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Negative experience with compost tumbler | (Read 357 times) |
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MJ Solaro
Administrator
Posts: 131
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March 26, 2008, 10:47:41 AM |
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My friend Beth recently posted on her fabulous blog that she had a less-than-ideal experience with her plastic compost tumbler. My question to those of you expert-composters here is what she could have done, if anything to improve the experience she had. Or perhaps her experience is exactly right, and worm-based composting is the way to go?
An excerpt from her article which you can read in full here:
Inspired by Life Less Plastic's excellent Step By Step Composting Guide and info about her Compost Tumbler, and also after many questions from readers about my experiences composting with my Urban Compost Tumbler, I thought I'd post a quick update.
Back in August I wrote a detailed post about the various composting options for someone in an urban environment without access to a yard: Compost Tumbler: a solution to the potting soil problem? So I won't rehash every option and the reasons why I chose a compost tumbler instead of worms or bokashi. But I will reiterate that I ultimately chose the Urban Compost Tumbler over other tumblers because it is made from 100% recycled plastic rather than new plastic. And I had heard about rust issues with metal compost tumblers.
I've now been using this one for over 7 months, and I've found it's not as wonderful as I'd hoped. It's a little over half full now, and because of the shape and the way it tumbles end over end, it has become extremely heavy and difficult to flip. I can no longer do it myself, and I assure you, I have really, really tried. Fortunately, I live with a very strong Michael. But if I lived alone, I'd have to stop using it.
Another issue is the importance of making sure to have enough brown material in there. My experience has been that with a traditional composter that sits on the ground, making sure the green/brown/water mix is perfect isn't as important as with a tumbler where the materials are sealed in and don't have access to elements and helpful critters like worms. Let me give you an example.
Before we bought the Urban Compost Tumbler, we had a traditional plastic composter (non-tumbling) on our roof. We managed to do that by putting down a sheet of black plastic and then a wooden pallet that the composter sat on. The composter had a bottom with holes in it so air could get through from the bottom. And it had some tiny holes in the top so rain could get in. For the first couple of months, I was diligent about adding the proper amounts of greens (food scraps & plant clippings) and browns (mostly shredded newspaper) and water. But I never turned the compost. And then over time, I became less diligent about the ratio of greens to browns, and when winter came, I gave up altogether and just let it sit.
When I opened it up in the Spring, I was surprised to find beautiful, sweet-smelling soil that was full of fat earth worms. They must have gotten in when I added some dry leaves from the sidewalk. The compost was beautiful. So why did we give up this system and opt for the tumbler? Because I was worried about the roof. As I've said before, we are renters. And I was worried about what was happening to the roof under the wet plastic. It was yucky under there. And I thought having a system where the composter doesn't touch the roof would be better for us.
But you can't accidentally get fat juicy earthworms in a compost tumbler. If you do, they'll die from the tumbling. And you don't get natural air flow, which is the reason you have to tumble it to begin with. So my compost is not developing as beautifully as I would have liked. Right now, I've stopped adding green material and am only adding shredded newspaper because the compost had started to smell bad, an indication of too much nitrogen and not enough carbon. Fortunately, we have a "green bin" system in Oakland, and our food and yard waste are picked up curbside and taken to a commercial composting facility. So I'm not wasting my food scraps. I'm putting them in the green bin and sending them away instead of using them myself right now.
My recommendation is that if you have a patch of ground where you could put a traditional composter, you should go that route before considering a tumbler. It's easier AND those composters cost a lot less. I don't have that option.
If I were more diligent about composting, I'd probably get a worm bin. But I'm not, and I just don't want to have to worry about letting worms die. Worms, unlike kitties, don't pounce on you and bit your nose and cry to let you know they're hungry. Also, I don't have any shaded place to put it, so they'd probably fry in the summertime.
I still wouldn't buy a composter made from virgin plastic. So at this point, I'm not sure what I would try if I weren't using this one. Overall, it's fine for someone who is strong or who lives with someone who is strong and willing to turn it periodically. I'll write another update when I finally take the compost out and show you the finished product.
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 1331
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March 26, 2008, 03:10:35 PM |
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I have the big metal one. My one complaint about it is that I don't think it is big enough for proper composting.
But if you had something that size that you would try to roll around on the ground - yes, I could see that being a huge hassle.
