Flies On Spent Grains Pile

[Finite]

Just remembered to post this after reading another thread about throwing yeast on the garden.

After my first AG 2 weeks ago I threw the spent grains in the garden. One week later im doing my 2nd AG and walk to the same spot to find it teaming with little black flies (fruit flies?). I dumped the 2nd AG pile in the very back garden at the back of the property this time (I live against the bush).

I have read that people just thrown them on the garden, is that just to be expected? Or should I dump it in the garden bin from now on?

Maybe if i improve my efficiency it wont be so sweet still

Cheers,

 

[barfridge]

Dig a hole and bury it.

That way there are no flies, no horrible lactic smells, and it's a wonderful compost. The only creepies you'd be encouraging would be worms, and they're good for a garden apparently.

 

[newguy]

Definitely bury it or work it into the soil somehow. I do this with the garden and the wife's flower beds. The spent grains are fantastic fertilizer and also help to loosen the soil if it's rich in clay. Worms love the stuff.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Each one of those fruit flies is a lactic infection waiting to get into some beer. Like everyone says, bury it and it makes good compost.

 

[Screwtop]

After mashing I don't consider there is much in the way of nutrients left to be of any benfit to the soil, so I dont dig it in. Broadcast it on the garden in a thin layer, it dries quickly, repeat the process and it builds into one of the best tyes of garden mulch I've seen. Forms a barrier against sun and wind, the soil below retains moisture well, always lots of worms below the mulch.

 

[Pumpy]

I dumped mine at the bottom of the garden for compost, it got full of flies and little jumping maggots and the smell was foul worse than you can imagine , I personally wont be doing it agan for me it was a big mistake .


Pumpy

 

[Batz]

My chooks love it

 

[Tony]

does anyone know if the low pH grains effect the soil pH for the plants.

they are a bit acidic.

I used to put them in the rose garden but the roses stoped doing so well and the smell wasnt so flash for a couple of days...... even when i gug it all in.

I have been putting it in buckets and disposing of it in bush land near my work.

cheers

 

[Hubby]

If you're worried about the acid, chuck a little lime on it Better still, composting it would be a great idea and I imagine it would be good for sheet composting or even a tumbler.

Like Batz says, my garden never sees it ... chooks just love the stuff

 

[Screwtop]

I dumped mine at the bottom of the garden for compost, it got full of flies and little jumping maggots and the smell was foul worse than you can imagine , I personally wont be doing it agan for me it was a big mistake .
Pumpy

Gotta spread it Pump, broadcast so it dries in a few hours, no smell then, unless it rains before it's had a chance to dry out.

Like Batz says chooks love it, breweries send it off for cow fodder, remember following a truckload in SA one day, think it had started to ferment, pheew!

edit:typo

 

[Fents]

I throw all mine on the garden beds no probs. Thin layers, dries real quick, no smell, great mulch and looks ten times better than normal mulch.