ev kuhn

1/2" screen and a pile of old, old wood chips, pine straw, compost ...
and no, I did not sterilize it in the microwave or boil it or anything the like

since I had no idea who-the-heck Mr Berkley is, I looked it up
found this: http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/hot-compost-composting-in-18-days/
on this page it says: "2.The C:N (carbon:nitrogen) balance in the composting materials is approximately 25-30:1"
and alittle further down: "In the hot composting method, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the compost materials needs to be between 25 to 30 parts carbon to one-part nitrogen by weight."
and "◾Materials that are high in carbon are typically dry, “brown” materials, such as sawdust, cardboard, dried leaves, straw, branches and other woody or fibrous materials that rot down very slowly."
and "Browns = High Carbon C:N
Pine needles 80:1"

so let me ask again: what will you put in your compost pile together with the pine needles?

this may have been discussed before
sure my situation is not all that uncommon:
I have room enough to plant a nice hedge with shrubs that produce berries,
I have time to plant and care for such a hedge
but funds are very limited, mostly due to the 'have time' ;/

where can I get seedlings, clippings, seed of such shrubs cheap or even free?
not even sure what varieties I am looking for, other than they need to produce food for me oder the wildlive in my garden
in hopes that the berries will turn my wild beasts away from other fruit there

ellie acorn wrote:Hey. We are gardening over here ... however the soil is now pretty dense, when i pick it up and squeeze it, it doesn't really crumble but stays in a clump. ..

where is 'over here'?
at least down here
it is mid of February, it is cold and WET
my soil will stay soggy, lumpy, heavy until it warms up and the soil dries out some

if you need it nice and crumbly RIGHT NOW dig it up and take it inside, will work wonders

"Obviously, I don't plan on composting JUST pine needles" so WHAT will you put in that pile?
down here in February there is not much green stuff available, up your way probably even less
the pine needles you want to compost are the ones fallen off the trees, right?
a big pile of chipped fresh, green pine tops compost quickly, brown and dry needles don't
do you grow blueberries or azaleas? mulch them with pine straw, they love it
I rake my pinestraw to piles, let them sit over winter and then run them thru the chipper,
makes something that looks and feels like old peat, I use it for mulch