Every respectable society have very select clubs. Hive is no exception. We are a very elect group called the Dirty Finger Nail Club. Meetings are strict and usually solitary. The one requirement is that you have more soil under your finger nails than remaining in the gardens. Perhaps the only thing that distinguishes one homesteader or gardener from the other is the ingenious manners of cleaning your hands .... or at least attempts to clean your hands.
When our new neighbours moved in, a year ago, and promised to build bigger compost heaps than we knew what to do with we merely smiled. We'll see ... And then they started building. And our jaws dropped ....
Each pile starts out the size of a bus and reaches temperatures that would easily fry an egg. If one were that way inclined. While I may be part of the Club I do not enjoy mixing my breakfast and my dirt.
As the debris of the drought cleanup is cleared he pushes whole trees into his heaps. Trees! Whole! And mere weeks later they're beautiful black gold! When the fields are cleared of seed the old vegetables - mostly carrot and onion or old grapevines - get composted.
The Dirty Finger Nail Club are rather an eccentric crowd. But with views like this wouldn't you spend all day piling up dead organic matter and getting grime under your nails?
It is astounding how fast he converts whole and decayed matter to wonderful compost. Piles and piles of it!
In all our years on the homestead we have never ventured composting on such large scale. Mind you all our peelings are divided (not so equally) between our chickens and goats.
Because we've loaned our tractor to him for his composting escapades he has promised us the black gold as payment. Our gardens are truly grateful! What his secret to success - at such a speed and such scale - is, is beyond me. But who wants to know when we are gifted with all this wonderful organic composting caviar!
That green field - yup, I get it, black gold, organic composting caviar - I'm crossing my fingers that your neighbor is very generous and you'll be getting a ton of it 🤞🤞🤞
So far so good!!!
the BEST Secret to amazing Black Gold Compost is HEAT!
His big piles generate more heat... for faster breaking down.
AND, once you get the heat in the pile, once in a while, you need to turn it all over... aerate it!
Also, ideal compost has 3 (or 4) parts of green (carbon), to 1 part brown (Nitrogen)
Well in our part of the world heat is the last thing we are short of! Thank you for the breakdown. After years of homesteading and making our insignificant compost heaps (in comparison) you have now taught me something new!
Always happy to share Gardening tips and technique!
Wow! This is an inspiring story and yes, who wouldn't want to spend time outdoors with such a stunning view. It makes my ( not too shabby ) view here, in the Portugese countryside, look like a park ;<)
Well a park is a beautiful thing all on it's own!
I think I was undervaluing my environment here, in Portugal. It is - at least - a huge upgrade from The Netherlands, where I was raised and lived till 2018.
This was my view, from the house I am renting. It was taken some days ago.
What a magnificent view! I actually suspected by your previous comment that your view was far from insignificant @vincentnijman
Now you know for sure ;<)
Have an amazing end of the year!
Do you mind supporting the HiveBuzz proposal for 2022 so our team can continue its work next year?
You can do it on Peakd, ecency, or using HiveSigner.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!Dear @buckaroobaby,
Oh man what a friend to know!!! Gimme some of that black gold!!
There's plenty to go around ....
Now you're just trying to make me jealous. Nature's been giving you all its gifts lately, what with the dams overflowing as well!
That's some amazing levels of compost production.
Not sure why but your comment was muted when I just stopped by lol
Author preference?
But I love you @buckaroobaby! 😭😭
Hahaha I don't know what happened but hopefully that's a mistake!
She doesn't seem to have muted me, because she paid me a visit. Either is a glitch, or my reputation isn't what I thought...🤔
HUH?!???!!
🤣 My comment seems to be muted. It says due to low reputation or author preference.
Damn that’s awesome! I hope to one day have such a wonderful compost pile going and turning it into rich soil! I don’t know about weeks later but that’s amazing! Would certainly be a good person to live next door to lol
After a year of watching him we are still amazed that he converts such huge piles (and big chunks of matter) into compost in a matter of weeks.
I love the compost, I might as well going to try it.
Please let me know how it goes! Compost is such an essential part of successful gardening and healthy produce
so so inspiring, thanks for sharing
Thank you for taking the time to peruse - it is truly quite something to behold
Happy New year! I've been a member of the dirty fingernail club for ever. Aslo, as I don't like to wear shoes in the garden, the 'dirty toenail club' and the 'always brown soles of the feet club too'!
HAHAHAHA!! I think that little secret remains between gardeners in the dirty nail club! I also hate shoes. Although sometimes I have sandals because we have terrible thorns - but that doesn't keep the toenails clean
Goals! I’ve got mountains of cow manure at my disposal, but there is something just so satisfying about simmering your own pile of scraps into glorious compost. No dirt under my nails for a few more months. Gotta keep my mitties on! 😜
Mountains of cow manure is fabulous in compost. City people must think homesteaders have really lost the plot when they get excited about poo!
Haha! True!