Quote Originally Posted by redeyed
coffee grounds, eggshell, Hardwood ash, horse shit, clay, sand, and some leaves and grass clippings..
Quite the collection there... get rid of the sand and clay in your mix. Makes your soil heavier without adding significant lightening, if you knwo what I mean..let me rephrase... your dirt's gonna weigh a ton and still have crappy drainage. There ya go... compost heaps get just compost... you mix in the other stuff later... perlite is what you're looking for. Hardwood ash, coffee grounds- affect pH. Eggshells- good Ca source and can neutralize some acid. Leaf litter- good. Grass clippings and horse manure... not so good, they are real nitrogen suckers as they decomp... you will probably be okay since you 've got this all planned out so far ahead.

Quote Originally Posted by redeyed
I've had them in a home made hot box in my yard for about 10 months now .......need to add some lime as I'm sure the ph will be way off do to the compost..
yup! but check the pH before. Get some liquid indicator from Tom at liquid sun, adjust the pH, water your compost again, let it settle again, check it again... you know the deal.

Quote Originally Posted by redeyed
Foxysox good call with the pulleys, that was my plan all along. I like the moth ball idea, that should be a big help with critters..
haha I think foxy might know a thing about growing in southern NE.
Quote Originally Posted by redeyed
neem oil, ..... but can I mix it into my soil before planting.
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Wouldn't do it. Go for bacillus subtilis from a product called serenade, they have it pretty much everywhere, it's a fungicide. Other than that, remember that your outdoor compost is going to have beneficials/predators in it and bug pests won't be as much of a prob as you think... pulleys will let you bring your girls down and you can neem spray them on the ground.