Have I started right

Today I went into the pasture and collected a wheelbarrow full of cow/horse manure. I brought that back to an area where I had spread about 3" of grass clippings out. I put a layer of manure on top of that and then another layer of grass clippings, another layer of manure and a final layer of grass clippings. I then watered it all down. Anything else I need to do? I plan to add more clippings and manure within the next few days.
Thanks for any help.
free

Where are your "browns"? Manure and grass clippings are both green. The ideal mix is a C:N ratio of 30:1. You need high C materials now, like dry leaves, wood chips, paper, etc

Google "compost ingredients" to find suggestions for C materials.

Karen

Thanks Karen. I see I have a lot more to do.

free

And don't forget to throw in your table scraps: coffee grinds and filters, veggie cuttings (minus onions and garlic), brown paper towels, cantalope and watermelon rinds, orange and grapefruit peels. No meat, fish, dairy or other protein, though.

Make a trench down the middle (or a whole layer depending on how much scrap material you have) and spread out the scraps. Then, cover it with another layer of something like grass or leaves. Be sure to cover it well! If it isn't buried completely enough, stray animals (rodents, squirrels, etc.) will be attracted to your pile, and start rooting for the scraps. You want to cover the odor.

P.S. Don't forget to lightly sprinkle each layer you add. A handful should squeeze like a damp sponge, but not be dripping wet -- just 3-5 droplets, maybe.

Much success to you!

Hi gymgirl: I'm a newbie to composting; just wondering why you advise against adding oniions and garlic to the compost.

OK - the squirrels have got into my compost, now what? Anyway to chase them out? Can I add something that they don't like? Are they spoiling the compost?

Kaperc,
If you have room, put down a layer of clipped grass and then a layer of leaves on top of your bed. The squirrels are smelling the food scraps. Try trenching a little deeper into your pile before you cover the trench. Trust me, the worms will find the buried food, and the squirrels and rodents won't!

CapeCodGardener,
I read somewhere that worms don't particularly like onions and garlic, and will move away from where they are. But, if you're not doing vermicomposting and don't care about having worms in your pile, by all means, throw them in!

Gymgirl,

I'll find something - we don't have grass or leaves. Trenching is the key, then. Haven't had a problem until now, but we seem to have a bumper crop of squirrels this year.

Thanks

Ya know, I put onions and garlic in my compost and still have plenty of worms....And as for squirrels, I figure they can 'process' those scraps as well as the next guy. You just can't tell where they will leave their finished product. But I still have plenty to spread around.
Don't forget eggshells

My 2 cents : ^ )

I just don't want to encourage squirrels. They are digging burrows all over our property, to the point where it is dangerous to walk in some areas. Between squirrels and gophers, we'll be lucky if we don't sink completely!

Sallyg,
You have EAST coast worms. Worms in the south like their onions and garlic, scattered and smothered in gravy! tee hee hee

My worms eat sprouts! lol

from rotten leaves to gravy, such is the meandering mind of DG !

but seriously, I heard on Rebecca Kohls' show(not that I think she's the end all of gardening) that you should sprinkle a little dirt in the layers too, because the worms have to have the grit. Haven't tried to verify this tho.

I know I used a little dirt when I started my worm bin just for that reason.

In a compost bin, do the worms travel up or stay in the lower regions?

Lower regions, which is why you can bury your scraps deeper. And coffee grinds do serve as sufficient grit. Or just a few handsful of soil or sand will do.

thanks for the dirt /grit responses.
My bin is very 'brown' and tends to be
dry- laying a scrap of plywood on top in the summer helped the upper part stay moist and cooler and the worms stayed in it more I believe.

USES COFFEE GRINDS COUNT AS "GREENS!" I've put huge red coffee cannisters in all our breakrooms on my job, and have been collecting the old grinds AND the filters for the compost pile. The worms LOVE coffee grinds.

I turned my bin yesterday and discovered it was VERY dry. We've had a lot of wind lately and it just sucks the moisture out of everything. I think if I keep it sprinkled, the squirrels won't be as attracted to it. One of the little stinkers ran out of the pile while I was watering! I think they are burrowing underneath to be close to the food source.

The plywood on top of the compost bin sounds like a good idea - I might try that, too. I do something similar for my worm bin - but I use an old thin plastic chopping board (one of those flexible ones). It helps during the hot weather.

A handful of your pile material should squeeze like a damp sponge. Only a couple drops of water, at most. If not, TOO DRY.... Pull it apart and relayer it, sprinkling each layer with your garden hose. Not sure about drenching the entire thing as it is.