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COMPOSTING INFORMATION AND TIPS!
The Tumbling Composter contains a mechanism with rods or fins that mixes and breaks up larger clusters
to activate and “fasten” the decomposing process. Such composters are able to reach a temperature of
more than 140°F (60°C). In order for compost to be efficient, it requires a correct mixture ratio of “brown”
(carbon) and “green” (nitrogen) materials (see LIST OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR GREAT COMPOST). Water
should be added only when necessary and the tumbler should be turned every other day or so to keep
all ingredients, microorganisms, and moisture evenly distributed. Within a few weeks, your Tumbling
Composter will transform your scraps into this natural fertiliser named compost.
COMPOST CAN BE PRODUCED WITH YOUR TUMBLER IN TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES:
1. The best method: Produce compost in batches, loading up the tumbler until full, and leave it to break
down until completed. When running two tumblers simultaneously, one can start adding waste to the
second tumbler and wait for the first to complete its decomposing process. Refraining from adding
more materials to the current batch of working compost will ensure better results. A batch with new
waste materials can then be started when the first is completed. A second composter required for this
method.
2. Another method is continuous composting, where one adds more and more material, mixing fresh
waste into the decomposing process. When choosing this method with the tumbler, one should stop
adding when the tumbler is almost full, and let the contents decompose. Once this batch is completed
you can start the entire process again.
LIST OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR GREAT COMPOST
Decomposing Process
- When trying the process for the first time, it may be surprising how many small
creatures are participating in decomposition. This mixture of creatures, which include many insects, bugs,
slugs, bacteria, and mushrooms, form what is called a “food web.” Adding a small quantity of soil to this
mixture can be used to start the process. The creatures in the soil will actually contribute and speed up
decomposition.
Each and every member of the food web has its own contribution to your compost and it must be left
alone to do its job. If any of the member organisms is removed by using agents such as pesticides, the
natural cycle will be disturbed and the compost will be infected by pesticides.
Ingredients
- Basic ingredients for composting are: nitrogen, carbon, water and air. Water and air should
be readily available. Providing the remaining ingredients is somewhat more complicated. They are actually
referred to as “greens” and “browns” (not meaning the color but green = rich in nitrogen, and brown =
rich in carbon). The “green” ingredients represent the protein for the active creatures, and the “brown”
ingredients supplying the energy. Any plant in your garden can be used to “feed” these creatures. The
Tumbling Composter should simply be filled with these ingredients and mixed. Water must be added
separately and the composter must be tumbled to add air. The composter should then be left alone to let
the decomposing process take place.
Nitrogen / Carbon Ratio - The ideal mix is 3/4 “brown” and 1/4 “green” ingredients by volume. Such a
mixture of “brown” and “green” ingredients will ensure that the mass maintains the appropriate quantity
of humidity and air, and hastens the decomposing process. An increased amount of nitrogen will generate
a heavy mass, which will slow down the decomposing process. Then may be the right time to add more
“brown” ingredients!
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Nitrogen - "Green" ingredients range from lawn clippings and green leaves to manures and garden
trimmings and are all ideal sources of nitrogen for composting. The same can be said of kitchen waste,
such as vegetable and fruit leftovers, which also generate nitrogen. Kitchen waste can be kept in a plastic
container under the sink and should be cut up into smaller pieces before adding them to the composter.
Carbon - “Brown” garden ingredients such as dry leaves, twigs, or hay provide the carbon part of the
mixture and will ensure a lighter and aerated compost. Carbon is best provided by using dry leaves. Dry
leaves can be collected, shredded, and stored to be used all year round. If the mixture gets too wet or
contains too much nitrogen, add dry leaves. (Refer to BASIC NITROGEN / CARBON CHART for more
detailed information).
