Don’t expect to throw down some grass clippings, add an activator and get compost in a week (eventually it will decompose, but not how we would want). Normally an activator is not needed. Moisture, nitrogen and carbon can all work together to s… Sprinkle just a little on top of new additions to your compost pile. Hi Larrey – Yes, everything in gardening has different opinions and different views on things, especially when it comes to organic gardening methods. We define a compost activator as an ingredient added to waste that helps start or improve waste breakdown into compost with minimal hassle (eg odour, flies, rats, etc). When I try to read this article part of it is covered by an ad, making it undreadable. 6. It is important that the site is not subjected to extremes of temperature and … (See References 1, page 18). So if it’s so good for your garden, why use soil at all? If you want an organic vegetable garden then you want to create organic compost. Composting reduces the amount of waste we send to landfill. So how do wine, beer and gardening collide? Homemade compost is invaluable in the garden – it’s a great soil improver, mulch and growing medium. Although these microbes are found naturally in soil they may sometimes need a boost to really get the compost pile fired up. Here are some browns to put in your compost: However, just adding healthy soil to compost can have the same effect, because good soil has all of the same organisms needed to get a compost pile going. © 2017 Carbon Media Group Agriculture Artificial activators work, but they are created from chemical compounds. Naturally, this can take a while. Adding these manures will quickly add plenty of nitrogen to your compost and get it heated up very quickly. As you build your compost pile, sprinkle the liquid activator between the layers to ensure a supply of nitrogen throughout. I also mention organic activator alternative such as finished compost, manures, and even human urine (as weird as that is, but it is a good activator). However, most compost is naturally close to neutral in pH by the time it is ready for use. To increase the rate of decomposition, microbes need a boost. Cover crops (especially those for over-winter use) can also use and sequester nitrogen (and thus fresh urine) for later crop availability. One of the best compost activators on the market is Gardener’s Supply’s Super Hot Compost Starter. Manures from horses, cows, sheep, rabbits and chickens are an excellent compost activator, and you can’t get any more organic than that! The Benefits of Compost Activator: Some Benefit if You Use Compost Activator for Your Plant eBook: Hodge, Kathryn : Amazon.ca: Kindle Store It’s also very good for the garden. High nitrogen additions. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Sprinkle just a little on top of new additions to your compost pile. Personally, I think sticking to a compost activator that is made up of organic materials is best. Homemade activators include fresh animal manure, spoiled fruit or vegetables, high-protein dog food or blood meal. Keep it moistWater is another key component in making compost, but you don't need too much. It is not a sin to use a small amount of activator now and then to help spark it. Ammonium nitrate requires 7 oz., or about 1 cup. Moisten the activator layer lightly with water. Comfrey is so rich that it can be used as if it was manure to activate a slow compost heap. Add a 1- to 2-inch layer of activator on top of the organic compost layer. Carbons for the compost pile include the following: Dry leaves: Dry leaves are probably the easiest brown ingredient to work with for a beginning composter because they’re already smallish pieces of organic matter […] Compost Activators (& Makers) To activate - to get things going, trigger, start. If you do not, use one of the other methods. And, again it will save on landfill. One note before we begin: Activators are not a compost fix-all. Spread around the bases of plants or incorporated into the soil, compost enriches the ground and helps to promote the growth and development of healthy plant tissue. Yes, you read that correctly. Compost activators help break down materials high in carbon but low in nitrogen, like the large amounts of fallen leaves collected in the autumn. A good source is the soil underneath a tree or in the woods. A perfectly good compost pile can be built out of nothing fancier than leaves and grass clippings. This is the best use of the stalks, which take longer to breakdown. YARDS AND LARGE AREAS: Use a hose on sprayer. your own Pins on Pinterest They need to be a minimum of 1.2 metres high and two metres wide. How to use compost. If it’s too dry, the bacteria will die for lack of water. If you are starting a pile from scratch and don’t have access to old compost, use a good quality compost starter as a substitute. This helps to distribute them more completely throughout the compost pile and help them find the undigested organic material to work on. The piles are simple to make and there are numerous YouTube tutorials. To compost pet waste is a good compost accelerator or activator. There are a few other reasons why you may need to consider using an activator: Perhaps you have too much high-carbon material (BROWNS such as dried leaves, straw, sawdust, etc.) ‘Activators’ can be added to your compost to help kick-start decomposition and speed up composting. Gardeners who recycle can easily create their own compost by layering kitchen scraps with garden waste and waiting for all that organic material to decompose. I use mine for all sorts of different applications in my yard. Too dry, add water along with some high in nitrogen compost activator, such as blood & bone, pelleted organic fertiliser or chook poo. Carbon comes from brown material, such as woody stems and cardboard. If you find an old package of fertilizer in your shed that you’re not sure if it’s any good you can toss it in to your compost pile and any nitrogen it has in it will help to accelerate the compost breakdown. You can boost a compost pile with Super Hot, an organic activator make of nitrogen and hungry micro-organisms. Once a week or so, aerate your pile using a compost crank or garden fork. Microbes are most active when compost is in the neutral ranges between 6.0 and 8.0. Perfect for adding nutrients and breaking up heavy soil, it’s often referred to as black gold. If your mixture of materials to be composted has a C:N ratio higher than about 30:1, however, then addition of nitrogen will speed up … Human urine might sound like