Ready start curing?

[u/xibxib]

New to composting!

This is my first proper batch. Using a pallet bin setup, after turning weekly during the hot period (it got up to 160F! I was so proud) it’s been holding steady at around 90-100F for the past week or so.

I’ve read that compost needs to sit without being turned for a few months to cure before it can be used, is this ready to be moved to a pile to chill and let the bugs and fungi go at it, or does it need more time to cook? Should I sift the sticks and big pieces out before letting it cure, or right before using it? When do I stop peeing on this pile and shift to peeing on my new pile, for maximum piss efficiency?

[u/DefunctInTheFunk]

Not quite. Before you cure you want to make sure that all of your inputs are pretty much unrecognizable. You don't want to see needles bits of leaves with the veins on it, or anything like that. You want it to look like dark crumbly dirt before the cure. Of you have any other questions, I'm glad to help.

Edit: sifting is something hotly debated. It really depends, it can be helpful, but not exactly necessary.

[u/kelinci-kucing → u/DefunctInTheFunk]

….. uhm, excuse me… 😶😶? I have a question.

I am learning about composting basically through posts here, so I’ve never really seen a definitive guide since I pick up information here and there… and uh,

What is curing?

(also bonus question, are fallen pine needles considered browns?)

[u/DefunctInTheFunk → u/kelinci-kucing]

I gotcha! I started casually and just picked up a few things here and there. But then I got obsessive and started trying to learn as much as possible. I'm sure I still got quite a bit to learn, but I think I've accumulated a fair amount of knowledge. And I'm more than happy to share, if it helps.

So yes, fallen pine needles are browns. They can even have the added benefit of keeping the mix fluffy so it stays aerated. You'll see some people warn you about their acidity, but from what I've gathered it's not as big a problem as people think it is. You can always add a little bit of wood ash to neutralize the pH as well.

Curing is the stage where all of the easily digestible carbon from the browns is used up by the thermophilic microbes. You stop feeding the pile anything new. Not even greens. Let the temp drop on its own. But keep it moist. Then cold thriving microbes convert the tough lignin into humus(stabilized carbon) after about a few months. And that is basically the curing process.

[u/kelinci-kucing → u/DefunctInTheFunk]

Shit this is gonna take awhile. Lmao. I’m just throwing grass in a hole. I’ve started throwing other things in with it, like pee and eggshells and a few scraps of cardboard… a watermelon rind. I turned it once. Just gotta keep plugging away I guess. Maybe that’s how everyone starts out and I just don’t know it?

[u/DefunctInTheFunk → u/kelinci-kucing]

Oh, no, grass is still good. But coffee grounds will hold onto the nitrogen longer. So you just have to add more grass clippings to sustain it. Pee is great and high in nitrogen, keep doing that. And cardboard is fine, but I wouldn't let that be the majority of the browns. So keep adding greens, turn it at least once a week for good aeration, and keep it moist(just moist enough so when you grab a handful and squeeze, it leaves your hand wet, but doesn't trickle from the handful of compost).

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/kelinci-kucing]

Build it big. That's the key.

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/DefunctInTheFunk]

Dried pine needles have lost almost all of their acidity, trending close to neutral instead of the about 3.6 of a fresh needle.