Water
- Neglecting humidity is a common mistake made during the composting process. The compost
should remain humid throughout the process. About 50% humidity is acceptable. How can we make sure
that such levels are achieved? One can simply open the compost tumbler, grab and squeeze a handful
of material in your hand; if a few drops of water are released, it is probably humid enough, if not, water
should be added by inserting a hose deep into the mixture so that not just the upper layer will get wet.
Let excess water drain out through the ventilation bores. The mixture should remain humid, but not wet.
Air
– All creatures and mushrooms in the compost mixture need oxygen during the process. If the mixture
is too dense or gets too humid, the air supply into the mixture is cut off and the laboring creatures will
probably be exterminated. The process will slow down and a nauseating stink will start. To prevent this
and hasten the process, the tumbler must be rotated every second day or so. This would also be a good
time to add shredded leaves from the stockpile. Preventing moisture can also be achieved by opening the
composter lid for a few hours.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes during the process, you will learn from experience. It would be a good
idea to write down these experiences and keep some records; they might come in useful in the end! Refer
to TROUBLESHOOTING for more detailed information.
NOTE
: The decomposing process has a lot to do with the surface area the tiny creatures have to operate
on. The best results are achieved when individual pieces in the decomposing mixture are kept small. So,
cut or shred larger ingredients into smaller pieces. A lawn mower can be used to shred dry leaves when no
shredder is available.
BASIC NITROGEN/CARBON CHART
MATERIAL
CARBON/
NITROGEN
INFO
Table scraps
Nitrogen
Add with dry carbon items.
Fruit & vegetable scraps
Nitrogen
Add with dry carbon items.
Chicken/rabbit manure
Nitrogen
Excellent compost ‘activator’, use in moderation.
Coffee grounds
Nitrogen
Filters may also be included.
Tea leaves
Nitrogen
Loose or in bags.
Grass clippings
Nitrogen
Add in thin layers so they don’t mat into clumps and putrefy.
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MATERIAL
CARBON/
NITROGEN
INFO
Garden plants
Nitrogen
Use disease-free plants only.
Lawn & garden weeds
Nitrogen
Only use weeds which have not gone to seed.
Flowers, cuttings
Nitrogen
Chop up any long woody stems.
Seaweed and kelp
Nitrogen
Rinse first; good source for trace minerals.
Eggshells
Neutral
Best when crushed.
Leaves
Carbon
Leaves break down faster when shredded.
Straw or hay
Carbon
Straw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal.
Pine needles
Carbon
Acidic; use in moderate amounts.
Wood ash
Carbon
Only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly.
Cardboard
Carbon
Shred material to avoid matting.
Corn cobs, stalks
Carbon
Slow to decompose; best if chopped up.
Dryer lint
Carbon
Best if from natural fibers.
Wood chips
Carbon
High carbon content can overwhelm, and shut down, an
otherwise good compost batch; use sparingly.
Sawdust
Carbon
High carbon content can overwhelm, and shut down, an
otherwise good compost batch; use sparingly.
Be sure sawdust is clean, with no machine oil or chain oil
residues from cutting equipment. Do not use sawdust from
painted or treated lumber.
AVOID ADDING THESE INGREDIENTS TO THE COMPOST MIXTURE:
• Meat, fish, fats and bones
- These could ferment or putrefy, causing odours, and attracting flies, rodents
or other animals that can be pests.
• Other foods like dairy products, sauces, salad dressing, and cooking oil
– These too could ferment or
putrefy, causing odours, and attracting flies, rodents or other animals that can be pests.
• Paper products – Should be recycled. They may contain chemicals that are bad for your compost.
• Ashes - Wood ashes may be very useful but in small quantities. Never put BBQ grill ashes directly into
the compost mixture.
• Dog and cat faeces
– May cause a risk of adding diseases! Moderately adding chicken, horse, cow, and
rabbit manure may be fine.
• Perpetual weeds that have turned to seed or diseased plants
– Not to be used as they can spread with
the compost.
• Any cooked or canned foods that contain salt
- Salt kills the little creatures that do the composting
in your mixture.
