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What do you know about Composting?

I use a round ecomposter at camp, the idea being more surface gets sun contact. But their construction was designed for lighter yard waste so I can't use the rollers so I leave mine on the ground and just roll it about now and then. I never empty it out completely as to leave some material to help start next years cycle.
 
I use a round ecomposter at camp, the idea being more surface gets sun contact. But their construction was designed for lighter yard waste so I can't use the rollers so I leave mine on the ground and just roll it about now and then. I never empty it out completely as to leave some material to help start next years cycle.
You don't have to do leave stuff in there to get the next batch going.. the entire inside surface is teaming with the bacteria.. way way more than enough to get it going.
 
You don't have to do leave stuff in there to get the next batch going.. the entire inside surface is teaming with the bacteria.. way way more than enough to get it going.
True, but this round contraption has about 2 dozen hollow 6" spikes inside for vents so getting most of it out with a shovel without breaking them is fine.
 
Grass clippings are all greens and won't compost correctly.. Some clippings are fine, but you need an equal amount of carbon (browns) or the process doesn't work.

Greens are easy to find.. food, grass, etc. its the damn browns that are difficult. Sawdust is the best.. wood ash works good.. throw in some sticks and twigs to help break apart clumps. You need a 50/50 mix or it doesn't work and can start to stink.

Greens are waste products.. but you have to work to find the browns.. My table saw has a box below it that collects the saw dust.. I save that stuff when cutting clean lumber that isn't pressure treated.

News papers make great browns too.. just make sure its the dull paper type, not the shiny wax coated advertisements.

To much brown and nothing happens (not so bad), but too much green and it turns to mush and smells horrible.

A composter that is properly balanced, or even roughly close to being properly balanced, won't smell.. The problem is people think they can just throw in the food and it will break down into rich soil.. but the reality is that it will just stink like a garbage can.

If you find too much moisture, add cardboard or leave the top open so it evaporates on a hot day.. if you have too many browns, you can pee in a bucket and dump it in.. Urine is loaded with nitrogen.. or just dump in some grass clippings if you want to avoid the yuk factor.

Make sure to rotate once a week.. a good two or three turns to spread around oxygen. If you don't, it can go anaerobic and stink.
so Murph, tossing in ashes from a wood stove would help?
 
so Murph, tossing in ashes from a wood stove would help?
I tried that.. They didn't seem to do what I had expected they'd do.

It is possible that since the ashes are basically almost a pure carbon, that I used too much, or maybe the pH of the ashes is so high it has a harmful effect? All I can say is I tried it and it didn't work the way I expected.

If you mix water with wood ash, you make caustic soda.. Potassium Hydroxide to be exact.. That's how they harvested lye to make soap back in the old days.. its nasty stuff because the pH is so high.

I also made charcoal with a retort and it seemed to do a great job.

Sawdust is still king...
 
I'm pretty sure ashes contain virtually no carbon. Any carbon present would have combusted. Ashes are mostly the minerals that can't burn.
 
I'm pretty sure ashes contain virtually no carbon. Any carbon present would have combusted. Ashes are mostly the minerals that can't burn.
You might be correct.. my chemistry sucks... That might explain why they didn't work the way I had thought they would...
 

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