httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHIIGUiC8s
A guy by the name of “travelsignguy” often comments on my Youtube videos, offering feedback and suggestions. Last week I posted the video “How to Start Balcony Composting in 15 Minutes or Less”, and he made a great process improvement suggestion right away.
I know I don’t like turning compost, and I don’t think anyone does. He suggested to add a third bucket to alternate with the top bucket in the system. Perfect!
In other words, drill holes in a third bucket on the sides and bottom, then each week dump the bucket with composting material into the empty bucket, and put that one into play. By doing this, you’re effectively tumbling your compost. The material is being completely overturned, and this is a great oxygen exchange as well.
Thanks, travelsignguy!
Another frequent watcher of my videos, “zetreque”, wanted me to explain leachate. In short, we collect it in this system so that the excess moisture doesn’t build up inside the bucket. This would create a soggy mess and counteract the process quite a bit.
Since the moisture drains through, it allows the contents to stay moist, but not soggy. The leachate in the bottom most likely contains few beneficial microorganisms and may lean towards anaerobic.
You may wonder why many composter models have a collection unit of some sort, advertising compost tea as a byproduct. While I’m not a compost tea expert, since the contents aren’t yet compost, the water running through isn’t going to be effective as compost tea. However, when your compost is finished and is sitting in your tumbler or what have you, empty the collection and start it again…this time through you should have something you can work with if you act fast.
I always recommend Praxxus’ video E-Z Compost Tea to learn the simplest method for creating compost tea. I hope this explains the difference between compost tea (made with finished compost and water) and leachate (wastewater that trickled through waste that’s in the composting process).