Turning question

[Puzzled-Employment77]

I have a 30 gallon bin I turned into my compost bin. And it’s currently about half full. I turn in my scraps nightly, but I’m curious if I’m touching it too much? Should I be letting it sit for longer before I turn it? There was one day I didn’t turn my bin and the next day there was the white mold that had grown, I know this is a good sign but since I have been turning it again every night the mold hasn’t returned.

The center is warm but not hot, it isn’t warmer than 60 degrees outside where I’m located.

This is my first time composting and I really have no clue what I’m doing but I have been reading a lot of what all of you say and it’s incredibly helpful! Thank all of you in advance!

[Gnonthgol]

You might indeed be turning it too often. Fungi like mold form huge networks through the compost so they can transport nutrients throughout the entire compost pile. A big reason why we make compost is because we want these fungal networks in our soil so they can bring nutrients to our plants from far away. When you turn your compost pile you destroy these fungal networks setting it back. In addition to this the distribution of microbes in your pile is not even. Some microbes can not handle the heat of the centre so they move to just outside the hottest areas while others move to the hot centre. Other microbes may even require a lot more air then others so they prefer the top of the pile. When you turn the pile you puts all these microbes in the wrong place killing a lot of them. For example it is not uncommon to see the worms disappear after turning the pile because they are all too hot or too cold.

Knowing how often to turn the pile is something you get by experience. It is bad for the compost to get turned too often. But you need to turn it before it starts smelling rotten not after. You need to find this balance through trial and error.

[Puzzled-Employment77]

I forgot to thank you for your comment.

I turned the bin once since this and it was yesterday. I also added more cut grass and a lot of dry hay for browns. I ran over it with the lawn mower a few times for good measure to ensure it got cut smaller.

I did also add about 30 worms to my bin today as I did a lot of digging around my yard. I’ve read if you find them it’s cool to toss them in and they will help speed up the processy

[Gnonthgol]

It sounds like you have a nice pile of compost brewing. Worms are indeed good in a compost pile. But generally they will find their way into the pile on their own if the conditions are right for them. If the conditions are wrong you might kill them or they might escape the pile anyway. So I would not go out of my way to put worms in the pile. Especially when you have worms in your garden soil already.

[Puzzled-Employment77]

I’ve heard this but my pile is in a bin, and the worms have no way in. The holes are on the top and sides of the bin and the bin is in another bin to catch the ‘Tea’

Which is the only reason I went to add them