(Inspired both by Jose's comments about using compost tea to innoculate compost piles and Frank Tueton's recent return to BD Now!, I did a little research on innoculating. In that process, I ran across an old instruction sheet from the Pfeiffer Foundation on the Pfeiffer Compost Starter. It contains a lot of good information, even if you are innoculating with your own microbial brew and not the Pfeiffer's. (If, however, you want to use Pfeiffer's B.D. Starter, it is currently available from Hugh Courtney at JPI in Woolwine, VA.)
All this reminds me: has anyone sent the current Pfeiffer products (compost starter and field spray) to a soil food web lab to analyze it for microbial activity? If so, I'd be very curious to hear the results! If the Pfeiffer products have not been analyzed by St Elaine (or someone like here) it might make a good BD Now! group project to get a batch or two looked at. -Allan) ++++++ THE PFEIFFER FOUNDATION, INC LABORATORY DIVISION Threefold FARM, Spring VALLEY, N. Y. INSTRUCTIONS FOR BUILDING A COMPOST PILE WITH THE B. D. COMPOST STARTER Generally the materials for "small" compost piles are not put through a grinder or otherwise macerated as in the case of large composting operations. If no grinding is possible, compost piles con be built by hand in thin layers, alternating the materials in each layer. However, the smaller the particles, the faster the fermentation. Grinding the moterials will definitely shorten the period of fermentation, while the unground materials will take a longer time, depending upon the size of the particles and the thickness of the layers, as it will take the Starter solution more time to penetrate. The following steps should be observed in building compost piles: MATERIALS: Any organic materials, such as kitchen garbage, lawn cuttings, garden refuse, manure (any kind), leaves, weeds, etc., con be used. When pulling weeds for a compost pile it is well not to shake the soil from the roots as some soil is necessary in the pile. Also paper con be used. While paper does not add to the quality of the compost,. it does improve the structure. The paper should be shredded or crumpled, and not laid in sheets. Materials of any length or thickness, such as straw, hay stalks, tall weeds, corn cobs, corn stalks, etc., should be chopped. -or shredded if fast fermentation is desired. LOCATION OF PILE: It is advisable to build the pile in the shade or semi-shode so that the direct sunlight will not dry it out. However, if a shady spot is not ovailable, the pile should be protected from the direct sunlight by covering it with a layer of soil, hay, straw or leaves. In any case it is well to cover the pile. It can also be built near the edge the garden where the finished product will be readily available. There should be no obnoxious odor if the pile is properly handled. PREPARATION FOR BUILDING THE PILE:. The pile should be built on bare soil, not on vegetation. All sod and vegetation should be removed, together with the top foot of soil in order to make a shallow pit. This soil con be used later for covering the finished pile or for interlaying or mixing while the pile is being built. In warm dry climates the pit con be deeper than 1 foot to preserve the moisture. BUILDING THE PILE: Either of two methods con be used in building the pile as follows: 1. IN LAYERS: Each layer in this method should be thin, not more then 2 inches thick. This is important in order that the B. D. Compost Starter solution can penetrate all of the material in each layer. The first layer may be garbage, spread over the prepared soil in a 2 inch (or less) layer. If there is not enough garbage, other materials can be added to complete the layer. Each layer should be sprinkled lightly with soil (any kind). The B. D. Compost Starter solution should then be sprayed over the entire surface of the layer. The pile con be built in is way, sprinkling with soil way, alternating the materials in each layer, sprinkling with soil and spraying with the Starter solution. If a layer is to be of soil only, it should not exceed 1 inch in thickness; leaves and gross cuttings should be less than 2 inches as they tend to cake. EACH LAYER SHOULD BE SPRAYED WITH THE B. D. COMPOST STARTER SOLUTION. Several layers can be built at one time or a layer added each day. If there is an interval of more than one day between the building of the layers, fresh Starter solution should be used. Once the B. D. Starter is re-activated, it should not be held over for more than one day. When the pile is completed, vertical holes can be made with a crowbar, or similar instrument, into the pile at varying depths, about 1 foot apart in a checkerboard fashion, and each hole filled to the brim with the Starter solution. In this way the bacterial solution will seep into the pile in all directions, insuring thorough inoculation of the bacteria. The pile con then be covered with a layer of straw, hay, leaves, etc. 2. Building THE FILE BY MIXING THE MATERIALS: If a stock pile of leaves, town cuttings, weeds, manure, etc., is available for composting, the materials should be mixed together thoroughly, 15% to 20% soil (by height) added, and sprayed with the Starter solution while the materials are being mixed. If a cement mixer is available it will serve the purpose very nicely, or any other similar equipment. Mixing the materials on the ground with a shovel, shoveling back and forth (or with a hoe) until they are well mixed will also do the trick, The idea is to see that the materials are well mixed, soil added during the mixing, and the B. D. Compost Starter solution sprayed into the mixture. The materials are then ready for the pile. SIZE OF PILE: The "critical maximum" size of a pile is 5 feet high and 12 feet wide, since aerobic conditions are considerably reduced in the core of a pile larger than that. The pile can be as long as desired. Dry loose materials may be piled up to the upper limit 5 feet in height, but wet sticky materials should be kept to the lower level of 3 feet in height, here also 9 feet width is preferable. Small piles 3 to 4 square feet at the base usually