My compost pile is nice and warm. Now what?

[PonyRiderMom]

I’m really happy that my newest compost (manure) pile seems to have started actually composting. It steams gently on cool mornings, and this afternoon I went out and could feel that it’s a little warm on top. I haven’t added to it in three days, so it’s not warm because it’s fresh.

It’s about 3 feet high, by 8 wide, by 12 long, I’d guess.

What I’m wondering is, now that I’ve got it going nicely, can I keep adding to it or should I start a new one? If I add a lot more manure, will it starve the bacteria of oxygen and stop the composting process? Or will the compost pile just incorporate it into the composting that’s going on now?

I’m just so excited to finally have one going nicely, I don’t want to mess it up.

PS I don’t have a tractor and won’t be turning it.

[2DogsFarm]

Advice from the World’s Laziest Composter:
Leave it to “cook”
My Heritage pile is probably 15+yo at the very bottom.
It got started when I was too lazy to cart stall cleanings away to the pile I’d started & bordered on 3 sides with landscape timbers.
That was just outside the sliding side door to my indoor. But: Lazy
So I tossed stuff over my fenceline where barn & indoor meet. Barn is 36’W, indoor is 60’W at that junction. Did that all Winter & still do, though I now have a 3rd location that runs along the frontage road of my property, hidden by a berm.
I only turn the side pile when I come for composted stuff every Spring.
Then I take off the top layer, uncovering the smoking ashy stuff beneath, that’s become gorgeous compost I use for my vegetable garden.
This stuff is the sole planting medium for that garden & what’s grown there grows well.
A neighbor takes away around 1/3 of that side pile every Fall for his gardens.
Then gifts me bags of tomatoes & peppers

[PonyRiderMom]

So you think I should keep adding to it, then? That won’t somehow smother it?

[2DogsFarm]

Hasn’t here.
I did put that 1st pile to work one year & planted zucchini & banana squash on it
15 plants
Then a couple years later huge Rouge Vin de Temps (aka Cinderella) pumpkins.
What was I thinking?
All were incredibly productive

[BrownDerby]

No real advice other than to start another pile. I put an old metal trash can lid on top of mine so outside kitty has a warm place to snooze.

[FitToBeTied]

I keep piling on until there is no more room and then start a new pile. Some of the earlier piles that are 15-20 years are pretty much gone.

[luvmyhackney]

I have three piles in rotation. Once the pile has sat for sufficient time, I use the tractor and spread it across the property. I have two lower areas and then expand my garden every year. Mine is ready to spread in 3-4 months, provided I keep it moist and turned. Takes about 6 months in the winter.

[Leather]

Depending on your space you could create a “winding” windrow type pile as demonstrated in this video: Manure Composting

The whole video is fantastic but I cut to the end where he does a mini demo of what he does since he also doesn’t have a tractor.