Frequency of Turning As a rule of thumb, actively decomposing materials should be turned every three to four days. Materials with slowed microbial activity can be turned less often.
Turning too often (every day) disrupts the formation of the fungi and actinomycetes that do much of the composting work and may prevent the pile from heating up completely. For the fastest, most efficient decomposition, a pile should be left essentially alone to “cook” until it starts to cool.
If a compost pile is just left sitting, and not turned, it will take 6-12 months or longer to completely break down, depending of the climate and weather. The cooler it is, the longer it will take.
Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned. Compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, and has decomposed into small soil-like particles. Step 5. Use the compost.
Cover your manure pile with a heavy tarp and good weights to hold it down against strong wind. You will keep the beneficial nutrients and you will not be polluting streams or groundwater.
You can put your compost pile in the sun or in the shade, but putting it in the sun will hasten the composting process. Sun helps increase the temperature, so the bacteria and fungi work faster. This also means that your pile will dry out faster, especially in warm southern climates.
Pathogens, begin to die once incorporated into garden soil, and research has shown that incorporating manure at least 120 days before harvest greatly reduces risks of food borne illness.
Adding too much manure can lead to nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, excessive vegetative growth and, for some manures, salt damage. And using fresh manure where food crops are grown poses risks for contamination with disease-causing pathogens.
Spring is the preferred time to apply manure. Forage or hay crops generally provide the greatest flexibility in planning land application operations.
Vegetable root crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, and potatoes are particularly sensitive to adding horse manure. Salad greens are another vegetable type that can be damaged or burned by applying horse muck to the soil.
As a rule of thumb, actively decomposing materials should be turned every three to four days. Materials with slowed microbial activity can be turned less often. In tumblers, turning two times a week resulted in higher temperature and faster decomposition than turning once a week or once every other week (Figure 1).
Composting works in sun or shade Piles in sunny spots will decompose quicker but also dry out faster and may need supplemental watering during hot dry weather. Those located in a shadier spot will stay moist longer but decompose slower.
Turn your compost
Some systems recommend turning your compost heap every day or two (see the Berkeley method below), but even turning it once or twice will help speed up the composting process. If you do decide to turn it regularly, considering getting a compost fork to help make the process easier.
Let's just start out by saying: putting egg shells in your compost is okay; they are a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients that plants need.
Papter towel and toilet paper rolls can be recycled or composted! If you have a compost pail in the bathroom (which we recommend due to being able to compost tissues and cotton swaps with paper sticks), toilet paper rolls can go into the compost as well!
Too much water can smother the pile, which means your organic waste won't decompose and you'll get a slimy and smelly pile that could well answer to the name “swamp thing.” Too little water and you'll kill the bacteria and you won't get your compost (see Managing Moisture in Compost).
You should add organic manure to your garden at the same time each year, as this will produce the optimal levels of nutrients and drainage for your garden.
Adding manure to the home vegetable garden can increase soil organic matter and may alter soil structure. Adding manure to soil will not change soil texture. Fall is the most common time of year for adding manure to a vegetable garden. The manure may be spread atop the soil or incorporated into the garden soil.
Fresh, non-composted manure will generally have a higher nitrogen (N) content than composted manure. However, the use of composted manure will contribute more to the organic matter content of the soil. Fresh manure is high in soluble forms of N, which can lead to salt build-up and leaching losses if over applied.
It should take around three months, perhaps longer in the winter when microbial activity slows. You will know your compost is ready when the material looks evenly textured, crumbly, dark-colored like dirt, and is earthy-smelling. Its temperature should be 90° F or less.
Shred everything
Smaller materials break down faster than larger ones, and making sure everything is shredded is also a great way to create pockets of air within the pile to help aerate and speed up the composting process.
Disadvantages of Manure
The manures are reported to provide fewer nutrients to plants, and they are unable to provide high-yielding crops. Manures are slowly absorbed by the plants, and they add a lot of humus to the soil. They are made in fields, so transportation is difficult for manures.
A: Your bagged manure will be fine for many years. It'll slowly break down and possibly become less "potent." I'd just let it sit out in the air for a day or two before applying it in spring with plants around; otherwise, apply it at the end of any growing season.
The pile should heat to 130-140 degrees. When conditions are ideal, compost can heat up within one day, Andrews said. After the pile cools down to an ambient temperature, transfer it to the second bin. It usually takes another two to six months to decompose or cure.
Good drying conditions over the next two days can significantly reduce the release of odors. In addition, the next two evenings are the most likely time when neighbors will experience odors.