hot composting question

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by alexizorbas, Jan 14, 2013.

  1. Matej

    Matej New Member

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    Hello all,

    Is it possible to make compost pile above 55°C in -5°C conditions?
     
  2. NGcomm

    NGcomm Junior Member

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    Sure, you just need the right mix of carbon and nitrogen, food for the biota to feed on, wrap it in a tarp and keep an eye on it - an explosion of life, death and energy transformations makes enough heat you could take a shower to heat you up by in that -5C environment :)
     
  3. Dzionik

    Dzionik Junior Member

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    wow.. did you do it??? how?
     
  4. sweetpea

    sweetpea Junior Member

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    The pile would have to be big enough to have the outer portions of it insulate the center, 2 cubic meters? But it's the bacteria eating, pooping and dying that create the heat, as NCGcomm mentioned. And all the conditions have to be right, enough moisture in the pile, keep the rain water off of it (it's too cold) the ingredients need to be a stew of ingredients, not just browns or greens or sticks or leaves.

    It's a giant pile, really huge, that takes hours to build unless you have a tractor, filled with snaking pipe to get hot water. and even then, the temps drop off slowly as the bacteria die off, so it may start off hot, but it won't stay that hot for very long. You can't turn a pile full of pipes, so it's not really something that is an ongoing way to heat water, unless you just love making, taking apart, and remaking compost piles taller than you :)
     

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