compost

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Mon Jan 31, 2022 11:25 pm

well i added more leaf yesterday. today seems 1/2 full again.
i will do this batch. then pack more in next time.
here is the leaf

then here is the tumbler

threads are more interesting with photos lol.
so today looks 1/2 full and is warm inside.
i need to leave it alone now for 3 days.
say's to spin every 3 days or so. then i read
that you can add some molasses mixed in hot
water. that kicks the compost heat into high gear.
so i added that tonight. now to wait...

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Fri Feb 04, 2022 6:22 pm

well it got up to 125º then cooled off.
it is less than 1/2 way full now. i think i need
more mass in there. so on sunday i will add more
leaf. i think it needs to be at least 2/3 full. to
have the mass to cook off.

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:32 pm

well got last of leaf sorted this weekend.
i packed tumbler yesterday and wetted it down.
today i got the last 1/2 trash can packed in there.
did a count i sorted 37 large brown bags of leaf
thru a 1" screen. i have 7 bags of fines to dry sift.
i have 30 bags into the composter. or 7 trash cans
into composter. learned a few things so far. like take
some time packing composter. takes a few days for
dry leafs to get limp. then can add more till it is
filled. then start the composting. needs the mass
and weight to get cooking. i did toss about 100 worms
in there out of worm bins. maybe they can avoid the heat.
figured it can hurt. wetting it down now slowly.
guess thats it

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 8:33 pm

well all the leaf is wetted down now.
is a hungry bin, is like 1/2 full again.
but is heating up today. a good sign.

want to reach 160º

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:27 pm

well only kept warm a few days.
so is not enough mass in bin to kick off.
is only 1/4 full now. also has turned into many
round balls. so no heat composting. i went to
my worm bins. where you feed them the baby
worms clump thickly at bottom of the food.
i pulled out a few clumps from the worm bins.
added them to the compost bin. let them tear
it up. a few thousand baby worms. they will
eat and grow fast. but is all good. got rid of
all the damn leaf i had sitting. all that leaf
is now the size of like 3 5 gal buckets.
wild after stuffing it full so many times.
is just another worm bin now, be a few months..

Intrinsic · Post by **Intrinsic** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:08 am

Sweet. So all that was just canna leaf?

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:26 am

yes 30 filled brown bags worth.
still amazed how small it got.

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:26 pm

well last week was all in 2-3" balls i been tumbling
every other day. i was pinching some of the bigger balls
in 1/2. added a little dry peat moss to keep it from
getting to wet. so is down to like 2" and smaller balls now.
if i pinch a ball in 1/2 some have rotted and some still some
leaf but rotting. not seen any sign of the worms i put in there.
well that's so far

Lrus007 · Post by **Lrus007** » Sun Mar 06, 2022 12:35 am

well seems to be rotting balls. the balls have got smaller
as they rot. been adding a little dry peat moss to keep
it from getting waterlogged. still no signs of worms.
will tumble every day. when balls break up i can add
some more worms if i need to. odd how it all balled up..

Roots · Post by **Roots** » Sun Mar 06, 2022 12:41 am

Kind of figured that would happen, it’s too wet and needs more carbon inputs…it’s very common.