rehashing composting...

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mantis
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rehashing composting...

Post by mantis »

I know a lot of you compost, and my wife needs your help. About 9 months ago I got my wife an "Urban" composter.

Image

She started throwing stuff in there, but it never composted... just got a lot of maggots. She tumbled it every day, so it should have been aerated, but it looks like it just rotted. Don't worry, I'm not posting pictures.

So, what can she do to avoid this problem? Can I dump in a half bag of composted manure or composted humus to help it start? She's tried varying what she threw in to have a nice blend of leafs, grass clippings, vegetable scraps, etc., but currently it's not working.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.
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svendrix
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RE: rehashing composting...

Post by svendrix »

Hi mantis.

That should be a fine composter, I almost ordered one before I decided to try a cheaper option (build my own). Did it come with any instructions on the mix of ingredients you put in? If she's just putting in food scraps mainly, that might be what you're seeing. I am building compost bins from 2x4's, and from the research for those, it looks like you need to have equal parts nitrogen-rich materials (green material such as grass clippings, etc), and equal part cellulose materials (sometimes called "brown" materal, such as dead leaves, etc).

Also size of scraps can be an issue, don't put them in there too big (use your new shredder on those big sticks!). Some people sell compost starter that you can use to "get it going", though a lot of research I've read said that it is a waste of money, just throw some good dirt or compost from a garden center in there to get it going. You apparently are not supposted to put manure (or other animal dung) into the compost (though it is supposedly fine with vermi-composting using worms).

Here is a URL that may help with your situation a bit. I'm pretty sure what you're seeing is a lack of the micro-organisms that are beneficial to breaking down the materials. Try the worm compost if you can get some locally!

http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/compost-starter.html

Somewhere I used to have a link of what is considered green material, and what is considered is brown material. Also apparently there are some things you DON'T want to put in: no dairy products, no meat products, no fatty-greasy waste. No animal waste. Apparently all of those items will be really slow to compost, or cause other issues, so put them in a plastic bag, tie it off, and fling it over the neighbors fence. Just kidding... =D

---Sven
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Roy
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RE: rehashing composting...

Post by Roy »

Here's also a good link about composting:

http://www.envocare.co.uk/makingcompost.htm
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mantis
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RE: rehashing composting...

Post by mantis »

Thanks for the links. I'll look into them and see what I can learn.
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RE: rehashing composting...

Post by dudley »

how big is it?
cant tell from pictures.
i have a similar problem with my composter. no maggots but no compost.
mine is only about 25 gallon capacity and i suspect that it just is not big enough to work efficiently. instructions suggest 1 part green to one part brown and suggested using the wood chips it was shipped in. after two years it is still full of wood chips. a friend has better luck by putting his grass clippings in a garbage can and pulverising them with his weed eater first.i have not tried that yet. seems like alot of trouble.
"Plants are people just like us"
GrowingHabit
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RE: rehashing composting...

Post by GrowingHabit »

I've gotten the book "Secrets to Great Soil" by Elizabeth Stell, and I highly recommend it. At first flush, it appears simplistic, but its loaded with information, so don't let the black and white line drawings and paper back mislead you. I grew up watching my parents compost, and I still learned a bunch from the book.

In the book, she says that for "hot" composting, you need a balance of about 3 parts carbon-rich (browns) to 1 part nitrogen (fresh green). And that most tumbler composters are not large enough to compost hot. They cold compost, and that can take up to a year. The tumblers may also dry out and need added water more often than other methods, I think I've read, particularly if its in hot sun.

If you don't have digging critters, sheet composting is such an easy way to go. Newspaper-crud to break down- more newspaper- some dirt. 6 months, and its perfect soil. I've used this method a lot in the past, but some skunks have moved in, and they made a giant mess of my last layered efforts. Strung juicy rotten peaches and egg shells all over the place. But apart from that little problem.....

Or dig a small trench, toss kitchen scraps in, and when its got a good amount, turn a row of dirt into it, digging a new trench next to it at the same time. Repeat. The book recommends this, and I've done it in the past with excellent results. I don't know the way to avoid flys breeding in it- that's only a very brief seasonal problem where I live, so I can't help with that.
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Re: rehashing composting...

Post by pure light »

i have made compost always outside i alwas added ferterlizer lime and would dig up earth worm from another site and add them to the compost pile they hellp turn the compost add them when the heat backs off or they will die if they do just add as needed. later pure light!
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