Trash bag composting

[SugarCubes]

I’ve been reading old threads about composting manure in trash bags. Does anyone use this method? I bought a box of contractor grade trash bags and would like to fill several bags so I can fill my flower beds with compost this spring.

My horses usually poop in their paddocks instead of their stalls, so I have minimal shavings I throw away other than the pee spots, and I use pelleted bedding which is supposed to break down faster. Will some shavings and old hay help with the process or is it better to fill with straight manure?

I have a place behind the barn I can put the bags, but how long do they need to “cook”? Do they need direct sunlight or will it work in the shade? Other than flipping them over every few days, is there anything else I need to do?

Thanks!

[msj]

I used to start an additional manure pile in fall close to the main flower gardens, say Sept. and put all the shavings and manure there (no hay though) for about 6 wks. Then I’d let it sit all winter and come spring just use it as fertilizer for the flower gardens. I knew enough not to add fresh hot manure to the gardens.

I never gave a thought about composting it. It worked out fine for my use. It was probably a 20’ diameter area about 2’ or so high.

I know this didn’t answer your questions but this worked for me for several yrs.

[SugarCubes]

I have my main manure pile in the treeline behind our property but considering it’s only been in existence for 3 months I don’t think it’ll be ready to use as compost this spring, so I was hoping I could speed up the process with the trash bag method! I was also kind of going to experiment with it and see if eventually I could sell bags to neighbors for a dollar or two to help get rid of some manure as well! Thanks for the input msj, by next spring I hope to be able to compost the same way you do!

[buck22]

I haven’t done the trashbag method, but I have learned how to speed up an existing compost pile.

The compost process is helped by warmth, moisture, air and pressure. This encourages the fungi and microorganisms to go to work.

First, I walk on top of mine to create a flat surface. If the pile is dry, I"ll water it thoroughly. Then I use a muck rake to shovel up the outer edges and pile it on top - so I’m making the pile taller and denser which creates pressure, trapping moisture and creates warmth.

Hopefully, the outer edges I placed on top are nice and moist and black looking, with lots of fungus/mold. If not, I dig around the pile or dig somewhere else for some nice black earth and put a layer of that on top.

Compost generally starts from the middle/bottom of the pile and works its way out because thats the warmest, moistest, most dense spot. But I’ve found if I put a good layer of partially composted material on the top, I can accelerate the process from the top down too.

Then I cover the pile in old hay. Peed on hay is best if you have it, the urine helps increase nitrogen and the hay breaks down rapidly, feeding the compost layer that was put on top and helping it reach down into the pile faster.

Finally, I put a tarp over the top of the pile and secure it around with rocks or tree limbs to keep from blowing away. This locks it all in, like the trashbag method.

What it doesn’t do however is allow for air, which is a key component. So every 3 weeks, I’ll pull off the tarp, walk on top of the pile, turn the edges into the center and recover. This is enough aeration I’ve found on my modestly sized piles.

My compost piles range in size from a bedded 13h pony to a bedded 16h draft. The initial prep I described takes me about 30 minutes, and maintenance every 3 weeks about 30 minutes each time.

If conditions are dry, be sure to water the pile, it will not break down if its not moist.

If you can help it, avoid wood products like shaving of any kind, tree branches and leaves. They slow the composting process.

Hope this is successful for you!

[buck22]

If I were to do the trashbag method, I would probably pile them up tight together in a place that receives morning sun or dappled sun. The trashbags really can create a lot of heat, enough to kill off the fungi and microorganisms and not compost at all. Afternoon sun is generally stronger than you realize.

I bring my compost home in contractors trashbags, and sometimes I don’t use it all immediately. I’ve found the ones I leave out by the shed in full sun, even for just a few days, become slimy. The heat kills all the earthworms, making a putrid smell.

Absolutely add hay, about 10-20% of the total volume inside each bag would be idea. Hay breaks down quickly and helps with the composting process.

