How to Build a Hot Compost Pile Successfully 2 of 2 

Super video. A few years ago I played around with raising worms. After a year or two, I simply dumped the red wigglers in my compost pile in the spring, expecting them to stay there during the summer then disappear in the winter here in PA. I was wrong. Not only did they stay in the warm weather, they stayed in a tight ball of sorts i the winter along with the hundreds of eggs they left behind. So when I put the finished compost into my garden the following spring, I was shocked how many were still in the very bottom of the pile. I decided to leave them there, adding any kitchen scraps and carbon sources to them. What did I get? I got another annual "pet" pile. I get thousands of new worms from that first pile every year. I go through the exact routine annually and I get new generations of worms in that same spot I dumped those initial worms about 10 years ago. They help break down the pile so much quicker. The only extra thing I want to add is when the weather starts to get rather cool, or cold to leave them alone. They will die if you try to turn the pile in extreme temp. Don't worry. They will be there i the spring when you peek on on them.

Thanks for sharing your learning process, also am amazed at how many questions you give a full reply to. I certainly appreciate reading the answers

if you add a small amount of alfalfa pellets to the compost mix it will dramatically increase the temp. and keep the temp in the 150 to 160 range for days. after adding the alfalfa the temp goes to 150 in 24 hours and stays in that range for 2 - 3 weeks. alfalfa pellets are available at pet supply stores, farm & garden stores and tractor supply.

Thank you for your videos, I’ve learned so much from your two part series of how to make compost ^_^

Best composting video on YT... Thanks for taking the time. SUBBED!

Great advice dude, this will help me troubleshoot some issues I have with my compost, greetings from Lithuania.

Wow, the best explanation that I've ever heard..Thanks!

Love your good useful info. I get most all my inputs for free. My town has a free wood chip pile thats the carbon and i go to star bucks they have grounds for garden. Used coffee grounds as a nitrogen source. And my chicken poop too. The only thing i buy is rice hulls for the aeration and silica. Silica will make your plants stronger branches to hold up bigger fruits. I mix my pile every 3 days or like you when it starts to cool down a bit.

Great tips for composting . Thank you

Thank you for this video. Its loaded with detailef info .

I've been adding worm tea instead of water and have mature compost in 6weeks or less. I also get spent coffee grounds along with horse and chicken manure... I definitely need to double the turn to 2/week... There's abundance all around you just have to look.

Thank you so much way easier to understand very helpful.

Very good info thanks for sharing

Use an old lawn mower to break down carbon material I use 🌲 tree leaves for carbon, but I am in Illinois and tree leaves are plentiful. I use mower to shred. I also bag the leaves and store them over winter. In spring they have some leaf mold which helps to get a more fungal compost. But I use a tumbler and that is way different. My compost takes 30 days and is fine like coffee grounds.

Great information, thanks!

awesome video. thanks for all your help.

Thanks for the great video. Looking forward to seeing the bokashi video.

I will look up the Berkeley method as I have only heard of Jean Pain. I'm going to try to use compost heat pile to warm my house this winter. I ned lots of compost for my garden!

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Excellent info! Thanks!!

Waaw this is cool I learned so much in these 2 video's, VERY good info, cheers !!!

Greetings! For carbon i use cardboard boxes that I carefully put through a paper shredder. Use only American boxes. For compost outside and for indoor worm bin (mixed coco coir). Collect leaves and cash when available.

great video

Great videos and very good information for learning. Thank you for investing your time and energy, and sharing so we too can learn. I've been reviewing your and Dr. Ingham's info hoping to get it right sooner than later. I started a 3x3 pile a few days ago in a wire cylinder. When it hit 154 on day 3 I turned it. I'm concerned that the temp dropped to 115 and even by early evening it was only 122. Outdoor temps during the day are mid 50s, nights are below 40. I expected the temperature drop to be less dramatic and thought it would stay above the 131 threshold. Did I mess up? By the next morning (today actually) the temp was up to 162! No bad smells, just hot. So I turned it again, and the temp an hour later was 120. Again, below 131. Any words of wisdom?

Have you tried adding more greens as it starts to cool, to keep the pile hot for the entire time? I'm doing that with the current batch I'm making. As it starts to slip, I mix in a little more lawn clippings when I move it, and it juices everything right back up. I also only use grass and leaf clippings from the bagger mower, so it breaks down a lot more evenly.

