John Dee on Nostr: I raise my piles to keep the bottom from getting soggy. The surface area of the ...
I raise my piles to keep the bottom from getting soggy. The surface area of the bottom is small compared to the rest of it, so I doubt it would make much difference.
This time of year the low ambient temperature is the biggest challenge. The material is going to be cold so the microbes won't be very active, so they won't produce much heat and it never really gets going.
A bigger pile should help because there's more insulation for the center. And it will probably need more nitrogen. I've had good results with a seed meal like cottonseed meal or some cheap cat food sprinkled in between layers every few inches. About 1-2 handfuls each layer depending on how much help I think it needs.
This time of year the low ambient temperature is the biggest challenge. The material is going to be cold so the microbes won't be very active, so they won't produce much heat and it never really gets going.
A bigger pile should help because there's more insulation for the center. And it will probably need more nitrogen. I've had good results with a seed meal like cottonseed meal or some cheap cat food sprinkled in between layers every few inches. About 1-2 handfuls each layer depending on how much help I think it needs.