Thanks for reminding us that it doesn’t have to be complicated. I was roaring along, caring for my compost til the extreme heat and smoke from fires hit in the last few weeks. My pile is dry and compacted. Other than slowing the process down, am I right to believe that when I start watering and turning, the pile will reactivate?
You're welcome. And yes, once you introduce more air and moisture, it should wake up those microbes that go into a state of semi-dormancy when conditions become unfavorable. Just do the best you can to remix it all. That will really wake things up. And spray your pile as you do so that you can get the moisture evenly incorporated into the entire pile. If you only spray on top, it won't make it down into the core area. Good luck!
You ask a smart question. They are safe if stamped with HT (Heat Treated), or if you know they are from the US and untreated, like fresh hardwood. But the danger lies in pallets that are marked "MB", for Methyl Bromide - a highly toxic pesticide. Usually those on from pallets shipped from overseas. So be sure to inspect your pallets before choosing ones for your compost bins.
You have 2 options. You can use a "closed-bin" system that has a tight-fitting lid so nothing can get into your compost, or you can use a traditional open bin but just be sure to keep the food scraps from going in as an input. That's about all you can do.
Thank you for sharing great information.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video - thank you
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
Thanks for reminding us that it doesn’t have to be complicated. I was roaring along, caring for my compost til the extreme heat and smoke from fires hit in the last few weeks. My pile is dry and compacted. Other than slowing the process down, am I right to believe that when I start watering and turning, the pile will reactivate?
You're welcome. And yes, once you introduce more air and moisture, it should wake up those microbes that go into a state of semi-dormancy when conditions become unfavorable. Just do the best you can to remix it all. That will really wake things up. And spray your pile as you do so that you can get the moisture evenly incorporated into the entire pile. If you only spray on top, it won't make it down into the core area. Good luck!
Are pallets safe to use for composting? Don't they contain certain chemicals?
You ask a smart question. They are safe if stamped with HT (Heat Treated), or if you know they are from the US and untreated, like fresh hardwood. But the danger lies in pallets that are marked "MB", for Methyl Bromide - a highly toxic pesticide. Usually those on from pallets shipped from overseas. So be sure to inspect your pallets before choosing ones for your compost bins.
But what about rats?? We have tons here
You have 2 options. You can use a "closed-bin" system that has a tight-fitting lid so nothing can get into your compost, or you can use a traditional open bin but just be sure to keep the food scraps from going in as an input. That's about all you can do.