making a thermophillic compost heap pt 4

*now supported with documentation www.phasm.co.uk/?page_id=82 * Pt 4: how to turn an aerobic compost for the promotion of thermophillic bacteria in the rapid and beneficial production of humus for fertility building

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• aerobic
• thermophillic
• compost
• humus
• sustainable
• agriculture
• organic
• soil
• fertility

[1fanger]

I really enjoy watching the videos on composting. Very agronomic approach, so to speak. No extraneous verbiage. I wonder if you can recommend a book or something which goes into the real science involved in relation to thermophilic decomposition of plant material. What are your views on weeds that are allowed to ferment in a rainwater barrel, creating liquid fertilizer? Thanks

[greenman023]

@1fanger

actually that's a tough one.... partly because my nomadic existence negate the maintenance of a library but also because most modern books are not very good. The authors generally lack a grasp of the holistics.. so to be honest I recommend my early reading.. old brown fabers and in particular Sir Albert Howards An Agricultural Testiment (circa 1940). This is the first true exploration into the science of composting, the birth of the scientific utilization of thermophilic process

[greenman023]

@greenman023

that said howard makes a lot of mistakes.. i.e. the origin of early nitrogen in a paddy field) but his general approach is second to none and if the old Dyke Eve Balfour was the mother of organics then Sir Bert was the grandfather of it and compost... he invented the Indore method. another worth looking at is Maye Bruces 'Common sense compost making' again its some 70 years old but its available on line free & overpriced in reprint. what makes these special is they are holistic

[greenman023]

@greenman023

nearly forgot... my own work.. a few years ago I wrote the majority of a report on compost for the UK Quango WRAP (wrap org uk).. there were some copyright and non-atribuation arguments but the doc was available free on line... I just checked and discovered that the doc is now restricted however the copy rights are and unless wrap want an expensive legal argument, mine! so if you grab a link to my scribd com/greenman-23 page I will post a copy there next week.

[greenman023]

@greenman023

sorry a regards 'teas' yes very good but personally I prefer to use the compost at the final stage ... method is simple.. immerse in water that is areated (a fish tank air pump) , stir thouroghly and steep and aerate for 4-24 hours.. strain off the liquid and use immediately as a plant food (root) and foliar spray... very good at preventing potato blight if you saturate the hulm every 10-14 days with fresh ACE (Aqueous Compost Extract)

[greenman023]

@greenman023

one last thought... never used but the biodynamics people supply a compost additve (500 or 501?).. maye bruce produced her formular after falling out with the bio-dynamics people .. she didn't like their secrecy (hence I know my previous claim is true) and so developed her own GNU formula.. good old Maye.. ahead of her time

[greenman023]

@greenman023

you can still find the book in second hand dealers (try abebooks.com or addall.com) or you can purchase the well over priced reprint frim the HDRA ... alternatively and my recommendaton is you search the net.. there used to be an aussie site that was scannining "old brown fabers" like this and even google book search could yeild an omline copy.. this book is 70 years old... just like its auther and whilst I never knew her I know she wanted to share for free... hope that helps

[greenman023]

@silvertalongift

hi, yes there is a good alternative or addition... a little old lady called Maye Bruce wrote a book called common sense compost making in which she designed a herbal mixture called QR (quick release). The mixture essential works in the same capacity; it provides a readily available food source to kick the microbes off. 2 was to get it... 1) buy it from the HDRA in the uk (it's a .co.uk site) or find a local supplier or 2) read her book "common sense compost making" .. more

[silvertalongift]

greenman023, I live in Utah and have no access to sea weed. What can I use in replace of the sea weed? I really appreciate your vids.

[greenman023]

@pringals

hi pringles and thanks for the thumbs up... the project was presented to me as an opportunity to build the perfect heap with the perfect ingredients ... and get paid! (yuppie!)

so I also took the opportunity to video it (by the way not only am I the 'star' but I was also the camera man, the editor and the tea boy).... cos I realized that whilst I was otherwise engage (off finding the true meaning of God...) that youtube could show a few of the wise how to make the best (IMHO)...