Shout out to the youtube algorithm for dragging me into a video about composting.

"I made a conscious decision to be open to the possibility of failure" nailed!

Simple, clean, no filler, straight to the point. You’ve earned my subscription and like

This video is absolutely incredible the language and explanation you give is exceptional. Your method is nothing short of outstanding.

"I made a conscious decision to be open to failure." Totally my type of gardener. 😊 Darn, I'd hoped there would be some helpful tips on turning. Grunt work, no getting around it.

Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly what I told my readers in my book Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting. You are my brother from a different mother. It all rots - throw it on the ground! I'm going to link this video on my site. Thank you.

Rule #1: Be comfortable with the risk of failure. Well, said my friend.

Anything that was recently ALIIIVE... Oh, the possibilities..

i just enjoyed that he is well spoken and did not say um once. this guy knows his stuff

I came for a video about composting, and 30 seconds in, I am feeling like this guy needs to give a TED talk. I like the perspective he has on rules

When your local software engineer suddenly decides to get into farming ;)

Telling it like it is. World needs more videos like this in every field.

His explanation for why he doesn't like rules makes so much sense not just in composting but in other areas of life. Good video

I use my chickens as the front line on kitchen scraps.old plants and weeds I think I have broken every rule on feeding them.They eat what they want and discard the rest and they do a great job mixing it. Every 2 weeks I clean out the run and put the waste in the compost pile. The chickens are thriving and in eight years I have only lost one. our compost is good and plants are all happy. The only rule I follow is no plastic and take great care ensuring it does not get in the chook run. Our cats deal with rodents and sparrows. Good luck with your composting it looks like you've developed a good system for yourself and your neighbours..

*Clicks a video about compost* Gets philosophical ponderings of life 👍🏻

Industrial concrete mixers are excellent for the initial stage of composting. I've converted two in the past, one removed from an old concrete truck that required a bit of fabricating to attach pulleys for turning. The other was a trailer unit that had the original generator still for turning. It helped a little with the rats, not so much keeping them out, but, trapping them in an avalanche of overturned compost from time to time. It was also a pleasant bonus that the ease of turning sped up the entire process remarkably.

For the last 35 years I have always said if it lived you can compost it it dosn't matter if its cooked or not dairy produces also compost they use milk as fertilizer in many contrys I have never had problems so I would say you are on the right track

I love that there are so many positive and well deserved comments about your video and that you respond to almost all of them. Really well done. Thanks

Years ago, I lived in a townhouse but still wanted to have a compost pile to amend my flower gardens. I took the lazy gal's approach - I dumped kitchen and yard scraps behind my tool shed, added a bit of soil from what was nearby, and left it. That turned out to be a VERY nice little batch of soil - one that I used to plant container veggies. Thanks so much for sharing your own experiences with this.

I like your sieve! And your advice is always sound. I also really appreciate how you stick to the topic and don't repeat yourself. Excellent presentation.

You have been the best tutor on Organic Compost I have ever seen, because you do not waste time on all the technicality that other people do. Also, your method seem to be more in line with nature - when composting happens in nature, in the forest, etc, there is no selection of what can and what can not be composted, there everything goes: leaves, wood, dead animals, etc, etc. It also reduces the amount of effort one needs put into managing the system. Outstanding!! Thank you!!

your compost looks super nice!

Thanks Minecraft, that im interested in composting now :D

Great video. I've been "planning" to compost for about two months...watching videos and reading articles about best practices. I finally just decided to do it and piled up the scraps, cardboard, and old leaves I had saved up to see what happens. Your video makes me feel better about just giving it a shot.

Hi Bruce! I just discovered your channel and absolutely love it! I've composted just about everything over the years as well, including weeds, diseased plants, small dead animals, spent brewery grains, and fish waste from a sushi restaurant. I'm looking forward to more videos!

As I watch this video, I am noticing that all the rules you say you don't follow are actually being followed, only with more work involved. i have a small compost so I will still follow the rules but I do think your idea of community compost is great and the 'no rules' approach definitely helps to keep others involved.

