tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914636656291302269.post8925629305371300292..comments2023-07-05T02:23:04.160-07:00Comments on <center>Kicking My Own</center>: Serendipitous Timing, Garden Maintenance and Black Soldier Fly Larvae Creep me outChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04065541936065431754noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914636656291302269.post-11664971121342514912010-09-07T05:44:06.258-07:002010-09-07T05:44:06.258-07:00I actually found the answer on The Worm Dude (http...I actually found the answer on The Worm Dude (http://www.thewormdude.com/) yesterday. His advice is to err on the side of under feeding and under watering. Plus I'm removing the so called compostable bag of Sunchips. All its really doing is trapping moisture. <br /><br />But your compost pile is a different animal, if it gets too dry it'll stop. Also if it gets gooey just add more carbon to dry it up. If you all ready know this then sorry for repeating. You need a ratio of (ideally) 30:1 of Carbon:Nitrogen. The base of the pile is really important. Start off with a large amount of Carbon/brown. Rough stuff like hay or very small branches, dried leaves work great. This allows air to be drawn up from underneath. Then its a layer of N/green quickly followed by C/brown. Repeat as you get green material not as you get brown. Make sense? Brown materials are always plentiful. The green is what will add the smell the brown takes it away. Also there is only 2 sources of water for a compost pile - external (you or rain) and internal (green breaking down). If its too dry you either need to give it a good drenching or you are adding more brown then you need to. Also adding an activator might help. You can get one you mix in water at the store or you can use comfrey or alfalfa if you can find it still green. Again you probably know all this but I like to help :-) plus you're my first comment!! <br /><br />I know about the larvae! Even though they are beneficial I'm not sure about purposefully cultivating them.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04065541936065431754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914636656291302269.post-14007039974703783762010-09-06T23:43:44.805-07:002010-09-06T23:43:44.805-07:00Ew, on the fly larvae. Now I feel better that my ...Ew, on the fly larvae. Now I feel better that my compost is on the dry side, actually have to add water. Bad news is that it isn't breaking down too well.Dustanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07017627178410652251noreply@blogger.com