Heat in big/little pig

s7ryf3925pivug

Does anyone use one of these composers with a thermometer? How hot do they get? I'm trying to find out if it can be used to compost weeds. I understand that temperatures above about 60 C would kill any weeds or seeds in it, so you could safely put weeds in it in that case.

Roen

Martin Shaggy Beech wrote: »

Does anyone use one of these composers with a thermometer? How hot do they get? I'm trying to find out if it can be used to compost weeds. I understand that temperatures above about 60 C would kill any weeds or seeds in it, so you could safely put weeds in it in that case.

Long story here: https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057762472/1/#post104051085

Short story is that yes you can sling in weeds. I do every day or two.
Never had them sprout from the compost.
68c is my record so far but I haven't measured it in months.

s7ryf3925pivug

Great, thanks!

Day Lewin

This may depend on the seeds.

Most weeds will break down quickly at temperatures like that.

It would be a brave gardener that would put dandelion clocks or thistle heads into the compost, though. If they resisted the heat, you'd be spreading them everywhere.

And ditto for scutch grass roots.

As a matter of interest, does Ivy break down well for you in this composter? Ivy is notoriously difficult to compost and usually sulks for ages.

Roen

Day Lewin wrote: »

This may depend on the seeds.

Most weeds will break down quickly at temperatures like that.

It would be a brave gardener that would put dandelion clocks or thistle heads into the compost, though. If they resisted the heat, you'd be spreading them everywhere.

And ditto for scutch grass roots.

As a matter of interest, does Ivy break down well for you in this composter? Ivy is notoriously difficult to compost and usually sulks for ages.

I've only fired in ivy leaves that had browned over time naturally. Scutch grass all the time, root and all, but early enough in the cycle.

That said once the side you stop feeding cools down the side you are actively feeding heats up. The insulation isn't perfect and you get a bit of heat leaking into the cooling side. This in turn re-starts another reaction.
This would see the 'cool side' sit at approx mid 20s - mid 30s for another 3-4 weeks. After that the cool side reaches ambient temp eventually.

I'll fire in some fresh ivy next week, leaves and skinny vines.
The left side will be full in a week and I'll be emptying the right. So it will go in from scratch, that way it will get the full 6/7 weeks at temp.

Day Lewin

Roen wrote: »

I've only fired in ivy leaves that had browned over time naturally. Scutch grass all the time, root and all, but early enough in the cycle.

That said once the side you stop feeding cools down the side you are actively feeding heats up. The insulation isn't perfect and you get a bit of heat leaking into the cooling side. This in turn re-starts another reaction.
This would see the 'cool side' sit at approx mid 20s - mid 30s for another 3-4 weeks. After that the cool side reaches ambient temp eventually.

I'll fire in some fresh ivy next week, leaves and skinny vines.
The left side will be full in a week and I'll be emptying the right. So it will go in from scratch, that way it will get the full 6/7 weeks at temp.

Wow, wonderful, that is so interesting: thank you!

Sounds really active and effective.

Any possibility of a photo?

Roen

Day Lewin wrote: »

Wow, wonderful, that is so interesting: thank you!

Sounds really active and effective.

Any possibility of a photo?

There's photos in the thread I linked to already. Or are you taking about the ivy experiment before/after?

Attached is one in its current home earlier this year.

Day Lewin

Roen wrote: »

There's photos in the thread I linked to already. Or are you taking about the ivy experiment before/after?

Attached is one in its current home earlier this year.

Brilliant, thank you so much :-)

Roen

Day Lewin wrote: »

Brilliant, thank you so much :-)

Well there you go. Gone in to the cold side this evening. Let's see what pops out in 7 weeks.

Roen

Checked in on this today and the leaves have vanished. The vines are looking in a sorry state but still have a bit of structure to them.
You can't tell they are ivy vines but still tough enough. Another month left in the heat though so let's see what becomes of it.