Brown gold! You absolutely nailed it on the temperature of the pile, it must get above 60 Celsius or you will end up propagating weeds along with your desired flora. Perfect video for those who have their doubts about what you can and can't do. But I do prefer to quickly sift out ANYTHING that looks like plastic or such if I can. I think we are already ingesting enough of that without even knowing it.

Algorithms also is how I ended up here, at first I thought it was just a guy rambling on... after watching 4 videos I am beginning to see that he has got a lot of interesting thoughts and answers some of questions regarding composting that can never be found on the net. I appreciate you going thru your thought processes and then solving current problems. Keep up the good work!

hey man, i got a body in my trunk, can i put it on the compost ? he was recently alive, so no problem eh ?

KZfaq algorithm: you haven't seen a single composting video, but here you go.

I live in a city so I can't even do this if I wanted to, but I watched the whole thing, something about your voice was so calming

I think the algorithm is slowly trying to prepare me for the end of the world. I've been recommended videos on everything from water purification to making my own clothes.

I have some easy rules. Put in various stuff Add some soil Make sure moisture is good Turn it as often as possible

Right on! So many people are so strict about compost, but I recently decided that Nature is not a vegetarian. My compost pile is quite small, so I don't put chicken carcasses in it. But I shared this video with another gardening friend of mine who has a bigger operation.

Thank you for working hard to benefit yourself and your neighbors. I hope they appreciate you.

love it, been doing similar in my own yard at home for a while now. love that you've brought this to a community community project level

I also break the rules and add 'everything'. For some years I was ignoring the "brown/green ratio"... when I *did* add volumes of layered green and brown I experienced HOT compost for the first time. Also the manual labour of physically turning helps stimulate the process ; more work, but better results.

Awesome, Awesome video,Thank you for sharing your experience. Good stufff

Im so glad i searched for this video. Your intro is well spoken and *so applicable to much more than gardening*

I really enjoyed this video mate. I love the science that has been implemented into this experiment and I also like the unbiased result you have disclosed followed by positive changes. Brilliant mate.

Would LOVE another video on composting. Great stuff RED

Extremely well articulated and explained. Thank you for sharing. Keep it up!

it is so very nice to hear some one who speaks well on the intellectual level.. i like how you got a set up that is many stages. my wife grows the best compost around. i admire the labor you give to growing yr own compost. it is the connection and love of the earth that truly makes it magic im subscribing . hope for more information. that ground will talk to you if you have the ear to listen, lol

It's amazing how much philosophy goes into gardening. How many perspectives there are.. your's was interesting. I'm a big advocate of simplification, when it comes to garden methodology.

Am I the only one that noticed the flash picture of dead rats at 5:06?

😂 Anthropology of “rules” plus composting! Wonderful. Hilarious. Intelligent. Practical. I’m IN!!! 👍🏼 ***SUBSCRIBED***

Worked for a Japanese tea farmer in Hawaii and he had very specific methods to create compost and paid meticulous attention to temperature and moisture content of his piles. He also brewed various mixtures of effective microorganisms in order to inoculate it and speed up decomposition. It was as if they were his prized possessions. I admired his dedication to his piles and think maybe because his volcanic soil lacked a more complete profile of nutrients and that his tea was his livelihood I guess he felt he needed to do this. I did like that he collected materials from around the area to mulch or create compost.

Had to come back and watch this again. Thank you for the informative content.

this is great. i have revolving composter, i already put fruit peel in. I will start adding some bones too

This almost feels like reading through a thesis

You are one of the most level-headed, logical presenters on KZfaq, without the bells and whistles. Not often you find those willing to teach others, actually admit that they themselves are still learning and seeking better ways. Very refreshing indeed. Thanks for sharing...

I haven't been able to watch any of your videos in a while but you're still kicking ass with information. Thank you for sharing all your work.

This video deserves more views, likes and to be shared a WHOLE lot more!

