until all turned in . Removed pipe and few days later warmed up. Thanks Charles and your audience for the comments. Looking forward!