an unusual thing to add to compost, but it is a terrific compost activator. Compost Activators (& Makers) To activate - to get things going, trigger, start. KEY POINT: Most compost piles created over time by regular additions simply do not heat up well. Compost activators inoculate your compost pile with incredibly diverse populations of bacteria and beneficial fungi. Not only will it speed the decomposition process, it will add nutrients as well. Compost is a gardener's best friend. Activators can get a slow compost heap sped up. Finished compost is usually less than half the volume of the materials you started with, but it’s much denser. of actual nitrogen for every 3 bushels or 4 cubic feet of dry leaves. If you want to increase microbial populations, a handful of garden soil or finished compost will do the job as well as commercially available inoculators. The process of composting and aging will minimize the risks of pathogens. Nitrogen sources include alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, blood meal, or finished manure. Just add it to your compost, wet it down, and let it go to work. You need to add carbon materials to your compost pile to provide energy for microorganisms while they break down your organic matter. Garden catalogs may recommend the purchase of a compost activator when starting a new compost pile. Should i start over with green class clippings and dry tree leaves? Compost activators jump-start the composting process by providing a missing nutrient, usually nitrogen, needed by the microbes in the pile. But omnivores and carnivores do produce waste with possible risks to our health. 1. Really throws it into overdrive! (See References 1, pages 17-18). Repeat monthly. Your compost pile should be moist like a damp sponge, not soggy or waterlogged. What makes composting such an appealing gardening technique is that you can control the amount of organic waste you use and exactly what you put into your compost pile. Urea requires the lowest application rate: only 5.2 oz., or less than 1 cup. Learn more about the value of activators here: Compost Activators. Use 3 to 4 times a year. Common compost activators include: comfrey leaves, grass clippings, young weeds, and well-rotted chicken manure. Help it break down faster by shredding it. Activators are designed to speed up the compost process by providing sugar or nitrogen to trigger rapid microbial growth. Manage Consent. (See References 1, pages 17-18) How Much to Add Compost is a gardener's best friend. According to the EPA, most Americans “throw-away” 30% of organic waste that can be composted. Natural activators don't just work to speed up the … However, you may occasionally end up with bulk amounts of carbon- or nitrogen-rich wastes. Keep it moistWater is another key component in making compost, but you don't need too much. Compost microorganisms need both carbon and nitrogen to survive. Too much human urine can cause the pile to obviously smell bad and you don’t want a pile of debris in your back yard to start smelling like a Port-a-Potty. You should not be able to recognize any of the items you put in there. Help it break down faster by shredding it. A compost activator adds nitrogen which gives all those microbes something to work on, thus creating heat. If your mixture of materials to be composted has a C:N ratio higher than about 30:1, however, then addition of nitrogen will … You just need to put the finished compost in a cheesecloth bag and hang it into a bucket of water for a few days. 3. What is a compost activator? To raise the pH of your compost, add lime. Maybe you should read the entire article before jumping to conclusions? Carbon comes from brown material, such as woody stems and cardboard. According to … The nutrients will trickle down into the soil beneath, and worms will help transfer organic matter deeper into the soil. Great Compost Activators. Avocado tree’s drop there leaves in the spring (at least mine do) I started my compost pile with green avocado leaves (nitrogen?) Finished compost is teeming with all types of bacteria and organisms. Follow the liquid accelerator with two to three shovels full of garden soil as this is a good source of additional microbes. and brown dried grass clippings (carbon?) Most of us are in a hurry to get good compost as soon as possible. Alternatively, add fresh manure at one bucket for every 15cm (6in) layer of compost, fish, blood and bone fertiliser at 270g (9oz) per 15cm (6in) layer of compost, or sulphate of ammonia fertiliser at 140g (5oz) per 15cm (6in) layer of compost. Compost Activators To help compost be the best it can be you can add compost activators – their job is to inoculate the compost pile with their nutrients, giving it a serious BOOST. And if you're a cat owner, alfalfa meal can do double duty in your home as litter. If you want to try the product, try it. Activators can be added when there are times when you want to speed the composting process up. Nitrogen comes from lush, green material such as grass clippings. It works really well for jump starting the decomposition of a compost pile. These are usually added in layers on top of the recently added fruit and vegetable scraps. in your compost bin, and not enough GREENS (nitrogen). You'll need to add 1 qt. Top-dressing a garden with compost will increase the soil fertility and prevent weeds. In fact, small amounts of horse manure can be easily composted using a shovel or pitchfork. Control the pH of your compost by adding urine or Lyme when you turn your compost. The Cornell Waste Management Institute recommends adding .15 lbs. Bio-Activator consists of naturally occurring micro-organisms attached to organic compost. Add a 1- to 2-inch layer of activator on top of the organic compost layer. The Add-as-You Go compost pile is a little more problematic, and is a likely candidate for using an activator. Replaces Water. Energy Source. To compost pet waste is a good compost accelerator or activator. However, unless you're intending to compost only high-carbon materials, you won't need a compost activator, according to the Cornell Waste Management Institute (see References 2) "Green" ingredients like food scraps and grass clippings will supply adequate nitrogen for microbes to thrive (see References 3). Green manure is a good way to sequester and add slower-release nitrogen to soil or compost. The nitrogen helps everything break down as it fuels the micro-organisms in the heap. Add the compost activator to water and mix it in well. 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