How many people does it take to turn and mix a six foot tall compost pile in ten minutes ? One, if you put the pile under a tree with a wire mesh frame under it, a second frame and two block and tackles to hoist it into the tree. Lift it, slide the other frame into place then pull the slip hitch on one side to drop mix the load. Lower the hanging frame and store on the side of the pile until the next mixing. And being under the tree, a lot of leaves are "special delivered" in the fall.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002

Answers

I roll my with the tractor Front End Loader.

-- Gary (gws@coolumbus.rr.com), April 02, 2002.

.....But if you don't own a tractor , this is a great alternative.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

I'm investing in several compost turners. It'll take a few years to bring them up to speed, but after that I won't be turning my pile till they go off to college. Maybe then I'll borrow your design.

-- gilly (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 02, 2002.

I used to have two turners like you have, but she divorced me and took the 12 year old with her :>) Divorce sure gets the "invention juices" flowing.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

Thats a cool idea Jay. I like it. I wish I could come up with a way for myself. I compost pretty large quantities in the fall when the city hauls in 5-7 ten yard truck loads each fall. Space limitations require me to pile it up in one pile after introducing bloodmeal for nitrogen. The pile is usually 12' high and maybe 14'-16' in diameter.

My back hoe has to wrestle with it in the spring when I break the pile open and spread it into beds. A good share of it is finished and it is plantable at that point but still pretty rough with a fair amount of uncomposted clumps of leaves. Squash and gourds do great in it. By the end of that summer it is well broken down, ready for the following year for just about anything.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), April 02, 2002.

dont know if its laziness or efficiency - figured it only makes sense to grow your compost in the same place you grow your vegetables - devote one row/bed in the garden to sheet composting - at the end of the season distribute that compost and remaining uncomposted material as a topcover to remaining garden area when you put the garden to bed for the winter - next season repeat the process in a different bed/row and on and on and on... worksforme - with minimal effort!

-- joan from zone six (egavasnok@juno.com), April 03, 2002.

oops - forgot! probably the main reason for composting "in-place" is that the composting process generates a lot of nutrients that leach in to the ground below - why not leach into the garden itself?

-- joan from zone six (egavasnok@juno.com), April 03, 2002.

This tree is on the southwest side of my garden, thirty feet away. Its also benificial to keep the compost out of the elements and direct sunlight to promote better anerobic decomposition and benificial microorganism establishment. Also, since I generally sell 50 to 75 percent of my anerobic compost with my commercial vermicompost, it keeps compost customer traffic out of my garden.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

Interesting idea Jay. Thanks for sharing it.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), April 03, 2002.