do not heat up as well as larger piles. They dry out easily, freeze more quickly, and in general do not always work successfully, especially in regard to the time of fermentation. Small piles need more attention in connection with moisture control and they should be well covered. They are not representative of the type of fermentation which goes on in the larger piles. Summing up, the minimum height of a pile should be 2 to 3 feet, maximum height 5 feet, and the maximum width at the base 12 feet, with slanting sides. Within these proportions proper fermentation can take place. DILUTING THE B.D. COMPOST STARTER: The water for diluting the re-activated (moistened) Starter is used primarily for the dispersion of the bacteria in the suspension as well as for moistening the materials to be composted. In general, 2 to 5 gallons of water are sufficient for diluting one unit of Starter for 1 ton (1 1/3 cubic yards) of compost material. However, more water can be used if the material is especially dry. The important thing is to see that all the compost material is thoroughly penetrated by the solution. Each toyer of the pile if it is being built in layers, should be well saturated. If the pile is being build by mixing the materials, enough water should be used to saturate all of the materials as they are being mixed. The solution should be constantly stirred or agitated during the spraying to assure an even distribution of the Starter bacteria. The amount of water to be used does nor depend on the quantity of Starter, but on the rate of delivery by the spraying equipment. MOISTURE CONTENT OF PILE: Moisture is very important for proper fermentation. The ideal moisture content for the pile is between 40% and 60%. The pile should not be allowed to dry out below 30%. Water should be added if it becomes too dry. On the other hand, hand, the pile should not be soaking wet. If dry materials, such as corn cobs, weeds, straw, hay, sawdust, etc., are used, the materials should be well moistened before being placed on the pile. Soaking the pile with water until it runs off does not necessarily mean that the water has penetrated the materials. Such dry materials should be well moistened before the pile is built or while it is being built. This can be done by soaking the materials in a pit until they are well moistened. According to our observations, water sprinkled over the surface of the pile will penetrate only about 1 foot beneath the surface. When the pile dries out the surface becomes caked, thus excluding the air. Therefore we recommend attaching a 1/2 or I inch pipe to a hose, thrust the pipe down into-the pile and fill with water so that it con penetrate and fit ter into the pile in all directions. These holes can be made in on overall checkerboard fashion I to 2 feet apart according to the size of the pile. HEATING UP OF PILES: Temperatures between 120' and 140* F. are easily reached in a well built and covered pile amply provided with moisture and air, provided the pile is large enough to generate a temperature. In small piles of only 1 or 2 cubic yards the conditions are not favorable for heating, especially at low outside temperatures or when the material is too wet. A pile needs a certain body or mass in order to heat up. Soaking wet piles do not provide the inner "atmosphere" to make a pile "sweat". This sweating atmosphere is essential in piles containing straw, sawdust, dry weeds, i.e., materials high in cellulose and lignin content in general. Loosely piled materials with air spaces between the particles will provide the best breeding conditions for soil a organisms which break down the raw materials under heat development. There is also another type of fermentation which goes on at lower temperatures between 56' and 120'F. This fermentation is somewhat slower but leads to on excellent, product. It is this kind which usually takes place in a garden and form compost pile containing a large percentage of soil. One should not be disturbed if the home garden pile does not heat up so much. LIMING: If lime is to be added, which is not always necessary, we recommend the use of dolomitic lime. If this is not available locally, a good agricultural lime will do. Very little, if any, will be necessary and under no conditions more than 100 lbs. per ton of raw material. The lime can be sprinkled on the layers or mixed with the materials. If the compost is to be used for rhododendrons, azaleas or other acid loving plants, no lime should be added. LENGTH OF FERMENTATION PERIOD: The fermentation period will depend more or less upon the type of materials used, the size of the particles, moisture content, size of pile, climate (summer or winter), etc. Some materials decompose more slowly than others. If the materials are ground up and thoroughly mixed, the fermentation process should be complete within 3 to 9 weeks. Otherwise it will take longer. The pile con be turned after a few weeks and sprayed again with the B. D. Compost Starter solution. Shredded or ground up materials will not need turning. During extremely cold and freezing temperatures the action is slowed down somewhat but not otherwise impaired. THE FINISHED PRODUCT: We are frequently asked when the compost is ready for use and what it is like. The following con be a guide. The odor should be one of freshly plowed soil or soil found in the woods beneath trees. A slightly musty odor is not objectionable. Old leafmold has a very characteristic odor, indicating a good fermentation, which is similar. There should be no putrid odor. The structure of the original material should have disappeared. Sometimes straw, wood, fibre or other particles may still remain but con easily be broken between the fingers. In this condition they will fall apart quickly in the soil. Any large pieces which condition not completely decomposed con be added to the next pile for further decomposition. Summing up, the finished product should be dark brown to black in color, crumbly in texture, and have a so-called "woodsy" odor. Finished piles will keep a long time provided the moisture content is very low and they are covered.