Thanks for sharing your successes and struggles. Its always refreshing to see others' adventures in composting. Just to share what has worked best for me..... First I bokashi all scraps in a industrial trash bag (they are tough and reusable) for 2 weeks (which goes into a sealable 35 gallon barrel) then dump the treated scraps on my cinder block worm bin (that is submerged 2 blocks in the ground for easy winterization). The lid is just plywood weighed down with stones. It's been the least labor intensive combination I have experienced so far, while still producing high quality red wiggler castings and using all potential compostable scraps. In winter, I just add more food to generate some compost heat, as well as line the bin with straw bales for insulation. Only have to check on the worms every 2-3 weeks, instead of every week. When I have had a surplus of scraps, I recently built a similar sized bin to yours, and added a solar panel-powered fan that blows into a manifold underneath the bin. This forced aeration method that we used at a previous farm reduces turning to 1-2 times in 2 months (just to bring outer materials inward). I made a bike-based business of this compost pickup and processing, and so was forced to think in terms of reducing labor and being more effective and efficient. Still looking for better ways to tweak it, but after trying lots of methods over my 10 years of farming, this is my favorite. Peace.

I've watched a lot of videos about composting and this one is my favorite! Thank you!

I could never imagine to find the best video about composting. Your experiment is a true masterpiece!!

I agree. Frequent turning is key:)

Love this!

I was not expecting such a pleasant orator. Oh and I am glad to finally have these questions answered.

I appreciate this! I have long been an advocate of the "no rules" method. Twenty five years ago I adopted E.f. Shumacher's compost axiom: "If it has lived and died, it can go in the compost" and I send everything there. Some things take awhile (cotton or wool clothes need to go through twice) and I also have never had a problem with weed seeds. I don't know where the purist "no meat, no milk, no bread" thing came from because rodents will eat pretty well anything and leaving those things in the regular garbage makes it stink. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to make videos, I like your style.

If everyone was as good a person as you our planet would be even more beautiful!

'I have to confess that I don't really like rules, or more accurately, I don't really trust rules.' Great quote. Liked this video immediately after that opening statement :)

The way he communicates makes me ponder the questions of life.

I agree with you completely. You also learn a lot when you ignore the rules and see what happens. Half the time you get an expected result, but you quickly realize that the suggestions people make are incredibly context specific and people don't realize it.

wow what an amazing video you just got a sub. wish I had found your channel earlier. your style is perfect. all relevant information, concise and to the point. and delivered logically and understandable . if your not a teacher you should be.

I had a compost heap purposely to attract rats so my cat had something to hunt and leave the birds alone...happy cats bring home the rats...i would pile them on the front lawn

Love the articulation and experimentation and how you share your findings.

I really enjoyed your detailed, scientific approach and explanation of the process! It has given me a few ideas on how I want to build my system up. Thanks!

This was wonderfully informative! I hope to mimic the success here and grow food not only for my own use but also for donation purposes. Thank for posting this. It motivates me to try harder to succeed at farming.

Thanks KZfaq, I thoroughly enjoyed this video

Rules for composting have to be evaluated to determine if it is applicable to one's circumstances. Thanks for expressing your views and more.

Thanks for taking away the mystery of composting. I feel I can follow your guide easily. Much appreciated.

Thank you for subverting expectation, usually a KZfaqr BS's us on their full proof "composting" method, only to be let down after 10 minutes. This was amazingly informing

would the heap attract goblins?

This has got to be the best video on composting I have seen. I also love that I can understand your Irish accent. Not all Irishmen seem to feel the need to speak clearly and coherently.

I find your presentation and approach to gardening refreshing and entertaining. Great videos. Keep up the great work!!

I've been composting for a year now. i just put in what i got at the time (dry leaves from around my house and at the park, grass clipping from my weekly mowing, kitchen scrap that my wife ask me to throw in the compost bin which includes fish bones, used tea begs, goat manure when i visit my parents once in a while since they have goats). i dont use the 3:1 rule of brown to green or whatever it is and i also dont care about whether my bin becomes aerobic or anaerobic. i water the compost bin when i feel like doing and i also dont turn it. in the end.....it still becomes compost. i have a lot of other things to think about so i dont have time making compost as if it was rocket science.

sir i would just like to say that was a vary informational vidio and i appretiate all u had to say

I love your sifter! Makes so much energetic sense! I saw one where they drove a pole in the ground and had a strap attached to the other end of the sifter so one person could shake the compost sifter. Maybe a stabilizer stand for when your loading it too.

