Leaf Compost

FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
cobyb said:
What are you prepping it for?
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When I took the last pic I was prepping the soil for the plants that went into the ground this month.

This is after I mixed it with some potting soil, blood meal, and bone meal. After this I added clay soil for water retention


The left over compost will be tilled into 2 of my gardens over the winter and used for compost teas. I already have another pile started for next year.
 
cobyb

cobyb

Active Member
Pretty awesome. I live in an area where there are palm, cactii and Peppercorn trees. If I ever move back east I can't wait to make leaf compost. The carbon levels of that have to be insane. What type of tree?
 
FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
@cobyb sweet gum tree. The pile heats up so much that it even breaks down the seed pods (spikey balls). I think the springtails and earwigs help out alot too. I throw worms in there when I find them also. I turn the pile every two weeks. I layer nitrogen content in and wet the pile down when I turn it. The pile gets friggin HOT in the center.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
foreverflyhi said:
How can one accomplish a cold compost? By not tilling it? And not adding carbons?
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You don't add green material to it, which would bring bacteria, which will comense traditional thermophilic composting. The leaves by themselves are mostly brown matter/carbon, so it remains a fungi dominant cold composting process in the absence of green material.

I have read that you do want to add an N source to the leaves to help speed up the decomposition ..... just not sure how much?? Still researching ......
 
foreverflyhi

foreverflyhi

Well-Known Member
st0wandgrow said:
You don't add green material to it, which would bring bacteria, which will comense traditional thermophilic composting. The leaves by themselves are mostly brown matter/carbon, so it remains a fungi dominant cold composting process in the absence of green material.

I have read that you do want to add an N source to the leaves to help speed up the decomposition ..... just not sure how much?? Still researching ......
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Ah yes just looked at my handy composting book.
So the opposite of what i said, tilling will reduce heat exchange

Heres a idea, EM1 or lacto bacilius! That helps break things down quicker, and like you stated a n source would help.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
foreverflyhi said:
Ah yes just looked at my handy composting book.
So the opposite of what i said, tilling will reduce heat exchange

Heres a idea, EM1 or lacto bacilius! That helps break things down quicker, and like you stated a n source would help.
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That's a good idea forever! I'll be sure to post up a definitive answer before the leaves start falling this year.

I inadvertantly created a cold compost leaf pile from last year. I have 3 compost bins outside, 2 of which are filled with thermophilic compost, and the 3'rd consists of just leaves. My plan was to use those leaves as needed for brown matter for the other two bins, but now I have a pile of partially composted leaves with nothing else added. I'm going to leave those alone until the fall and then bring some inside to tests in a couple buckets. If the results are good then I will be full steam ahead come fall of 2015 as all of my leaves (an insane amount) this year will be set aside in a diiferent pile strictly for leaf mold.

Very excited about this! How cool would that be to not have to buy peat/coir ever again? Free worm castings, free leaf mold ...... just have to buy about $30 worth of rice hulls each year to make my base. This soil will be virtually free, and also cut down on the ridiculous amount of yard refuse that is hauled away to landfills every year! Win-win
 
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FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
@st0wandgrow I have cold composted leaf mold before. Came out very rich, great far the garden. I hot composted these piles because I needed them ready by transplant. The next pile I have started will only get turned when I add ucg, fruit and veggie scraps. I use alot of nitrogen in my compost piles.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
you could get a mass of redworms for like 40 bucks, shipped. I think that's for a thousand or so. NOT bad considering that's the cost of a big bag of casting (maybe two bags)
Plus, maybe i'm a complete dork, but raising worms and vermicomposting is kinda fun, almost as fun as growing herb. What a great fuckin hobby we all have.
That's not even mentioning actually SMOKING the herb after, simply growing great herb and vermicomposting is so much fun, i'd probably do it even if I didn't smoke.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
FresnoFarmer said:
I need to source some cheap worms locally. A small town farmer sells worms but he is taxin'. I really want to start up a worm bin tho.
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DON"T get the CA supplier for red-worms, can't remember the name (it's the guy selling them on amazon, from CA)
I know of three people that got dead worms from him, and ESPECIALLY considering you are in Fresno (sorry, by the way, must be MOLTEN hot)
Go with uncle Jims, ships further across the nation but I've gotten worms from him twice, and no issues, packs them up extra careful.
course i'm near the coast so it's only 80 degrees here usually
 
FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
DON"T get the CA supplier for red-worms, can't remember the name (it's the guy selling them on amazon, from CA)
I know of three people that got dead worms from him, and ESPECIALLY considering you are in Fresno (sorry, by the way, must be MOLTEN hot)
Go with uncle Jims, ships further across the nation but I've gotten worms from him twice, and no issues, packs them up extra careful.
course i'm near the coast so it's only 80 degrees here usually
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Oh yeah? Thanks for the heads up. I'm not sure if the heat here would affect the worms health though?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
FresnoFarmer said:
Oh yeah? Thanks for the heads up. I'm not sure if the heat here would affect the worms health though?
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it would if you kept them outside, they get pissed after 86 degrees, and start dying, if it's in the shade and you have a nice cool spot, you may be alright, but i'm not sure, it gets freakin HOT there... I grew up in modesto and Turlock, sooo the heat of the valley i'm familiar with. That's why I moved here when I turned 17... 20 yrs ago
 
FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
it would if you kept them outside, they get pissed after 86 degrees, and start dying, if it's in the shade and you have a nice cool spot, you may be alright, but i'm not sure, it gets freakin HOT there... I grew up in modesto and Turlock, sooo the heat of the valley i'm familiar with. That's why I moved here when I turned 17... 20 yrs ago
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I think they would get cooked lol. Only place indoors would be the garage. but it gets up to like 130 in there lol
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
FresnoFarmer said:
I think they would get cooked lol. Only place indoors would be the garage. but it gets up to like 130 in there lol
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not sure the size of your house (or more importantly if your lady will let you) but you could put a smartpot full of worms inside your house next to your garbage can...
as long as you have a layer of something on top of the worm food it won't get flies and such
 
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