[SugarCubes]

[QUOTE=buck22;8558160]
If I were to do the trashbag method, I would probably pile them up tight together in a place that receives morning sun or dappled sun. The trashbags really can create a lot of heat, enough to kill off the fungi and microorganisms and not compost at all. Afternoon sun is generally stronger than you realize.

I bring my compost home in contractors trashbags, and sometimes I don’t use it all immediately. I’ve found the ones I leave out by the shed in full sun, even for just a few days, become slimy. The heat kills all the earthworms, making a putrid smell.

Absolutely add hay, about 10-20% of the total volume inside each bag would be idea. Hay breaks down quickly and helps with the composting process.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Buck! Great information…I didn’t realize too much sun/heat could cause it to not compost. I’ve been throwing a little hay in the bags, but it is mostly manure and maybe 10% wet shavings, if that. How will I know the bags are ready to go? I’m a total compost newbie…do the manure balls break completely down?

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8554648]
I’ve been reading old threads about composting manure in trash bags. Does anyone use this method? I bought a box of contractor grade trash bags and would like to fill several bags so I can fill my flower beds with compost this spring.

My horses usually poop in their paddocks instead of their stalls, so I have minimal shavings I throw away other than the pee spots, and I use pelleted bedding which is supposed to break down faster. Will some shavings and old hay help with the process or is it better to fill with straight manure?

I have a place behind the barn I can put the bags, but how long do they need to “cook”? Do they need direct sunlight or will it work in the shade? Other than flipping them over every few days, is there anything else I need to do?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

The basic pile works great if you turn it over regularly. Turn it over daily and expose the inside to the outside air, then push it back together. It will cook thoroughly and fast, and you’ll see the results each time.

Hay and shavings aren’t necessary but the are more of a carbon source that seems to help it cook. When the hay and shavings are gone and the heat starts to go away you know you’ve gotten it well composted.

[SugarCubes]

[QUOTE=DHCarrotfeeder;8558294]
The basic pile works great if you turn it over regularly. Turn it over daily and expose the inside to the outside air, then push it back together. It will cook thoroughly and fast, and you’ll see the results each time.

Hay and shavings aren’t necessary but the are more of a carbon source that seems to help it cook. When the hay and shavings are gone and the heat starts to go away you know you’ve gotten it well composted.[/QUOTE]

I am absolutely DREAMING of the day I can buy a tractor, which would make this totally feasible. In the meantime, the idea of turning the manure pile by hand sounds like torture :lol:! Although, I suppose it would be an amazing arm workout!

[buck22]

I actually use horse manure at virtually any stage in my gardens, even fresh. I don’t find it to be a “hot” manure, like chicken or pig or cow, and I have no problem using fresh manure around tender or new transplants. HOWEVER, fresh manure in my garden will grow weeds ultra quick, mostly crabgrass by me which results in a lot of extra unneeded weeding labor, so I almost never use fresh right on top, always covered by dirt.

For instance, when planting a new bush, like a rose bush or a fruit tree, I’ll dig a huge hole and put in about 5-10 lbs of fresh manure at the bottom of the hole first. Let it break down slowly and feed the plant in months to come.

So, for me, compost is ready to use virtually any time.

My horses poop outside though, and I no longer bed on shavings anyhow - I use uneaten hay over a peat moss mattress - shavings or any wood product might make fresh “hot”.

Traditionally though, compost is ready when its very dark brown, almost black, has a rich earthy smell, is crumbly in texture and has almost no recognizable manure balls. Once you see it, you will know it… its GLORIOUS… its why the call it ‘black gold’

[Hulk]

I also use my horse manure at any stage. I just clean the stalls, dump the manure on the ground, flatten it out on top a bit, make it about 2 ft deep, and shape it into a bed. Then I plant. That’s it. You can rototill it if you like and that makes it break down a lot quicker, but I don’t normally. But I get excellent results. Every one says you cant do this, but you can, I do it every year.

So basically I am using a no till raised bed method. And talk about earthworms!! my beds are teeming with them. I would not use plastic or plastic bags because its not needed and I would worry about the chemicals in the plastic leeching into your organic matter. ( I call it organic matter because whatever comes out of the stall goes into the mix. This means manure, shavings, hay straw.) Your beds should be soft loamy springy to the step and not hard panned.

