How do I know if my composter is working?

[sofasurfer]

I made a pickle barrel composter. About a week ago I filled it half full of old wet leaves and grass from my old wet leaf and grass pile. Today I added a couple of days worth of coffee grounds and filters. While I had it open I smelled inside. Nothing unusual, just old wet leaf and grass smell. It is quite moist inside. There is a gap at the bottom, where the aeration tube is, for excess water to drain out which I assume is adequate to keep it from being too wet.
Sooo, am I doing good so far? How do I know it is working? How long will it take to become dirt? Suggestions?

[Rick]

I assume you can turn the barrel over? You want to turn the contents about once a week to aerate. If you don't have any dirt inside it wouldn't hurt to just toss a hand full of loose garden dirt in there. The microbes you need to break down the vegetation is in the dirt so all you are doing is seeding the material with the microbes. But you do need to turn it once a week.

[sofasurfer]

Yes I am turning it. I will throw some dirt in today. Thanks.

[1stimestar]

It also helps to add a few worms.

[Jimmyq]

Check for temperature, compost heaps get hot, at the least it should be warm if the heap is active. I can put a tarp full of grass clippings in my truck on a Friday and if I am lazy and don't get to the dump to empty it over the weekend, its hot to the touch by Monday morning as it begins to compost. Try and keep a level of equal brown stuff (branches, twigs)to green stuff (kitchen waste, leaves, grass clippings) as you add material, and I agree, if you can get a shovel full of garden soil OR a shovel full from someone elses active compost heap you will be helping kick start the cycle.

I don't think worms can live in an active compost pile, unless you are talking about vermicomposting which is a different process for the material digestion. Red wigglers are the most efficient I believe.

[sofasurfer]

Added the dirt from a couple of different place near the woods. Got a little moss in there too. There was no noticeable heat. My composter is pretty much shaded. Is it important to get it out in the sun. Natural composting seems to work well out in the woods.

[Rick]

Yeah, worms won't last in a composter. Remember that you have a living, breathing thing. The microbes are pretty tough but just like us they have limits they can live in. You don't want it too wet or too hot but kinda like goldielocks.....just right. Once the microbes start gnawing on the vegetation it should start heating up.

A lot folks also swear that a can of beer poured into the pile gives the microbes yeast to feed on. Always thought that was a waste of beer. If microbes need yeast they can find their own. But a lot of folks swear by it.

[ClayPick]

Some leaves are real slow and hard to break down, like oak. As a rule I just dig a hole in an unused area of my garden and bury them. Biggest thing about composting is knowing what is nitrogen based, what is carbon based and mixing them in the correct ratio. Get it right and a pile gets real hot. It might be a good idea to have two barrels, one to keep moist and turned until it is finished while you fill the second one. Best luck I had with a barrel composter was putting in kitchen scrap only with some dirt. Turning compost piles use to be a regular chore until I started using worms. It’s hard to keep up with them. My compost never gets beyond 120 before they use everything up.

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[hunter63]

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A lot folks also swear that a can of beer poured into the pile gives the microbes yeast to feed on. Always thought that was a waste of beer. If microbes need yeast they can find their own. But a lot of folks swear by it.

My preference is to strain that beer thru my kidneys first, than add the "nitrogen enhancement" to the mix.

It's all about a good mix, the barrel will do a good and fast job if your mix is even between greens and browns.

Used a metal home made barrel mixer for a while, but really rusted out quick.
Did make compost in about 2 weeks.

I am gonna assume that your barrel is plastic?

[1stimestar]

Some leaves are real slow and hard to break down, like oak. As a rule I just dig a hole in an unused area of my garden and bury them. Biggest thing about composting is knowing what is nitrogen based, what is carbon based and mixing them in the correct ratio. Get it right and a pile gets real hot. It might be a good idea to have two barrels, one to keep moist and turned until it is finished while you fill the second one. Best luck I had with a barrel composter was putting in kitchen scrap only with some dirt. Turning compost piles use to be a regular chore until I started using worms. It’s hard to keep up with them. My compost never gets beyond 120 before they use everything up.

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Yea this is kind of what I do. I do a compost pile and don't use a barrel. I actually don't have one this year because I knew this house was temporary and also, I don't want to attract the moose.

[Kosuki]

I compost in my field all the time, its great esp in winter. One winter a friends and i started composting in a long line, once stow started to fall one year, HEH hot compost+cold air... It was so steamy it was better than a military smoke screen ^^

[Chris]

For a compost tumbler you wouldn't want to use worms, for a pile you can, but it isn't vermicomposting, really, unless you use layers and bunches of worms.

Also, you can't mess it up. How do you know if it is working? Its working. It might go faster, or it might go slower, but the organic matter will decompose, it will work.

With a tumbler I don't like going more than 50% full on it, otherwise you don't get a good mix when you spin.

[sofasurfer]

I've been composting for about 2 weeks now. I don't see nuttin hapnin. What should I see and when should I see it? My composter in not in direct sun...is that bad?

[hunter63]

If your mix is close to 50/50, browns and greens, and you added a little dirt to spike it with microbes,saome water to keep moist.... it should be working.
The question is how fast or slow....
Does it smell like dirt?
Are you tumbling it?

[LowKey]

I just throw stuff in the top of the bin and dirt comes out the bottom. Only time I worry about it is if it smells really bad, as in The Neighbors Might Complain bad. Usually happens after too much rain or in the spring.
That usually just means it needs aerating or a couple good shovelfulls of dirt (or both) to get it working again.

[sofasurfer]

I put some old grass and leaves in it. I also added a couple shovels of dirt and I have been putting my daily coffee grounds in. I tumble it about twice a week. Should I buy some compost starter or just shut up and be patient?

[ClayPick]

Leaves as a rule are high in carbon and need quite a bit of GREEN grass clipping. When you let grass get old and brown it’s lost most of its nitrogen content. Coffee grounds sour if you don’t get them composted fast enough. Hang in there, composting is a wonderful science when you start getting it right. The pee would help.

[hunter63]

My compost bins are mostly "cold compost" takes all summer...or over the winter.
That's why I have 2, one being added to, one finishing off, at least the bottom.

Be patient, everything will eventually rot........sounds like a case of "Watched pot syndrome"

Don't bother with that "starter stuff", waste of money.....for the same price you can by a bag of cheap fiterlizer that has a real high in nitrogen content, like 20-5-5 and added a handfull everyonce in a while, will last for ever.

I empty my garage pee bottle in the bins as well....nitrogen.

[sofasurfer]

Here it is september 30. My compost bin is not warm at all inside. The stuff in it seems to be a more dense mixture...settled down and all a more uniform color. I smell NO rot or mold. I think its either stopped working all together or it is sooooo slow that it will take forever. I think my main problem is that when I started it I put it in a shady area near the woods. Never gets direct sun. Probably should have in direct sun to get it cooking good.

[Rick]

Actually sun or no sun shouldn't be a problem. Remember, it's a living culture so it's either too wet, too dry or isn't rotated enough. Hard to guess what the problem is but the bacteria isn't growing to break down the plant material very quickly. If it was it would be hotsy totsy (or okay dokey, whichever).

Oh yea, one other thought. Too much brown material vs. green material. If you add some chicken or horse manure you can probably get it started again. (that kind of brown material is okay)