Composting on a small scale

Composters can be very expensive and sort of ugly. I found this one on a website for a large commercial home improvement store and, compared to everything else I saw, it was cheaper and not so much of an eye sore. It came with instructions so I'm going to follow those and see how it goes. They say it will only take 2-4 weeks to compost!

The company's instructions:

1) Set up your composter in a sunny spot to ensure your compost stays hot (95F - 160F) 130F - 150F will kill seeds and pathogens but don't go above these temps.

2) Add composting matter. Use 1/3 green to 2/3 brown to ensure a good finishing batch. Add a handful of fresh top soil to introduce new microbes. Manufactured accelerants may be used, be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging. Fill the composter half but not more than 2/3 full. Otherwise aeration will be reduced and microbes will be killed.

3) Turn the tumbler once a week and when new items are added. All materials should turn to a brown, moist, soil like material with an earthy smell for plants, lawns or vegetables in about 2-4 weeks.

If the composter isn't composting it might be too full. Remove some material and add more top soil. Check the temperature, it might be too cold or too hot and the composter will need to be moved to a different location. If nothing works then empty the bin and start over with old and new material.


Composting Ingredients:

GREEN - nitrogen rich 1/3
bread, cooked food, dairy, egg shells, fruits and veggies, garden/house plants, grass cuttings, raw meat and bones (sparingly), tea leaves/bags, coffee grounds, weeds (not gone to seed)

BROWN - carbon rich 2/3

bedding of pet cages, feathers, hedge trimmings, paper and cardboard, straw and hay, wood chips and sawdust, dried leaves and grass

NEVER ADD!!!!!!!

cat or dog litter/waste, ashes from a source other than wood, diapers, glass, plastic, metal, toxic materials, plants that are diseased or gone to seed

Composting tips:

Maggots can help compost but indicate a wet batch.
Breaking material down before composting will greatly reduce composting time.
Don't add too much meat or grass as they can make for a soggy batch and reduce aerobic bacterial growth.
Make compost tea by adding a small amount of compost to about a gallon or two of rain water for nutrient packed plant food.
Don't add paper with lead based ink on it.
Adding to a batch will increase compost time, so try to construct your batch all at once.