[USCC] Adding urea to land clearing vegetation

[Tamara Thomas]

Hi Craig,
	At the risk of being mechanistic- urea is approximately 46% N - so
assuming a C:N of 400 and 0.1% N content of your woody debris about 58# urea
per ton should get you close to  C:N of 30.  
	But on a more theoretical basis, isn't using chemical N defeating
some of the environmental benefits of composting?  Woody material has lately
(until the drop in oil price again) been in great demand as hogged fuel, as
well as to facilitate composting of higher nitrogen feedstocks - biosolids,
green grass, etc.  It seems a shame to force the degradation of this
material with chemicals when it has so many other beneficial uses.  
	I also wonder whether the addition of urea would lower the pH of the
compost excessively?  Have you tried this?  What about odor related to
volatilization of ammonia?

Tamara Thomas, P.E.
Terre-SourceLLC
Helping Compost Happen!
360-336-3536 Office
360-336-3530 FAX
425-844-6068 Field

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Coker [mailto:cscoker at verizon.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 2:44 PM
To: USCC Listserv
Subject: [USCC] Adding urea to land clearing vegetation

Colleagues:

 

Does anyone have any good formulas for the amount of urea to add to woody
vegetative debris to adjust C:N ratio for composting? 

 

One OSU reference I found referring to BYC said 1 lb per CY of compost mix;
one yard waste facility I work with uses 50 lbs every 100' or so of 6' x 15'
windrow.  

 

Are there any other proven approaches you'd like to share?

 

Thanks,

Craig

 

Craig Coker

Coker Composting & Consulting

1213 Spradlin Rd.

Vinton, VA 24179

Tel.: (540) 890-1086

Fax: (540) 890-1087

Cell: (540) 874-5168

Email: cscoker at verizon.net

Web: www.cokercompost.com

 

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