Balancing compost

Hi all,
I have a lot of waste from my quail and chickens that I compost.  It's mostly poop and hemp  and shavings.  Even after composting for 6 months, it can burn some plants, and it can also cause soft growth that gets attacked by aphids.  I'm thinking it probably needs to be balanced out in some way with something like bone meal?  Any ideas as to what can be added to it so it's not just a huge shot of nitrogen?

If you are experiencing compost that is burning plants, that means it is not ready to be applied. You probably still have some hot semi-compost on your hands!

What is your composting process? Are you turning it regularly?

Timothy Norton wrote:If you are experiencing compost that is burning plants, that means it is not ready to be applied. You probably still have some hot semi-compost on your hands!

What is your composting process? Are you turning it regularly?

Hey Tim!

I was putting it in one of those black plastic bell-shaped composting bins, watering and turning regularly.  Which was very hard to do because of the design of the thing.  The poop was completely broken down with no smell, but the shavings weren't.  

How are things up in the frozen north?

I would suggest adding green material to equal the other amount.

There is a formula here on the forum.  I could not find the post I was looking for though this might help:

Abraham said, The right proportion depends on what you are going to grow. For veggies, 5% black, 45% green, 50% brown is a good start. You will notice that the final compost is more brown coloured than black if you use these proportions.

https://permies.com/t/232708/composting/Gallon-Composter-Full#2146378

We are starting to thaw where I am at, allegedly I should be seeing some 50F in about a week!

I'm surprised, it sounds like you are doing what you need to do. I have been stirring a pile of chicken bedding and I can see the manure dissipating a bit faster than all of the shavings. I also have some fungal action going on but my pile is just a pile on the ground tucked in a out of sight corner. You could always add your household scraps to that pile if you wanted too but it shouldn't be burning your plants.

Anne Miller wrote:I would suggest adding green material to equal the other amount.

There is a formula here on the forum.  I could not find the post I was looking for though this might help:

Abraham said, The right proportion depends on what you are going to grow. For veggies, 5% black, 45% green, 50% brown is a good start. You will notice that the final compost is more brown coloured than black if you use these proportions.

https://permies.com/t/232708/composting/Gallon-Composter-Full#2146378

Green is vegetable scraps and fresh leaves?
Brown is the hemp and shavings?
Black is the poop?

Timothy Norton wrote:We are starting to thaw where I am at, allegedly I should be seeing some 50F in about a week!

Wow, in Feb???  I'm surprised.  Weather sure has changed in 40 years!

I'm surprised, it sounds like you are doing what you need to do. I have been stirring a pile of chicken bedding and I can see the manure dissipating a bit faster than all of the shavings. I also have some fungal action going on but my pile is just a pile on the ground tucked in a out of sight corner. You could always add your household scraps to that pile if you wanted too but it shouldn't be burning your plants.

I had fungal action, too.  Even had mushrooms growing in there!  I'm guessing it was burning---maybe just rank growth?  Is there a picture of what nitrogen burn looks like?

Plants burning and soft growth indicate that the compost is too rich in nitrogen. But before you make other changes, can you tell us some more details? For example, how does the compost look like? Is it still coarse in texture? Do you plant straight in it? Sometimes if the lignocellulose is not broken down enough and the product has too much air space, plant roots can dry up quickly in a hot or windy day. And the wilting may be confused with fertilizer burn.

May Lotito wrote:Plants burning and soft growth indicate that the compost is too rich in nitrogen. But before you make other changes, can you tell us some more details? For example, how does the compost look like? Is it still coarse in texture? Do you plant straight in it? Sometimes if the lignocellulose is not broken down enough and the product has too much air space, plant roots can dry up quickly in a hot or windy day. And the wilting may be confused with fertilizer burn.

Hi May,
I think I was wrong about the burning.  I just looked up nitrogen burn, and the pics were different from what I saw.  I think the plant got wind-burn, because my backyard is like a wind tunnel in the spring, and the leaves were just coming out on my grape.   See pic below.

Since the shavings weren't broken down much, I just topdressed.  Put about an inch over the whole back yard.  It looked like good, rich, black earth with shavings in it.

Laurel Finch wrote: Green is vegetable scraps and fresh leaves?
Brown is the hemp and shavings?
Black is the poop?

Yes, you are right, green material would be veggie scraps, green plant clipping, and green leaves.  Even coffee grounds are considered green because they are high in nitrogen.

Wood shavings, dead tree branches, and dry leaves are considered brown materials.

The black is probably already in your waste material from your chickens.

Adding bone meal will increase the soil's phosphorous, providing nutrients for what you grow.

All that chicken and quail manure?  Lucky you.  

Get a load of wood chips from the transfer station and mix it in.  Keep it damp and wait. Maybe turn it over once in awhile.

Can’t tell you when it will be done, but I can tell you that when it is, the end product will blow your mind.

Maybe restrict use to a top dressing a shovel full at a time for a little while until you are sure it is OK.