Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Compost Bin and Building Compost question

habitat_gardener · May 28, 2015

I haven't used that one, either. I'm skeptical about those doors in the bottom -- I've always found the compost in the bottom is wetter and needs to be aired out a bit before i can sift it.

I use mulch, sometimes newspaper, for browns. Mulch is usually what I've sifted out of the previous compost bin. (I normally have 3-5 bins.) To avoid odors, you need to bury new kitchen waste in the pile a few inches deep, so that it's fully covered, or else cover any new additions with some browns. I've also used coffee grounds (free in quantity from coffee shops) to cover new kitchen waste.

I store my sifted compost in 5-gallon nursery pots until I'm ready to use it. I cover the tops so that they don't get waterlogged in the rainy season. The holes in the bottom help the worms or other macrofauna escape if they want, and keep the compost from getting soggy and anaerobic if it does get caught in the rain.

May 28, 2015	#3
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	I haven't used that one, either. I'm skeptical about those doors in the bottom -- I've always found the compost in the bottom is wetter and needs to be aired out a bit before i can sift it. I use mulch, sometimes newspaper, for browns. Mulch is usually what I've sifted out of the previous compost bin. (I normally have 3-5 bins.) To avoid odors, you need to bury new kitchen waste in the pile a few inches deep, so that it's fully covered, or else cover any new additions with some browns. I've also used coffee grounds (free in quantity from coffee shops) to cover new kitchen waste. I store my sifted compost in 5-gallon nursery pots until I'm ready to use it. I cover the tops so that they don't get waterlogged in the rainy season. The holes in the bottom help the worms or other macrofauna escape if they want, and keep the compost from getting soggy and anaerobic if it does get caught in the rain.