Thanks for the videos. I've attempted two thermophilic piles so far, and I think they're working pretty well but I'm curious if you could provide advice. Both times they have heated up quite high..to the point I have to turn them repeatedly to stay under 150 (one person I know said "dont let it go over 150", another person told me "let it get hot, youre turning it to much", both of them I respect their advice so I dk who to listen to haha. So from the beginning, It will heat up over 3-4 days up to around 150, and then I turn at day 4.., 6-8 hours later its back up to 150, so I turned it again, then 12 hours later..back up to 150 again so I turn, and then 24 hours later..back up to 150 turn. So I'm turning less and less, its like the pile is very volatile early on and needs turned less frequently as it goes. I did around 6 turns in 7-8 days, should I not be turning this much? Let it sit at those high temps for longer? After sixth turn..temps kinda fell out, 130 down to 120 to 110. But then it rained on day 10-11ish, ..and all of a sudden temps picked back up from 110 on day 11, 120 on day 12, 130 on day 13, and 136 on day 14..then it fizzled back down to 110,100, and now its around 70-80 degrees. For what it's worth..I did not water the pile at all during any turns, it didnt seem very dry but I'm still learning moisture (I'm in colorado so its dry here and the top and sides were dry so maybe I should have wet those down better at turning, because when it rained..it made me think.."well maybe it needed water for the biology to continue multiplying/composting"). A buddy told me "you are turning it to frequently" but it was getting hot quickly after each turn which is why I turn so could it maybe be to much green input or a materials issue? In this pile, I am using alfalfa hay and horse manure as my green inputs and have wondered if I should maybe use less manure or less green to let it simmer right in the compost window because it seems like if left unturned..it may exceed 160. I got pretty good break down and am feeding the material to a worm bin. Also..now that the pile is down in temps to around 70-80 degrees..should I cover the material? It's still in the hardware cloth ring just hanging out. I notice in this video you still turn it ever 5-7 days despite temps having dropped. Thanks for any input!!

Rake up some of your chicken manure and put it in a 5 gallon bucket. Let it set for a couple days. Sprinkle the water out of that bucket on the pile. That will help reactivate the pile.

I'm just wondering if the hooch from sourdough starter would be any good as a starter in the bokashi compost. Sourdough starter is loaded with lactobacillus and the liquid hooch that forms on the top is basically a waste product anyway.

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge. I don't have chickens, I was wondering if I can use my rabbits dropings instead in my compost pile?

So a pile that has stayed cooler and stopped getting to the 120+temps you mentioned lack of nitrogen. Would continuing to turn the carbon with refreshed grass clippings possibly continue to achieve the higher desired temps?

straw good i would suggest more greens and more water on the outside to seal it in to much o2 going through the outside slowing it down plust i like to mix in a 1/3 broken down material (finished compost) to up my microbe activity and help speed it up vs depending on the bokashi, . bokashi is more of a contradictive microbe waste i feel . . love what you doing ! thank you!

Smaller practicals allow a much greater surface area for things to happen on because mathematics, this is the reason sawdust or sugar dust can explode when airborne and a small heat source. So mulched leaves I bet would be amazing for this as a carbon source.

Can I add horse poop to a compost pile that hasn't started heating up yet? I was thinking of adding water when I turn it for the first time. This question is similar to the 'adding grass (N) while turning' question below.

Hi there! Would it be good to ad a bit of nitrogen source at first turning, just to help a pile to heat up to the same level as with first round?

I don't have a source of manure these days or a truck to haul it. Can I use bloodmeal for a nitrogen source in place of manure?

Curious what your thoughts are on how Charles Dowding does his compost? Seems like he only turns it once or twice and makes really good quality stuff. I think it may take longer to finish however..

Hey great video i have watched it a few times now 😅 so i have just made my first compost, its the 3rd day today so 72 hours after making it and i have reached 61 celcius so like 140 farenheight.? will this be hot enough or is it absolutely necessary to reach the 160 degree mark? thanks again for the video, very informative!! 🤙🤙

Hi, if it doesn't get to temperature could you not add comfrey rich water and that is the nitrogen it needs?

Steven, i don’t have a lot of food scraps at any given time. Is it OK to add scraps on a daily basis to my bokashi bucket?

Was the result presented @ 16:15 achieved after 4 weeks composting ? Was it filmed the same day you added the manure worms ? Thanks alot for sharing this !

Just wondering if I could soak the browns and greens in containers and then begin building up the pile. Your comments please.

Thanks for the videos , great info !many notes taken . May I ask- Is it better to use straw over hay in your opinion ? Or can i use both ? I read hay was better for microbial activity but not great for fungi ? I think I'm going for a slightly more microbial based soil though as fits type of plants I'm growing . I might be wrong though ? 👍

If you want smell to go away in the chicken shed, use biochar and sprinkle it across the bed. It aDsorbs / aBsorbs (there's a difference) sulfur dioxide gasses, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane. This could help your compost because if you then use the straw from the chickens with the biochar, there will be more sulfur and nitrogen within it that would otherwise have been lost without the biochar.

do weed seeds break down in a cold compost pile after many months? ive been putting weeds and grass clipping to my heap and want to make sure i don't propagate more weeds when using the compost. I love the idea of hot composting but realistically I don't think its doable for my home garden. love the videos and thank you!

I'm on day 11 of my hot compost and turned it today it was at 120 when I flipped it and now back to 120 again, should I add more nitrogen if I can't get it up to 130 again consistently for the remaining few days? Also is there anything I should know about adding cow manure? Was considering that on my next compost possibly since I live in a farming community...thanks!!!

