Q&A for How to Build a Compost Pile

Return to Full Article

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Should a compost pile be in the sun or shade?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Either is fine. In either case, keep the pile slightly wet.
  • Question
    How do I keep the compost pile going in a cold, snowy winter? Cover it?
    Community Answer
    You can try putting it in a natural soil-based bag and leaving it with a few tiny clumps of dirt on top. Eventually it'll compose itself along with the other stuff, just as winter will end. If you don't have those, regular plastic garbage bags work extremely well too.
  • Question
    Do you need to have food in your compost pile?
    Community Answer
    No, you just need to have sustenance for the bacteria that make the compost pile work. Leaves, apple cores, and other biodegradables will work.
  • Question
    Can I make a compost pile with my pet rabbit's droppings and hay?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Rabbit droppings are an excellent source of nitrogen. Rotted by itself it makes an excellent fertilizer. Herbivore feces are always good, you don't want to use carnivore feces.
  • Question
    Do you add worms to your compost?
    Community Answer
    The earthworms will find your compost pile, given time, on their own. You can add red wiggler worms to your pile, but they are more suited to worm bins than compost piles and live just below the surface. Birds and rodents would probably find and eat them.
  • Question
    Can I use weeds in the compost?
    Community Answer
    No, I don't recommend using weeds in your compost pile as it could cause weeds to begin sprouting up around the area.
  • Question
    Is it okay to have wood lice in a compost pile?
    Community Answer
    Yes. They will appear toward the end of composting and are excellent at helping compost piles to finish.
  • Question
    How do I keep small roots from surrounding vegetation from encroaching on the pile?
    Community Answer
    The only way to prevent this is to build a bin and raise the compost off the ground. The pile needs drainage, so you can't put a barrier underneath it. You can try weed cloth, but it makes the pile more difficult to turn and roots often find their way through it.
  • Question
    Do potato peelings break down in a compost pile?
    Community Answer
    Yes, and they are a excellent source of nitrogen for your compost pile. You can also use peelings like from carrots, cucumbers, apples and oranges are all great material for your compost.
  • Question
    Trumpet vine is invasive in my area, should I keep it out of my compost bin?
    Community Answer
    Not necessarily - just chop the vines to 1 cm cubes. Chopped tissue cannot grow, so long as it is without root hormone. However, it is good practice to not include any parts with seeds, those should be binned in the usual garbage disposal containers.
  • Question
    Lawn clippings in a trash can, turned every other day, become brown and fibrous (like peat moss) in three weeks but never turn black. What am I missing?
    Matthew Yang
    Community Answer
    You are missing carbon (like red and brown leaves). That way, there is something to use up. Lawn clippings are nitrogen and only fuel the microbes. You need to mix it with the carbon so that it can be decomposed by microbes.
  • Question
    I need to bring a lot of land back to life. Acres of high desert.
    Community Answer
    You should check the weather conditions. Is the climate too dry? You may have to invest in an irrigation system. Send soil samples to a lab to see if it contains too much alkaline. If so, you need to balance it. Grow clovers and they will enrich the soil. Consider applying a sheet of cow manure or whatever livestock preferred.
  • Question
    What about ashes from the fireplace and barbecue grill?
    Community Answer
    Yes and no. You need wood ashes from a pit. However, it would not like ash from treated wood or briquettes. And charcoal dust contains chemicals that kill the bacteria needed for composting, so no in these cases.
  • Question
    Do I need to treat my compost with hydrogen peroxide?
    Community Answer
    No, it is not necessary. The 'good' bacteria takes over a pile once starting, so if some contaminated material enters the pile, the good bacteria is in the majority.
  • Question
    Do I need to add carbons right after adding greens? Or do the greens need to build several inches before adding the carbons?
    Community Answer
    In fact, the carbon goes first. However, you can blend everything together and there will be no difference once the fermentation process has been boosted.
  • Question
    Can I throw whole fruits in the pile (starting to rot) or is it better to slice the fruits to help decomposition? What is an ideal size for the heap?
    Community Answer
    You can thrown them in whole but chopping the fruits is better. Chop them to 1cm cubes and clean your knife thoroughly.
  • Question
    Do onion peels have good amounts of nitrogen?
    Community Answer
    No. Though every cell contains protein, which means nitrogen, it doesn't have so much. Onion peels actually contain several important elements essential for growth such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron, in addition to a host of other minerals and vitamins.
  • Question
    Can you use horse manure in a compost pile?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Make sure you are wearing gloves before handling the manure. Use a long shovel to work in the animal manure. Wash thoroughly after, as the manure may contain parasite eggs and diseases that can be passed on to humans.
  • Question
    When adding grass clippings to an existing pile, does it need to be layered again with carbon? Or just mix it all in because it’s an existing pile that’s reached 120º?
    Community Answer
    Just mix in, as it has been started and the grass chopping will blend in and start ferment.
  • Question
    Can I leave what I have put in my bin for good until bin is picked up?
    Community Answer
    Yes but that would take too long. To speed up the process, try chopping the material before adding.
  • Question
    Can I use hedge clippings?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but it would be best first to chop them to 1cm to 3 cubes (0.33 inch cubes) so they break down properly. Theoretically, anything that rots may go in.
  • Question
    What if the place is very hot?
    Community Answer
    That can't be better. A commercial composting device actually "heats" the pile up. Just make sure the pile is damp.
  • Question
    Why do the roots from trees take over the pile and I have just clumps of roots? Is there a way to stop this? The pile turns to dirt in roots.
    Community Answer
    That is happening because the roots are alive. You may try chopping the roots in the pile with a shovel, or relocate the compost heap.
  • Question
    What layer should blood meal be added to?
    Community Answer
    The nitrogen level, or level 2, just beneath the top soil level. Blood meal is a source of nitrogen.
  • Question
    Can I locate my compost bin in my poly tunnel?
    Community Answer
    Theoretically yes, but not a good idea. A poly tunnel may keep the pile warm, but the odor may build up. Also, the air flow is limited. Plus, a pile may encourage weeds.
  • Question
    Can you add old bananas and their peels?
    Community Answer
    Yes, in fact that's wonderful. Banana peel is a good source of nitrogen and potassium. In fact, some gardeners swear by their homemade banana peel compost and could go on for hours about the magical powers it has.
  • Question
    Are onion skins okay to put in compost piles? I eat a lot of onions but worry it's too "strong" and would kill the decomposers.
    Community Answer
    Yes, they are a source of minerals. Don't use onion peels if you use earthworms as a compost agent, and do not more than a few handful per day, that's fine. Mix well.
  • Question
    Why was my compost bin dry with lots of ants flies and no worms?
    Community Answer
    That's normal, as it contains so much organic matter the ants just come in. Dampen the pit more often.
  • Question
    Can I put ash from my wood fire onto the compost heap?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but make sure the wood is not treated. Don't add too much of them. They are alkaline, not so good for composting. Make sure that when you add the ashes in your compost you shouldn't be able to see them. They should immediately mix with the rest of the matter in the compost. If some pieces do stick out, that might mean you are adding more than you should.
  • Question
    Are orange pulp and peelings bad for composting?
    Community Answer
    Yes, too much of these is not good for compost, as they contain essential oils that kills the bacteria. When composting, you want "good" bacteria to thrive.
Ask a Question

      Return to Full Article