did i ruin my compost?

Hey everyone,
I bought a bin for compost and tried to compost about 3 weeks ago.

I added grass clippings(from cutting our lawn) about 50% of the bin, and then i added kitchen scraps (fruits, veggies etc) and have no idea if i did it well or ruined the first compost and need to throw everything to start over. All of these were added about 3 weeks ago and i have not touched it since(i did not turn it)

i came across this forum too late and just now reading through some post I see that I should have made layers, with leaves, soil etc.

Questions:
1. did i ruin the compost or is it salvageable?
2. If it's salvageable - what can i do to make sure it becomes a good compost to add to my patches of veggies?
3. If i need to start over, what are the best practices for a beginner?

many thanks in advance.

Ruin? No, you didn’t.  There are various approaches to composting. I am sure some work better than others.  Probably the most significant difference will be how long it takes for the materials to decompose.  

How would i know it's ready and okay to use?
Should i add some soil and some leaves from the trees?

thanks!

alex bost wrote:Hey everyone,
I bought a bin for compost and tried to compost about 3 weeks ago.

Questions:
1. did i ruin the compost or is it salvageable?
2. If it's salvageable - what can i do to make sure it becomes a good compost to add to my patches of veggies?
3. If i need to start over, what are the best practices for a beginner?

many thanks in advance.

Just dump it out onto the ground and do whatever mixing you need, Alex, adding any and all needed stuff.

I saw a video recently of Geoff ?, I think an Aussie fella, he is tops in the Permaculture cultural group about a fantastic way to make compost SUPER FAST. Needs chickens.

I'll try to find the video, his name, but I am sure lots will know his name and the video too right fast.

It'ssssssss right on the tip of my tongue!!!

Terry

alex bost wrote:How would i know it's ready and okay to use?
Should i add some soil and some leaves from the trees?

thanks!

You really cannot phook up compost tho' there are OBVIOUSLY better ways, faster ways. Mom Nature does it more slowly but she always gets 'er done.

T

alex bost wrote:How would i know it's ready and okay to use?
Should i add some soil and some leaves from the trees?

thanks!

Googled "Permaculture guru fast compost" and up popped Mr Lawton and
some other videos that also look "veeerrrrrry interesting" --- Artie Johnson

Geoff Lawton " Hi Geoff here and we're gonna make quick compost."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRSm4kIG5yk

Hi Alex,

Leaves are fine.  Soil is fine.

There are many approaches.  You will know it is ready to use when it begins to look more like soil.  As a general approach, add some soil and water. After that mix it a little every week.

But, it doesn’t have to look like soil.  Many people simply add uncomposted organic material directly to their garden (be careful regarding weed seeds).

To go to a different extreme, I have 4 large (4x4x4) bins.  Each year I fill up a different bin. By the time the 4 th bin is filled, the first one seems to be ready.  The only involvement I have is adding more material….and I am not too concerned as to what the material is..other than organic.

No, you didn't ruin it.  :D
According to classical "compost theory" to make it perfect you need a mix of greens and browns, all you have there is greens. I make piles of just greens when I have no browns, and let them sit. They make something my soil likes, whether it's "Proper Compost!" or not.
Everything rots, just a matter of how long it takes. 3 weeks may be long enough for just grass, probably not for kitchen scraps. I agree, dump it out, stir in anything like leaves you can, put it back in. The more you turn it, the faster it rots, and when it looks like soil, OR looks like it's not changing anymore, it's done enough.

Geoff Lawton's video is good, it does need chickens though. If you have no chickens, just a pile will rot nicely enough. Nature has been doing it that way for a LONG time!

What kind of bin are you using?

Hiring chickens to do all the work for you.


How to Make a Chicken Tractor on Steroids [FULL VIDEO]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5eDdGzLK8

Great post, Pearl. What in the world is a "bricolagier"?

Adding old hay, straw, twigs, sticks is also good, like the video of Geoff and his two interns making a new compost pile.

As the others have said, it is not ruined.

And you have been given some great advice.

A lot of folks use a ratio for composting:

May said, "The short answer is two parts green to one part brown, by the weight.
In theory, here is the calculation to get the number:
Material      C%   N%   C/N
Cardboard  40      0.1   400
Scraps         10-20 1-2     10

Assuming you have 10 lbs of Kitchen scraps containing 10% carbon and 1% nitrogen, to reach a C:N ratio of 30:1 in the compost, you will need n lbs of cardboard:

https://permies.com/t/219569/composting/Composting-Ratios