Amending Compost Storage Bin With Biosolids - March 2023

Over the past few weeks, I've been working with biosolids in various ways - topdressing parts of the lawn and parkway as well as using it in a vertical mulching strategy in our front porch bed.  But, I also wondered....what would happen if I amend our compost storage bin (the non-active, non-mixed storage bin) with some biosolids in an attempt to being to sort-of 'pre-mix' the storage bin.  This bin is MOSTLY last Fall's leaves with a little bit of grass clippings mixed-in...as I used the bagger on my mower to collect and 'chop' the leaves.  This is also the bin where I throw all my garden clean-up waste (like...the recently removed ornamental grasses) and our kitchen scraps.  

This past weekend, I took two gallons of biosolids and dumped it on top of this storage bin.  See below for how much I added (not much):

I used my spade to sort-of mix in the biosolids with the grass blades and it quickly disappeared from the top of the bin.  

What's the goal?  To help amend the bin with a little bit of organic material and nitrogen in an attempt to try to get the storage bin to begin to work just a little bit.  I don't expect much decomposition in this bin - because of that lack of proper N-to-C ratio - but, I figured a little biosolids can't hurt.  

I'd like to add even more (in terms of volume) to really see if it does anything, so I'll be heading back to the mulch pit and grabbing even more biosolids.  I plant to continue to top-dress the yard, but I'll use a little bit each trip to add to the compost bin.

As the weather warms up, I'm planning on turning over the full (mixed) bin to see if I can get that pile to heat-up and get to that good 'black gold' by Fall.  

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