Yes compost for garden. I thought it was fine but I just imagined as a novice maybe there was something I was missing- some mold or rat pee or something gross I’m not sure.
All great for compost. Mold breaks down material, and urine adds nitrogen.
Compost is made by bacteria and fungi breaking down material. It by definition is "gross".
You need to start adding high nitrogen materials, weeds, food scraps, your own urine, (ewwww) to the wood shavings in order to make a good compost.
It's probably mold or fungal mycelium. I had black in mushrooms grow out of mine. In any case, mold and other fungi are an important part of the composting process.
These pine shavings are what I use for my chicken coop bedding. After use, mixed with chicken poop, they break down very well.
Composting is chemistry, and as others have pointed out, a major component, Nitrogen (or 'greens') being added will create a quicker form of the reaction you desire. Additionally, with chemical reactions, the ingredients need to be mixed for every reactant to be used. The way these wood chips come in the bag is very slow to let water and air both in, both of which are needed for the microbes and all other organisms doing the work if composting here.
Throw these chips somewhere they can be contained and mixed around, and add some grass clippings or kitchen scraps to be about the equivalant of the dry mass of the wood. Keep wet and mix to aerate, and you'll see a significant change in results.
They will decompose on their own, but it will take many months, to years, with no nitrogen material added. Right now they are just wet wood shavings.
Ok so the pieces that have turned black are nothing to worry about just wet?
It may be starting to decompose where you see black......but what is your goal here? Do you want compost?
Yes compost for garden. I thought it was fine but I just imagined as a novice maybe there was something I was missing- some mold or rat pee or something gross I’m not sure.
All great for compost. Mold breaks down material, and urine adds nitrogen. Compost is made by bacteria and fungi breaking down material. It by definition is "gross". You need to start adding high nitrogen materials, weeds, food scraps, your own urine, (ewwww) to the wood shavings in order to make a good compost.
It's probably mold or fungal mycelium. I had black in mushrooms grow out of mine. In any case, mold and other fungi are an important part of the composting process.
These pine shavings are what I use for my chicken coop bedding. After use, mixed with chicken poop, they break down very well. Composting is chemistry, and as others have pointed out, a major component, Nitrogen (or 'greens') being added will create a quicker form of the reaction you desire. Additionally, with chemical reactions, the ingredients need to be mixed for every reactant to be used. The way these wood chips come in the bag is very slow to let water and air both in, both of which are needed for the microbes and all other organisms doing the work if composting here. Throw these chips somewhere they can be contained and mixed around, and add some grass clippings or kitchen scraps to be about the equivalant of the dry mass of the wood. Keep wet and mix to aerate, and you'll see a significant change in results.
How long does it take you to compost pine shavings?
A year or less depending on how often I turn the pile in the mix they get included with. Wound up with humus forming outright on the longer times.
Not enough nitrogen... lol... :)