Important:
Do not add any part of the Black Walnut tree; it contains a chemical that may prevent the
growth of some plants, tomatoes in particular.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
SYMPTOM
PROBLEM(S)
SOLUTION(S)
Odour
Too much nitrogen
Mix in “brown” material and rotate tumbler
Too much moisture
Lack of oxygen
The Mixture Does Not Heat
Up
Lack of nitrogen
Mix in “brown” material and rotate tumbler
Lack of oxygen
Rotate tumbler
Lack of humidity
Humidify mix
Too much humidity
Mix in “brown” material and rotate tumbler
Particle size is too
large
Cut or grind materials
Attracts Animals Or Pests
Mixture contains
bones, meat, or fatty
foods, or animal
manure
AVOID ADDING THESE MATERIALS TO THE
MIXTURE.
(See AVOID ADDING THESE MATERIALS TO
THE MIXTURE)
SOME TIPS AND TRICKS
Critical Quantity – To make your composting process more efficient, a critical quantity is required in
order to generate a heat core. You should start with a minimum of 1 cubic foot (28 liter/7.5 Gallon) of
ingredients, But of course, the more the better. The Tumbling Composter can hold about 6.5 cubic feet
(182 liter/48.5 Gallon).
A pr
operly combined mixture will r
each a w
orking t
emperature of about 140° F (60° C) in
about five day
s.
At this time, the mixture will be “settling”. This is a good sign that the mixture is decomposing as it should.
NOTE: Once the mixture gets to proper size, do not add anymore raw ingredients to the working
compost, but rather start a new batch with new ingredients. If you add more ingredients, it will restart
the mixture from the beginning. This is why we suggest operating at least a couple of tumblers.
When Is The Process Completed?
- The compost is ready when the original ingredients have turned into a
uniform, dark brown, crumbly product with a pleasant, earthy aroma. Dump the compost out of the
tumbler, leaving a little bit inside as starter microbes for your next batch.
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WHEN AND HOW TO USE COMPOST
Garden fertiliser and Soil Building - Compost can be used throughout the
season as a garden fertiliser. Simply side dress vegetables and flowers for a
slow-release food source and improved disease prevention. Till in compost in
spring and fall to improve tilth, increase fertility and aid in water retention
for sandy
soils or water drainage for clay soils.
Lawn Feeding
- Screened compost (compost that has been sifted to collect the
smaller particles) can be applied as a lawn fertiliser throughout the season. It
will provide a wonderful slow-release food as well as
assist in lawn disease
prevention.
Potting Mix (potted plants, seed starting)
- Compost can be added to potting
soil to create a nutrient-
rich mixture.
LOCATION FOR YOUR TUMBLING COMPOSTER
Choose a flat, level surface convenient to your source materials (kitchen scraps, lawn
clippings, garden, etc.)
Since microbes work best at elevated temperatures, temperature is key to the
breakdown of compost. Although microbes generate their own heat as they
work, you can help keep them warm by positioning
the Compost Tumbler out
of excessive wind and in full sunlight. In hotter areas of the country a shady
location may work as well. The fastest decomposition occurs between 140°F
(60°C) and 160°F (71°C), but
some breakdown will occur as long as the
compost is kept above freezing.
WINTER - Since the Tumbling Composter is portable, it can be moved (even
when full) by one or two people to convenient locations. In winter, place it
by your back door to avoid a long walk to recycle
kitchen scraps. Although
the microbes stop working when the batch freezes, freezing breaks down fibers
in organic material, thus speeding up decomposition in spring. In winter, do
not turn the unit, but keep
adding waste.
When spring arrives and the material defrosts, tumble and begin adding
materials in the correct portions.
You may find you need to add a lot of carbon
material to achieve the correct ratio, so do not overfill the Tumbling
Composter during winter.
If you do not use the Tumbling Composter in winter, move it to a location
sheltered from high winds and
snow. Ideally, it should be stored in a garage
or shed.
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