How big is too big?!?

I'm adding all my yard refuse to my compost...attempting to be a hot pile...and I'm wondering what size pieces are too big to compost by spring. I of course have the bounty of leaves that we are gifted with this time of year but I also have rose bush prunings, sunflower stalks, bean plants, weeds, etc. I don't have the benefit of a chipper/shreder or even a mulching mower ( I still use an old-fashioned push reel-mower. You know the kind with no power--only the kind I can muster!) And I'm worried that this stuff is too big to break down well. I'm cutting the sunflower stalks and sticks/prunings into approximately 1 inch pieces with my pruning shears which is very time consuming but its my own fault for being low tech. Will this be small enough? Any advice is very much appreciated. I'm thinking about a chipper/shreader but the cost, emissions, etc bother me. It seems as if the electric ones just don't have that much power. Any ideas on an environmentally friendly way to shread stuff without killing my back and hands?

Sonya

No NOT put rose bush prunings in your compost. Dispose of them in the garbage or burn them -- unless you are really fond of blackspot and other fungal diseases of roses. If that is the case, go right on ahead.

I don't have any problem with leaves or soft-stemmed materials in my compost, it all breaks down fine.

Won't the heat and the rot kill the fungal infections?
Is it a problem if the roses are healthy?
The roses I trimmed are climbing tea roses that just needed a trim to be happy. I only cut the dead branches that had no more juice(?) running through them.
Is this still a problem?

Sorry for all the question marks...I've always composted everything that had once been green and am learning that things may not be so easy.

No, the heat will not kill it. Even healthy roses can harbor the spores. Any part -- flowers, stems, leaves -- should be removed and not composted.

The black spot and rust and other diseases are what make roses difficult for some people, in some climates, including Ohio. Even here in dry Colorado I am extremely careful about removing the rose trimmings, and as a result have had good success with some rather finicky roses. Even the roses that are labelled "disease resistant" like the Knockout roses can and do get blackspot if you don't get rid of the trimmings.

Well I'm in trouble then 'cuz the clippings are already in the pile and they are cut too small and mixed in too well to pick out. I've always just put all plant matter in my compost without worrying about anything.
I guess you learn something everyday...especially here at dg.

Hopefully my roses won't be too upset. We just bought this house one year ago and it is very apparent that NOTHING had been done with the yard for years. Everything was over-grown and it looked as if the irises hadn't been separated in forever and the roses hadn't been pruned for just as long!

Maybe my roses will just be happy with some attention..and not sucumb to illnesses just because they are stressed.

Starting out fresh..It's fun and exciting and stressful. But I'm looking forward to spreading my compost in spring and setting out new plants and remaking this mess of a yard.

And it helps that I have a Bunny......Such nice additions to the compost!!
And he's cute!!

Thanks for the advice, Greenjay. You can be sure I won't be composting rose bits anytime soon again.

But back to my original question----How big is too big?

The smaller the pieces the quicker the compost breaks down into compost. But any size is OK because it will add to soil structure and provide a natural arena for bugs, worms, and bacteria to continue to make healthy soil even after the large pieces have not decomposed completly. I consider my partially decomposted material in my compost a 'hotel' for future critters of the soil. It also allows for more moisture retention in fibrous material. So don't worry about chopping it up. I do cause I like to have it decompose in a period of 6 months over the winter and 2 to 3 months in the summer. If you have stalky materials you may have to wait longer. It definately helps to walk on the pile when you are building it when the material is dry and able to be broken. This allows better moisture and bacterial and fungal activity to reduce the fiber quicker. I incorporate woody material into my piles but I keep it small enough to allow the fork to turn the pile easily. If you have too long of sticks or stalks you will be unable to turn the pile a couple of times to make it speed up. This also is the best way to break down material. Turning the pile. If you have a bunny feed the bunny the garden left overs, being cautious of what is good and what isn't. Bunny recycle is good stuff.

Ditto on the bunny stuff. I have found it very useful in keeping squirrels off the tulip bulbs this year.

Thanks for the advice : )