Thanks for taking the time to help teach us about composting, and sharing the special 📸 photo at the end of your video ☺️ Good looking group of Happy people 👌😃👍

Interested to see future rat culling video.

Yep. That looks about right I'd think

Thank you for the idea of no rules composting. I will promote this concept on my channel. This will help our community waste turned into a very useful material for gardening. This made compositing easier.

Finally someone who realizes that a forest has everything your _not supposed to compost_ and yet seems to grow out of control if left to it's own devices. The way you put it is excellent. Will use it as a tool to show those around me who say otherwise.

Your composting methods are exactly the same as mine. I've got down to a three year cycle and I turn every month. I now have worms throughout the cycle and they do a lot of the work.

This was a very informative video. Looks fairly labor intensive with all the turning. Do any of your neighbors who contribute to the pile help with the turning and moving of the compost??

have posted this on several garden forums and such, great video, excellent experiment and my thanks for you doing it.

i do the same composting. 3 years already, works just perfect. never thought about any rules or details, simple intuition. thank you for sharing this online, keep up simple and organic lifestyle!

Love it

when you said you had a system to deal with rats that was effective but brutal, I immediately thought of cats

Really great video, came here to learn about composting in order to start my own own. Learned a lot more than I thought I would in little more than 8 minutes. Thank you for sharing your experiment and doing humanity a favor, taking us one step closer to a healthier planet!

Been watching your videos for past couple years I definitely enjoy them. Good content and done well! Im just now taking starting to compost at a bigger scale totally helpful video! Cheers from Southern California

What do you think about the possible contamination of organic soil from heavy metals, glue, and other random chemicals used in newspapers and cardboard?

you need chickens. if you get a larger breed they can add to your turning.

I have seen tonnes of videos but still you made me to watch your content it's good to watch as you told new tips and some extra points that other won't..

Never expected something so philosophical in the beginning of a gardening video

thought maybe you could raise the beds, and put a 1in by 1in screen between compost and ground. as the lower level decomposes it falls through. scoop it out.

Very interesting and well delivered video. I have been composting for 20+ yrs and have recently given up some of the rules as well. The big one was bones this year. I started adding chicken bones to my composting process, and for the first time in all theses years, I have found Cockroaches in my compost. NO BUENO. So I will stop doing that. Chicken manure, cooked food, small amount of oil have not been a problem for me. Weeds have never been a problem and I don't have particularly hot compost. I compost in large hard plastic bins (the initial stage of composting) that are essentially rat proof and I have never had a rat problem using them. I do bury all juicy kitchen scraps in carbon (tree trimmings, shredded paper, etc.). My main compost piles are on the side of my house, next to my chicken coop, so rats are NO BUENO either. You don't discuss particle size in your video which also affects the composting process tremendously. I mix my piles with a metal fence post every week or so. The side of the bin makes a nice leverage point to help me. I turn my compost every 4 months. I have a two pile system. My larger 90 gallon bin collects new material, after 4 months it is dumped into a smaller plastic container (about 64 gallons), after 4 months, that is pretty much done and distributed to the garden. I have a total of 3, 2 bin systems in my yard. One of my 2 bin systems is used to compost dog waste. That compost will only go on ornamentals. I locate my bin systems close to where they will collect most of the material going in it. I pick up bags of leaves being left for garbage pick up in the neighborhood to get extra carbon. Shredding leaves is a hassle but leaving them whole takes too long to break down IMO. Any way, there are many ways to compost, but one must keep in mind that bad things can and do happen. Bad compost can kill people, especially children. I read one of the worst e-coli outbreaks in Europe was traced back to an organic farm in Germany. I'll bet it had to do with improper composting of manure.

Thank you for The Best composting video. I am going to ramp up my composting as I really enjoy my current results.

I did not expect to watch more than 30 seconds of the video, but I've found myself at the end and so interested I'm going to check out the rest of your content.