I have done this for years and years and I did it without a tractor. In fact I wouldn’t want a tractor on my beds as they tend to hard pan the soil. It is not really that hard to work it by hand as you would think. Yes it does get weeds as any garden will but they are very easy to pull out due to how soft the loam mixture is. I also plant ALOT of squash, which are known to be heavy feeders. This method seems to supply them with the nitrogen they crave. On average we are told to expect about 5 fruits per plant, I average 15.

As to selling bagged manure, I mistakenly did that, now I don’t want to any more and people knock down my doors begging for the stuff. I reluctantly fill a few orders for people that are good at finding my weakness, but I crab the whole time I am filling the bags. I used old horse feed bags, I guess it could be considered recycling.

Anyways good luck to you and your future gardening. Its addictive, every year I say I am cutting back, then I plant more than the year before.

[SugarCubes]

Oh my gosh! You guys have me so excited about my landscaping and flower beds this summer! I had actually wondered how well dumping fresh manure would work - there was a low spot on the property where water kept pooling, so a couple of months ago I dumped a few wheelbarrows of manure on top to raise the area a bit. Now, the area is sprouting gorgeous green grass, where the rest of the field is still brown!

One more question, when you use fresh manure do you ever notice the smell at all? I’d be all over dumping the wheelbarrow straight into the flower beds as long as it’s not going to get stinky and attract flies And would you plant directly into the manure or do you throw a little top soil on top of it?

Thank you guys SO much, I’m learning a ton over here!

[Hulk]

I don’t notice a smell anymore than normal for a farm. I notice a smell from the huge manure piles out back at other peoples arms a lot more. Call me crazy, but they do seem to generate much more of a smell to me. As far as planting, I sow directly into the materiel I dump. I don’t add top soil as it is expensive and I find not needed. I think it doesn’t attract flies as much as a huge pile either because when you spread it out, it breaks down quicker than a huge pile.

I also have chickens and I believe they contribute to lowering the fly population a lot. Every farm has some flies but I do notice less flies due to the chickens. That and they also eat ticks, cant shake a stick at that either. I also wanted to mention where you sow your flowers depends on the type of flower you intend to grow. If you plant a bulb type, say a tulip, put it directly into your soil and top coat with the manure. If you are planting an annual like say a Johny jump up, just sow on top of the manure dressing, and then fluff it a bit.

You can also top dress the manure with bagged mulch to make it look more attractive if you like. That might cut down the smell to if it bothers you.

[2DogsFarm]

Reading the above I now proudly claim the title of World’s Laziest Composter :encouragement:

I do nothing to my manure pile & it composts itself into the most beautiful loam - has done so for the 12yrs I’ve been here.

I don’t do anything more than pile fresh stall cleanings - manure, soaked pelleted bedding & hay - right from the wheelbarrow (no tractor here) on top of the pile.
In Spring I turn over the top layer just to get at the Good Stuff beneath,
Proof of composting action is the layer of ash & heat produced by the pile.
When I stand on top in January it actually feels warm & will steam if I move it.

Neighbors know they are welcome to drive around & take as much as they want. Even so, with just 1 horse, 1 pony feeding the pile, I have plenty for my veggie & flower beds.

There, if I am ambitious, I dump the wheelbarrow straight from the stalls in the Fall & let it compost onsite.
Otherwise I use my dumpcart, pulled by the riding mower, to fill the beds with composted stuff from the pile in Spring.

I never bother to add anything to the planting beds, just use straight composted manure. I do sprinkle a little pelleted fertilizer around seeds/seedlings when I plant.
After doing this for years I am slowly building the raised beds I desire.
Slowly, because the loam does settle some.
I do get some weeds but, like Hulk said they are easily pulled.

No noticeable smell from the composted stuff & minimal that dissipates quickly from fresh.

I grow greens (chard, collards, kale) broccoli, tomatoes & potatoes successfully in the beds.