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dirtworks
Posts: 65
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July 16, 2008, 07:48:23 AM |
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You can get good compost from tumblers but you have to work at it. Turning them too much keeps them from composting and turning them too little leaves you with a big bucket of garbage instead of compost.
Here at Dirt Works we sell a very good compost accelerator product that adds digestive enzymes and bacteria to the mix to help things along. We sell composters too.
Tumblers are a compromise to be sure. For those of us who are lucky enough to have large back yards or acreage the best compost is made in piles or bunkers made with pallets, bales of old hay or stray or just a nice big pile you can turn with a tractor.
Urban and suburban environments are special places that need different solutions.
Compost piles in places like that can attract rodents, large and small and that can lead to feuds with the neighbors and sometimes danger to children and the most vulnerable of us, so tumblers are here to keep the process safe and under control and sometimes to keep the neighbors happy. They do require more work and initial expense to set up but they can work. I usually recommend that people buy two composters of they can afford it. That way you don't just keep piling fresh garbage on top of your compost. You can let one sit a little while as you start another batch.
Remember too that every situation and even batches of compost can be different so timing the turns and placement of the composter to maximize conditions for proper heat or cooling is important.
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grassygirl
Posts: 24
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August 09, 2008, 07:30:19 AM |
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so if i have a couple homemade garbage can "composters" and they seem to smell absolutelu disgusting, is there help yet? can i add a product or should i bagthe wholeexperiment?
will itever become the good stuff?
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 1331
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August 09, 2008, 10:29:18 AM |
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If it stinks, you need more carbons.
I try to keep a bucket of high quality sawdust nearby. And some straw. If there is any smell, then I add a little of one or the other.
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dirtworks
Posts: 65
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August 09, 2008, 10:32:02 AM |
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If you're composting in a static situation like that you have to turn the product from time to time or else it will be come nothing more than an old fashioned garbage pail. Oh how I don't yearn for the good old days...
Knowing when to turn it and when to leave it alone is key. that is is usually determined by temperature. You'll need a compost thermometer to be exacting about it. Compost needs oxygen and when it has oxygen in it it doesn't stink and the temperature stays around 140 to 120 degrees all by it's lonesome. After a turn you'll see the temperature start to come up and when it uses up all the oxygen you'll see the temperature start declining. Once you get below around 90 degrees you'll need to turn it again. You'll know it's done when you can no longer see the temperature come up after turning it. The compost will look like mostly dirt or dark wood chips by then with the occasional egg shell in it perhaps.
You need space in the product too so you need to add leaves, straw and debris like that, that leaves air pockets in it. Wet garbage doesn't compost that well all by itself because it's to dense.
There are some auger type tools to turn compost and if you can't find one a 5 fork long handled hay fork will work fairly well.
If you still have trouble getting the stuff to compost there are compost accelerator products like what we sell that add beneficial bacteria to the mix to speed up the process.
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Leah Sattler
Administrator
Posts: 589
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August 12, 2008, 06:43:23 AM |
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so if i have a couple homemade garbage can "composters" and they seem to smell absolutelu disgusting, is there help yet? can i add a product or should i bagthe wholeexperiment? will itever become the good stuff?
have you tossed some dirt in there to innoculate it?
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Put a bit of sunshine in each day;
Others need its cheer and so do you-
Need it most when outer sky's dull gray
Leaves the sunshine-making yours to do.
-"scatter sunshine" Jaunita Stafford
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kelda
Posts: 263
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August 17, 2008, 08:53:27 PM |
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to the original post:
I think the 'green cone' (or 'food digester')method would work well. It's so urban in that it decomposes scraps to practically nothing. the downside is that you don't get finished compost.
here's more http://gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/kitchen/grncone/greencon.htm
I would try throwing some worms in the tumbler too, they'll be plenty annoyed by the occasional tumbling, but I don't think that would be so bad. Worms in the soil deal with disturbance too, and it's not like the compost tumbler is like a clothes dryer or something, it's just a few flips every so often right?
The worms getting too hot definitely is an issue. They'll try to escape. A way to shade it would indeed be nice for them over the summer.
About the other post, the garbage cans: I don't like composting in garbage cans. It's hard to turn/keep balanced. And the finished product is just Baked, rock hard and not good from the heat/sun. Wooden boxes breathe so much better.
To all icky composting situations: yes keep it balanced. But if you don't have time just yet, just pouring coffee grounds over the whole thing is a great quick fix until can be fully remedied. Immediately it smells good and the worms are happy.
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