First Hot Compost Pile Didn't Go Well
In this video I share my first hot compost pile experience. It didn't go well, but I learnt a lot.
Firstly, my ratio of nitrogen and carbon were not balanced, with a lot more nitrogen (in the form of large clumps of weeds).
Secondly, I added water when I didn’t need to. The pile was already wet enough in retrospect due to the water in the weeds and the rain we had at the time.
The layering was too compacted due to the weight of the weeds, as well as the cardboard initially creating a solid layer preventing air and water from moving around the pile. This led to areas of the pile being too wet, and other areas too dry.
Lastly, the pile wasn’t large enough to build and retain heat. So what little heat the pile did generate, the incorrect nitrogen-to-carbon ratio and excess water killed the heat.
The pile eventually became compost and I used it in the garden. From memory, I added the material to a new compost and left it to break down.
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We have been working on our property since 2016, transforming our barren wasteland property into a permaculture oasis. We have been building a food forest, utilising mini swales and other water harvesting techniques. Growing fruit trees and managing a raised bed vegetable garden and kitchen garden. With composting, chickens, worms, mealworms, and more we are embracing a permaculture lifestyle one step at a time.
We live on 1/3 acre in a dryland/flatland area of Victoria, Australia. Our climate is semi-arid/temperate with an average rainfall of 400mm (15in). Hardiness Zone 9b, with summer temperatures reaching upwards of 45C (113F) and as low as -3C (26.5F). We are 230km (143 miles) inland and 110 metres (361 feet) above sea level.
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