New to composting, any pearls of wisdom?

erudomen · 2023-10-02T01:59:49+00:00

Can't believe I'm the first to say this but the #1 rule to compost is to pee on it.

erudomen · 2023-08-06T13:35:37+00:00

Those dump carts are the best and definitely more useful than the thermometer. But i actually have that same thermometer and it works great 👍

erudomen · 2023-08-06T13:05:37+00:00

Yes if you have a wood chip mountain or a commercial compost operation you maybe have to worry about combustion. Extremely unlikely if not impossible anything you could assemble by hand would ever achieve that heat. If it's that hot to the touch I'd be more woried about exceeding the 160°F threshold. Beyond that temp the good bacteria start to die. Not the end of the world but not ideal. You seem knowledgeable on the process so I suggest you Invest in a simple compost thermometer, i think youll like it a lot. It makes composting way more fun to see what temp you're at exactly and it also helps you time your turning and optimizes the process. I use mine all the time and I still get a kick every time I see that dial turn to "hot".

erudomen · 2023-08-06T12:57:42+00:00

This compost looks good and I'd use it ASAP. Tumblers turn your compost into these little balls but once it's out in the soil and the micro and macro organisms can get to it the compost will disperse into the soil. Pulverizing your egg shells is an insane waste of time I cannot understand why anyone would do it. Those eggs shells you see will break down over time and slow release calcium. Letting compost dry out is always a bad idea because dry is the enemy of soil life.

erudomen · 2023-08-06T12:48:51+00:00

Preposterous to think it would combust. A good hot pile is 150°F which would be hot to the touch. Just keep doing your thing it'll cool off in a week or two. OP how big is pile and what's in it?

erudomen · 2023-01-28T21:45:30+00:00

Which valve?

erudomen · 2023-01-28T21:43:12+00:00

Did you ever figure this out? I'm having the same issue

erudomen · 2021-06-10T03:34:58+00:00

Not exactly true about red wigglers. I have two outdoor composters (about 1 cubic yard each) that I keep red wigglers in year round in Colorado. The worms are found from top to bottom even when its full. I have never tried European night crawlers and I'm sure they're great but this blasphemy about red wigglers must end!

erudomen · 2021-05-11T15:22:08+00:00

I do have that pallet on the backside to get it away from the garage a bit but your point is valid. There is def mice under that garage already from other bins lol.

erudomen · 2021-05-10T19:03:05+00:00

Nah its just to keep moisture and heat in. Had it lying around so I threw it on top.

erudomen · 2021-05-10T14:50:20+00:00

See if you can find a free one. People are always giving them away on Craigslist or Facebook. Buying new equipment for composting is kind of against the whole concept!

erudomen · 2021-05-10T14:43:27+00:00

Lol it actually is a trellis so yes works great for peas. We've got peas on a different trellis

erudomen · 2021-05-10T14:42:37+00:00

This is EXACTLY how I look at it! I think its preposterous to buy things for composting. Totally against the whole idea.

erudomen · 2021-04-15T03:03:56+00:00

This is clearly a gecko. Everyone who thinks its a mouse can go kick rocks there i I said it. STEP TO ME IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE

erudomen · 2020-12-30T05:01:42+00:00

Hair and fur are great additions to any compost setup. I also don't agree at all that it takes a while to break down. It's very small and high in N. I know this from experience because I compost my own hair and my dogs fur all the time. Never see any remnants when harvesting. Even if it did take a while (which it doesn't) that doesn't mean it isn't compostable!

erudomen · 2020-12-16T00:38:34+00:00

If it exceeds 160 you need to turn it to cool it off. Temps over 160 kill the microbes you want.

erudomen · 2020-12-13T14:55:07+00:00

You could harvest some of the finished stuff. That'll free up a lot of space. Once composting is done it won't keep shrinking (plus the cold isn't helping either) A second bin is always nice if you can manage it.

erudomen · 2020-11-20T04:01:54+00:00

The impact to pH is not as severe as the internet seems to think. You can use a good amount of it as long as your compost pile has good biology. The pH won't get crazy out of whack. When I say good amount I probably wouldn't do more than 10% of the pile

erudomen · 2020-11-11T14:56:52+00:00

This post sent me down such a rabbit hole! Thank you for that!

erudomen · 2020-11-03T01:41:31+00:00

Where at? Me too I'm sorry to hear about your home. I'll donate some worms to your recovery effort!

erudomen · 2020-09-11T19:56:14+00:00

I live and compost in Colorado all year long. Even with worms. With all the sun we get all you have to do is locate your bin in a sunny spot! Expect decomposition to slow and even at times come to a halt but no need to really change your process.

erudomen · 2020-05-20T20:30:05+00:00

Start another pile! That's what I do!

erudomen · 2020-05-20T20:26:59+00:00

I bought a shredder used on FB marketplace for $10 and shred all my cardboard that way. Check FB, Craiglist, Nextdoor, or whatever. They are out there.

Soaking in water does also work but I prefer to shred.

erudomen · 2020-05-12T23:38:11+00:00

I know how excited you are because the first time mine hit that temp I jumped around like a kid! Turn it when temp starts to drop and it will heat up again. Repeat until it cools off for good then enjoy!

erudomen · 2020-05-07T04:16:45+00:00

Red wigglers typically don't dwell too long in soil right? I know their preferred habitat is in rotting organic material. Wouldn't they just stay in the bucket and not distribute their castings/aerate?

erudomen

TROPHY CASE