By: Derrick Walters

To restate a popular phrase: “compost happens” and indeed it does. Make a pile of shredded leaves and grass clippings, stir it up every now and then and as long as it gets rained on occasionally you will eventually get compost. Worms and microscopic creatures will do their thing. While this process is simple enough it does have drawbacks. Not everyone has a good location for this pile of compost wannabe. Another problem is that it is hard to control the moisture level of an open pile of composting material which you do not want to wet or too dry. With the open pile design you can not readily remove some compost when you are ready for it, you need to wait until the pile has finished composting. Therefore you may end up with multiple piles of compost that are at various stages of completion.

To help address some of these issues we have come up with ways to improve the process. Many people use upright bins to compost. These can be as simple as a frame of shipping pallets on their sides to form a box. This type of composter will certainly help to make your composting more than just a spreading pile. This type of composting will also allow more critical oxygen to reach all areas of the composting material. You will also find it still fairly easy to mix up the composting material. Two problems still remain. First this is still primarily a batch process and second, moisture control is difficult unless you tarp the container.

There are newer manufactured bins that come closer to getting it right, with the idea being that you add the material in the top and remove compost from some type of drawer in the bottom as you need it. The concept sounds good but with many of these composters it is difficult to properly mix up and add air (aerate) the compost. Even if you are able to do a good job stirring it up you are back to basically a batch process without the planned downward and out flow. Yet if you do not stir it up well and just keep adding material to the top, the lack of oxygen will greatly slow or halt the composting process with this type of composter.

The next big step in composter evolution was to move to a simple drum style compost tumbler. Basically, a barrel was attached to some type of stand that allowed it to be rotated. This was a real leap in composting technology because you now could monitor and control moisture content, thoroughly mix and aerate the composting material and the composting could take place on a tidy enclosed space. For all of the advantages, one big drawback still remained. This was the ongoing problem of the batch nature of almost all composters. How could a composter be designed so that the composting would continue as an ongoing process with finished compost removed as it is needed? The answer was the development of a composter with a drum inside of a drum. This double drum system allows material to be added through a door in the side of the outer drum and as it breaks down into compost it will exit out a discharge port in the end of the rotating drum. This development has solved the last of the major hurdles to effective backyard composting. No more batch composting! With this type of composter, a good mix of greens and browns, and a little water, you will get your first compost in a few weeks and keep producing throughout the warm part of the year or all year long in warm climates.

If you are looking for the fastest most practical backyard composter, you really need to consider a composter that incorporates the double drum technology. Another benefit we have found is that children love to see how the compost seems to magically appear from the output port even though it was grass and leaves etc. that was added to the feed port moments before rotating the drum. This has allowed these high tech composters to be an interesting educational tool to help us impress upon children how they can be involved in the stewardship of our fragile earth. 

Hitlary asked:


I made a barrel composter and would like to know about composting correctly to keep the nutrients from burning.

By: MIKE SELVON

Building up sustainable soil for organic gardening starts right after the garden soil testing has been completed. The testing of the soil helps to identify the additional fertilizers and conditioners that can be added. When attempting to garden organically, testing, maintaining and improving the soil is a constant process and one that is well worth the effort, according to those who advocate organic farming and gardening.

Creating sustainable soil for gardening organically means that you have to be able to replenish the topsoil of the garden. One of the best substances to have for keeping the soil rich and healthy enough for an organic garden is a good supply of compost. In addition to compost, it is good to have enzymes, earthworms, and beneficial microbes available to add into the soil mixture as well.

In most cases, when the garden bed has been established with great quality soil that is able to support and sustain organic gardening, it can then be maintained by simply adding home composting on a routine basis. This can easily be done by replacing a layer of the garden soil with a layer from your compost.

Backyard composting is a terrific way to improve your soil structure and also enhance moisture retention. In the average compost heap there are billions of bacterial organisms that will grow, feed, reproduce and die. Through this life-cycle of the microorganisms, the organic waste material that has been added to the compost pile will be recycled into a robust organic fertilizer and effective soil conditioner.

Many people say that composting is truly the ultimate in recycling because it benefits the soil in so many ways and supports organic farming and gardening in its highest and best sense. In addition to improving the structure of the soil and the moisture retention ability of the soil, composting also provides excellent aeration, full fertilization and nitrogen storage. Composting also creates a beneficial pH balance in the soil, releases a stream of nutrients and supplies food for the beneficial microbial inhabitants in the earth.

Shredded alfalfa hay is one of the best types of material that you can add to your compost heap, and some say it is “the” secret to a great compost recipe. Worms really thrive on alfalfa, making worm composting even more effective and faster, and it provides excellent mulch and soil additive components for your soil.

When you want to get your compost ready for your organic gardening undertaking, you should make the compost pile about four feet high and also about four feet wide as well. It needs to be located in an area that allows for good drainage and it should be surrounded with chicken wire so it will have proper air circulation. After about three to four months, your compost will be ready to mix in with the soil and begin working wonders for your garden.

Libbysmum asked:


My husband and I are getting ready to move into our first home. I am wanting to put a garden in the back yard, and am interested in composting to make my own fertilizer. Does anyone know if there are any state laws in Ohio about this, or would it be in city law? Does anyone have an idea about city laws on composting? Thanks!

By: Diane Palmer

Did you know that worms will eat organic matter 3 to 4 times quicker than your backyard composter?… and with a lot less effort?

It is simple, it costs nothing to run at all, it is not time consuming, and you can make lots of very organic natural fertilizer free, that won’t burn your lawn or hurt your plants if you use too much like the commercial products.

A major part of your kitchen waste is organic, and should not be thrown out, but kept and recycled with your new worm pets!. Worms will eat just about anything that was once living. That includes: leaves, grass clippings, weeds, all sorts of household food scraps, natural fiber cloth, all sorts of manure (including dog and cat waste) paper products, and even human hair.

Worm castings, are what you get after the worms have processed their “dinner”. It is Mother Natures best natural fertilizer. You simply spread onto your garden beds, and lawns, and flower pots, with no worries about using too much.. .

Did you know that 2000 composting worms, can turn into 8000 worms in 6 months?.. all you need are some simple tools and containers, and it pretty well runs itself, you just need to make sure and feed them your food scraps etc, and they will be happy little campers.

Worm farms are also ideal for businesses, its a great place for employees to get rid of their food and lunch scraps. The castings can then be used in planters and beds etc, what a great way to keep all the food scraps out of the dumps, as we do not tend to use composters at work..

Worm farming is also great for balcony gardens in apartments, as there is NO smell, no rotting garbage smell, the worms process the scraps quickly, and you can produce quite a lot of castings for your balcony planter pots.

There are all kinds of great instructions and ebooks out there on worm farming, but a lot of people think it will be messy and stinky, which is not the case. This is a great way for you to help with the environment, and do your part to keep our world green. Give it a try and get some more information… how to make a worm farm