From: Lawrence.London@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Lawrence London)
Subject: Re: Other compost questions
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1992 16:00:18 GMT

Putting the compost pile on a semi-level plateau on a shady hillside is
good. Rainfall can sluice through it to keep it moist but well-drained;
garden at bottom of hill will get nicely enriched with compost tea. To
start the pile mix 25% animal manure (any material high in nitrogen will
work fine, food garbage, blood meal, fish emulsion, etc.) with 75% biomass
(weeds, grasses, grains, hay, leaves, sawdust, bark, spoiled silage, etc.)
the proportions vary according to the materials used: sawdust, bark and
leaves will require you to mix a greater quantity of nitrogenous material
with it for it to work off; the increased amount is in the range of
10-20%. Actually most weeds and grasses require no additional N to work
off. There's an art to composting, esp. when you are using manure alone.
The idea is to get it to decompose completely with minimum loss of N. The
BioDynamic people seem to have this process down. Sir Albert Howard ("An
Agricultural Testament") describes the "Indore" composting method,
developed in India many years ago. You can add bio- activators (compost
starters) to innoculate the pile with the various bacteria that do the
work of breaking down the organic matter. They require nitrogen, oxygen
and water to maintain an effective population. If the pile gets too wet
for too long the aerobic bacteria will die off and be replaced by anerobic
ones; the pile will then become putrid, breed sawflies and lose much
nitrogen. Anerobic decomposition is used on some farms where large
quantities of manure with high water content are to be processed. The
manure is put into pits and sometimes lagoons where it breaks down prior
to being pumped into spray rigs for field application. Nitrogen loss is
kept to a minimum and the resulting fertilizer is usable as plant food
shortly after application.  Mix the ingredients and form the pile into a
rectangle with the height about 1/4 to 1/3 the width; length isn't
important except where shade and drainage are concerned.  Never add any
rock powders to the pile, especially lime.  Save those for application to
the garden beds in Fall.  Lime can slow or stop the decomposition process.
Aerobic bacteria (thermophilic bacteria, _azotobacter_ I think) will cause
Ph swings in the pile as it begins to heat with subsequent levelling off
after the last temperature rise. After the first heat has finished turn
the pile and let it go again again. Do this as often as necessary then let
the pile rest until all material in it is completely broken down. Be sure
to keep it moist during dry weather.
[corrections and additions to the above will be appreciated :-)

In the Fall I dig into my beds combinations of the following:
To raise Ph:
high calcium limestone - either hi-cal lime or ground shell meal
dolomitic agricultural limestone, unburnt
To lower Ph:  powdered sulphur

rock or colloidal phosphate
pyrophyllite screenings
basalt screenings (any rock dusts from nearest rock quarry)
granite screenings (or Hybro-Tite fertilizer, a hi-potash
                    hybrid granite powder from Lithonia, Georgia)
New Jersey Greensand

All of these supply macronutrients and trace minerals.
The May/June issue of "Organic Gardening" magazine has an
interesting article on the use of rock dusts as soil amendments.
Descriptions of various types and combinations of rock are given
with lists of commercial sources. Any screenings you can get from
a rock quarry will work wonders in any garden. Some (like pyrophyllite
dust), when mixed with organic matter will produce a seed starting and
potting medium of unbelievable quality. The Pyr. dust is a fine
aggregate with traces of talc, some potash and trace minerals. It
never crusts over or gets stiff like mortar sand (unwashed),
will hold moisture for long periods of time yet provide more than
adequate drainage and promote growth of long, very dense root systems.
I have never found a mix that works as well as this stuff.