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RE: Wild Tip: Building Garden Soil Without Hot Composting
Awesome food for thought, and a reminder for me to do some research about woodchips for the soil here in Australia. It's native woodchips, our mulch, which I'm not sure have same effect. I've been chopping and dropping grasses and weeds, and the chooks have been doing their work too. Why don't you like hot composting? I hate getting in soil - it's expensive and hard to source. Made enough compost this year to fill the two wicking beds (extra) I made but need more.
The biggest reason I don't like hot compost is the need for regular maintenance (turning the pile). Though I also don't like having to balance the nitrogen and carbon levels. I have done it before and I know it can produce good compost but it always seems like unnecessary work to me.
Hot composting also does not have a lot of fungi in it and I tend to prefer fungal dominated systems. But the bacterial rich compost from hot composting is good for a lot of vegetables. My plan is to use the worm bin to provide bacteria for my garden instead of a hot compost.
I much prefer cold composting systems where you don't worry about the ratios and just wait a year or 2 to harvest the material. Once you start the system and keep it going then you can have compost material ready to harvest every year.
Of course hot composting can kill off pathogens and seeds so sometimes it's the best option. But in general I would rather just use cold composting methods including composting in place (chop-and-drop).
I have thought about setting up a chicken system to create compost on a regular cycle to fill future garden beds as needed. But in general I just use native soils and then use the methods outlined in the post to improve the soil overtime. As long as you have the time it works fine.
But hot composting does work and I would not tell someone not to do it but I also wanted to share another option that in my opinion is much easier to get right and provides some great benefits.
Thanks for commenting and sharing!
I reckon the more different systems you have the better. I rarely turn my compost.. and it works fine. I have a big patch of globe artichokes next to mine and their big leaves help aerate I reckon. Comfrey patch on other side. Ash from fire. Broadleaf weeds. Straw from chooks. It seems to be done in about 4 months but our weather is warmer here. Then i also have chooks and chop and drop, mulch, and a neighbours alpaca manure. I am really interested in your systems as theres always room for improvement with mine thats for sure.
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