As your compost pile starts to cool You could spray with ammonia, Soda and Beer. The Ammonia will add more Nitrogen The Coke will add sugar to feed microbes and the beer has sugar and yeast as well as beneficial microbes. Also If you are spending all that time turning the pile you could just add more chicken manure. The pile loses nitrogen and becomes out of balance for the perfect ratio. I would also recommend a chipper to run all your material thru before composting if the goal is the fastest breakdown. The last thing is I would recommend a biodynamic prep that will take your compost to a whole new level. They can be found at the Porter Insitute. I had a small farm in Long Beach California and spent much of my time running tests on Compost. We would have the tree trimmers drop off truckloads of trees that have been chipped. I would add horse manure from the stables and biodynamic preps and the results were amazing. Not only the compost but the results in the field. Great job on the videos.

Could you add failed compost into the base? You mentioned the good microbes are present. Shredder for sure. Also will adding nitrogen during turns help raise the temp?

Can you add more nitrogen later during the turning process?

If compost become anaerobic is it ruined or can it be saved?

How would you shred the straw?

I have a ton of brown dead leaves and I just took down a bad planted tree with alot of green leaves. Can I just use the brown and green leaves as my carbon and nitrogen mix?

Simple question, less green=lower nitrogen content remaining? Seeing grass clippings go from green, to yellow, to brown and dry. Overall, not thinking of Comfrey or anything like that.

I use shredded paper and cardboard for carbon material as well as leaves and straw. The straw is inoculated with mycelium before i add it. My piles fruit mushrooms as they break down.

Good stuff. Where can I get a hat like the one you wear at the end of the video? Mine has finally fallen apart to the point I can no longer wear it. I wear my hats and clothing until it falls apart and then it gets composted. The local place I bought my hat from is out of business. Thank you

Awesome eyebrows bro.

How many months does a cold compost pile take to break down using leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps?

Beautiful work. I made my first pile today, because I had a bunch of straw, fresh lawn clippings (we have probably have more than an 1/8th of an acre in lawn, which will change in time), but I was wondering if you are also tracking the time that you put into a compost pile to the amount you get, compared to the price of professional organic compost.

in your static pile you need 3 days above 131 and windrows need 15 days, 5 turns and 131 min temp

Would you recommend a compost pile over a bin? What would the drawbacks of a bin be?

Could I use an old sheet for a compost cover?

Or add a shredder?

Can you restart a pile once it has 'failed'?

I have chucked soooo many tantrums over trying to make compost. I just recently decided to liquify food scraps and forget the rest. BUT you sir have given me a boost big enough to try again, thank you! I live in Australia, have millions of eucalyptus leaves, I'm on a lake (mostly salt water) so have dried sea grass on the shore, some chicken, and a bunny, so I'm good for poop, a fair bit of sawdust, no grass or weeds, no real garden yet (that is why I want compost), I can collect fresh seaweed. Do you think I have a chance?

I have a question there’s no fire hazard right?

Ok, I have a question, have you ever had your compost catch on fire? I have heard that definitely can happen. Can you explain how to prevent this? Is it too much nitrogen?

Nice videos dude. This is my first time trying this out. Something very small. My question is can I keep adding greens to my pile? It’s a very small pile. Or should I keep my greens and browns separate until I have enough for a 3x3 pile? Thanks in advance

would peeing on the pile rejuvenate it?

If you have a fish tank use the water changes water for the pile the water is full of beneficial bacteria and the fish poo is grate fertilizer I noticed that the pile broke down even quicker

Hey you could use leaves instead of straw

Why don't you shred the straw down more? I forgot the machines name. But you can use it to cut down small branches and sticks with the straw, leaves and other greens.

What do I do if my compost pile is getting too hot ?!? its going over 160! :(

Since nitrogen creates heat, why not add greens to the turns?

U couldn't add more nitrogen to the "failed pile" to get it going again?

How come you can’t just add a little more greens as you go to keep the nitrogen higher to break down longer

You could lawnmower your carbon first! Good video tho, very informative!👍

So then your not hurting your compost by putting in any 'weeds'? Because my grass does have some weeds. What about those 'tuff' grasses like Daligrass (hate that stuff!!) will composting kill it's seeds too?

I find shredded newspaper is a great source of carbon.

Bokashi video please! Your videos are awesome.

Would be helpful to see how you turn it to get the inside bit on the outside, instead of speeding through this part.

Aren't high temperatures also killing the good microorganisms?

Is it just me or is that compost not finished?

btw, don't be alarmed if the chickens eat the biochar. So long as the biochar is made clean (Not in a container that had paint on it or one with chromium in the alloy) your chickens will actually benefit from eating the char.

You don't need to cover it. I have 3 heeps in my wooded back yard and I just keep it exposed to the elements and it does great.

At 17:35 I bumped my phone screen on the tip of my nose. (Sniff).

Your burlap can catch fire from your compost pile.

Why not put your chickens on woodchip bedding!

That looked like a Root eating Curl Grub they killed one of my lime bushes

i wouldnt add worms to your compost , they might die from the temperatures

Pffft, my pile is at 90. Cannot figure out where I'm going wrong. Why can't you just add more green to the failed pile?

Run over everything with a push lawnmower to make it smaller before you mix it together .

U should of let them two hairy caterpillars loose on the pile they would of made light work of it

I never turn my compost.

u did this pile wrong also