Re: [compost_tea] Back yard compost

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 11:16:17 -0700

The person I learned composting from is the best and most informed composte=
r I have ever met. His basic rule of thumb is to always use older, mature =
compost in a new compost pile. You are bringing in fungus and bacteria it =
took you a while to develop and you don't want to reinvent the wheel each t=
ime. Bacteria do not taxi so you have to mix the old with the new really w=
ell. Fungi will break off and start growing. Even if you heat it up, ther=
e will be enough there after pasturization to repopulate your whole pile fa=
ster. If you start from scratch, you have to find a way to introduce the f=
ungi after the thermophylic cycle is over.

Anyway, that was his advice and also, I have found, the advice of the Lubec=
ks who seem to know a couple of things about composting.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: tim1233212001
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 5:24 AM
  Subject: [compost_tea] Back yard compost


  Some questions concerning my back yard compost pile. Basically made
  up of leaves and grass from last summer and fall. Pile has a really
  good smell to it. I tend to add to this pile so it still sits
  unfinished. Ive added some bacterial inoculations to it as well as
  tea. Ive heated the pile up on about 3 different occasions. The pile
  gets great fungal growth. It is full of insects. Every handful is
  moving. What I'm concerned about is the presents of fungus gnats, is
  this good or bad? I would think that their larva would be good food
  for the predators in my pile. I have searched the net on these gnats
  and know there a nuisance. Just can't find info on them involved with
  compost. Will they disappear once pile is finished or are they a part
  of composting. I compare my compost to the compost I by in bulk which
  is finished and has really no insects in it.
  Should I start a new pile and let the one I have finish out?
  Thanks for any info



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Received on Wed May 19 2004 - 22:33:59 EDT

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