The most common question I am asked is why a compost bin or pile is not working as expected.
There are lots of secrets to making good compost. If you follow these guidelines Mother Nature will do most of the work and you will learn the remainder as you go.
- Secret #1: Shredding your material: leaves, hay, straw, paper and cardboard. Shredding increases the surface area that the compost microbes have to work on and provides a more even distribution of air and moisture among the materials. This also - virtually - eliminates the need for screening the finished product. Generally, the type of chipper or shredder used is not important, provided it can handle the materials. For example:
- For your kitchen scraps, use your Cuisenart or Osterizer blender to pulverize the material.
- For outdoor bins or piles we recommend a hammermill type shredder. Over the years, we have tested numerous makes and models and I can assure you that all chipper/shredders are not created equal. We carry a complete line of MacKissic hammermill chipper/shredders that have decades of proven reliability and are simply unparalleled by the competition.
It is important to have the right balance of material so your compost breaks down as quickly and efficiently as possible. The bacteria in any 'Outdoor Composter' needs both carbon and nitrogen to function; carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein synthesis. For every unit of nitrogen used by the bacteria, they consume about 30 units of carbon. So in order to keep the bacteria working efficiently you need to create a blend that is about 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen.
- Secret #2: Adding an activator such as Alfalfa or Bone Meal to your Composter provides the needed nitrogen and protein to speed up the process. For every 10 gallons of compost use a half cup, every 2 weeks for the first six weeks. If you need to add some water to your bin, mix the meal into the water.
- Secret #3: Moisture level. Test your moisture level; do not guess. You want your moisture level in the bin to be between 60 and 70% for the first 8 weeks, and between 50 and 60% for a couple weeks, and ending up as close to 35% as possible at the end of the cycle.
- Secret #4: Temperature: both ambient air and internal bin temperature are factors. A major drawback with small bins is that they cool off in the winter. If you live in zone 7 or cooler, you should cover your unit with a simple tent/tarp just to keep the wind off. It will really help. Fill up your bin completely and treat it as a batch. Tumble to Aerate every 7 to 10 days, or use a portable drill with a bulb auger or paint stirring gizmo for stationary units. By week three or four, your internal bin temperature should be at least 140^ F and your goal is 160^ F by week six or eight.
Typically, your compost will be done and ready to use in 100 to 110 days. If not, something is out of balance!
