compost bin – Page 13 – Crazy About Compost

Trash Can Tweak

With the warmer months coming on, I noticed a pretty simple adjustment to my trash can composter that might help you get better results. Have you noticed when you keep the lid on that the contents seem to dry out pretty quickly? It rained the last few days here, so I kept the lid off so the contents could get extra damp... and the pile got pretty warm! This is what happens when you keep it damp- compost craves moisture. The key is to simply ensure your mix is right- double your browns with each addition of food scraps, and make sure you have a nice layer of browns on top. I saw a raccoon walking around my tiny back yard last night and left him be... the next day,…

How To Make A Compost Tumbler (Fast, Cheap and Easy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzGaXMVmsUo I'm glad it has holes drilled... that's the downfall of most tumblers. If you're looking to do this with less labor, just take the barrel and sit it straight up- cover it with 3/16" holes. Forget the tumbling aspect, just start it with 12" of shredded browns, then with each deposit of food scraps, add double the amount in brown materials. By the time that fills, you'll have compost on the bottom. The easiest option is to have a second one to start filling while the first one finishes... doing this, you'll have a great back-and-forth system to work with.

Shred Your Leaves!

Wow, I got really lazy over the last few months in terms of shredding leaves. Yesterday, I saw there were some bugs flying around the top of the pile and realized it was because the last time I added fresh food to the pile, I forgot to add fresh leaves. The leaves I re-covered the pile with were un-shredded, and so it was only a matter of time until I needed to fix it. Not everyone has a shredder, but maybe your neighbor does? It's really important and makes all the difference. By doing so, you'll get greater coverage for your food scraps, the material size is smaller, meaning it'll get to work quicker and lastly you'll see much higher composting temperatures. Further, you'll be able to store more in…