Raw ingredients versus finished compost Mass

Does anyone have a guess as to what the percentage would be of finished compost to the original pile size?

As the compost cooks the pile shrinks. So if I start out with approximately 6 cubic yards in my pile how much finished compost would I end up with? I know it can't be a precise number since different ingredients have different properties. But will it be reduced by an average of 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/10 or ... ?

Interesting question- I'd be intrested in the results.

Dean

My 5 feet deep lasagna pile made a month ago is down to about 2 feet already. I'm going to add another couple of feet soon, bunny poop, straw, newspaper and chopped leaves. I'm hoping it ends up at 18 inches deep.

Well, mine are 4x4 and have been working for about 6 months, they were down by about half, plus I've "robbed" some coarse out of the oldest bin, probably about full wheelbarrow loads. Now their full again with leaves, just added some kitchen scraps this morning. Still getting heat toward the middle. On the to do list for this weekend is a trip to the farm and garden center for alfalfa meal/pellets. Plus I want to see if they have any straw. I need me DH's company and muscle to help out. Plus I use to work there, many moons ago and want to talk to my bud about any broken bags of mulch etc he might have that need a home.........LOL

Wow, 18 inches deep, I need to start adding more to my pile fast. It's getting really HOT! I must be greedy because I want more compost for spring.

Dean

I use to check the big box stores on monday mornings, after the weekend. Often times they would mark down torn bags of mulch and compost; that people had torn open, to see what was inside.

Hard to say because your starting size could vary so much with the fluffiness of material- leaves unchopped versus chopped etc. I know I can keep piling my unchopped leaves and they keep going down in a few days so there's room for more.. Reminds me - time to ask my neighbor for his leaf bags.

Sally is sure right about chopped leaves. We can have a huge pile of leaves but once chopped they go down to a small pile.

aaaaahhhhhhh--she said yes and doesnt't think I'm too weird! there are about ten big bags of chopped leaves with grass clippings with my name on them now.

And anyway- you can never have too much finished compost.

oooh, chopped leaves with grass clippings are the BEST mix, the bags I picked up like that started steaming right away.

Dean, it's ok, buddy. You got the "bug" is all, LOL

I know, I have been drooling over these bags since Monday. Casually walked by with the dog and tried to get her to stop and sniff there so I could fondle the bags and check for warmth. So weird.

LOL, sally arrested after she fondled the leaf bags, priceless. Not weird at all. I fondle my compost almost every morning.

ok- we've been down this (low) road before!!

I have never done an experiment on this, but I would say the pile will be reduced by at least 1/2.
Josephine.

sallyg, I think you might be the type to corrupt my innocence, dumpster dying and playing touchie-feelie with leave bags??? Yummy, sounds like great fun! ROFL

I keep adding to my pile trying to keep it mixed and at least 4 ft high to maintain the heat. So far I am losing the race.

Everything is basically shredded or chopped before it goes to the pile but it settles down so fast that for every foot I add of new material it settles a foot and a half. At this rate the pile will be back down to 3 ft. in just a couple more days. I had it up to 5 1/2 ft initially and have added at least 3 ft on top of that as it shrinks.

Zanymuse, take a deep breath now! It's gonna be ok, you are going to have lots and lots of lovely compost in the spring. That 3ft that's left is solid black gold, gurl friend! Guys this takes work, just plain old steady work, but the end product is well worth the effort.

Now you all have me thinking I need another bin just to keep up! LOL

Haha Dean, I'm already sure we will be adding another raised bed next year, just like this one, but I haven't told my husband yet, lol. I can forsee a new one every year until I run out of sunny areas, and there is one tree that was damaged by the ice storm last spring that just might need to come down, leaving space for at least 4 more. Shhhh, don't say anything.

Believe me, taking a deep breath is not a problem... once I catch my breath from hauling all this stuff in and piling it on!

Cathy, I know what you mean. I'm thinking about putting compost around my fruit trees and also using it for all the seeds, that I've traded here on DG.

There is still a few minutes of daylight left here. I'm almost ready to run out and put a bag of paper shreds and more coffee on the pile.

Dean_W, honey, that's what you're making it for! Your trees and plants will do wonderfully! What kind of fruit trees do you have?

LOL Cathy, I won't tell him. But remember that shade gardens like soft pillowy lasagna beds too ...

A pear and a persimmon.

oh zany, i've already got a big area spread in the shade for next year, just not as deep. Maybe I should put the straw and leaves there. I had totally forgotten it, "if I only had a brain"

What variety of pear? I have 2 Bosc's and a Shechel (sp?) I doubt I could get a persimmon to do well here.

Cathy4, you need to get yourself a landscape overview of your yard. It will help you remember and make changes, or corrections. If nothing else a series of pictures 360 degrees around your house with notes on what season and where.

Im not sure.

Hmmm - Persimmons are native, here - we're in 6b, are you warmer, doccat?

Do you like your Persimmon, Dean? I'm so tempted to get one, it's just that they say it attracts critters and that makes me a little leery....

Native persimmons grow like weeds around here. Re critters- one often finds scat with persimmon seeds,even in the backyard; one ranger told me it was probably fox.

It's a Japanese Persimmon and my wife loves them. I think the pear is a Barlett, if thats spelled right.

Yes, we have the native ones around here too. The racoons love them.

doc, how do you get a landscape overview? sounds interesting. c4

Raccoons are an equally probable, maybe more probable, visitor to my yard.

Please don't think I don't care for wildlife, I really do. My only issue is opossum - they carry type of encephalitis (I think that's the particular bug) that cause major neurological diseases in horses. Attracting opposum is *not* something I'm interested in!

Opposums are just meaner and bigger rats as far as I am concerned but then I feelthe same way about raccoons when they get into my little pond. In the woodsthey are cute, in the yard they are rodent pests!

I'm in 7b, so I could maybe grow persimmons, hmmm.. I'll have to do some research and find out about diseases etc they are susceptible too. We're wanting to replace 2 black walnuts that are getting kinda tired, poor babies. Now I understand they have some varieties that bear sooner, which with a black walnut has got to be a plus. The new ones are hybrids, so I want to check that out some more. We didn't get many walnuts this year. That seems to work on an every other year basis at least for these trees. Maybe a half a bushel which isn't very much for mature trees, but it's do and their homegrown, organic and bug free.