Compost

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jallen

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I've pushed up all my hay feeding area, now how long should I let it sit before spreading it? I'm figuring it will take a handful of months to dry out enough to spread?
 
it will take a while for it to heat up and break down on its own. If you have access to put a layer of dirt over it or at least tarp it will breakdown sooner. If you have a manure spreader with chain drive bottom you should be able to spread it now if it does not have strings in it.
 
I usually wait a year, but could probably spread it in the fall if I mixed it as often as I should. But I'm waiting for it to compost. If you just want it to dry I would think by summer it should be dry enough?
 
If I'm using the compost for gardens, etc I wait a year, sometimes even two (sure is nice stuff after 2 years) but if it's going on hay fields it goes on pretty much fresh. This area is really unfriendly to organic matter and nitrogen (hot and dry), so I get better mileage out of it when it's fresh.
It's a bit of an art to get a compost pile to heat up nicely without overheating and drying out.. once it's dry, it's virtually impossible to get wet again (in our climate at least)... I like piling it, and about when it gets good and hot (about a week usually) I'll turn it to mix the outside layer in.. It's a smelly job, watch the winds!
 
Thanks guys, I'm just wanting to spread it out in my pasture. I figure that's the best way to make use of it.
 
Your going to need to add a little nitrogen and turn the pile occasionally. If you are not going to go through the trouble of making the compost you might as well spread it the way it is. The more of it that has ground contact the faster it will rot. The same way grass rots after you mow.
 
Thanks guys. I'm just going to spread it little by little as it drys. Thats about all I've got time to do. We're not talking about very much to begin with
 

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