New compost tumbler

Tracydr · September 20, 2012

So, I just ordered a new compost tumbler and it's on it's way.
I need to clean out the chicken coop, which should fill about half the bin, I'm guessing. (7cu foot). The chicken coop hasn't been cleaned in about 9-10 months so it's some old/partially composted, some new stuff.
I also have an unlimited supply of newspaper, weeds, aged horse manure and old alfalfa hay.
Wondering what would be the best mixture to top off the bin for my first attempt?
Previously, I've just been doing lasagna gardening, with very good, albeit slow success.
I also have a tiny batch of worms getting started and may buy some more now that it's cooling off, to use for food scraps that for whatever reason don't go to the chickens.

FarmerShawn · September 20, 2012

You should get some information from the company when it arrives that will be helpful. I have a big one that I used for years, until I got a tractor with a bucket that I now use to regularly turn a much bigger pile. But the standard mixture is about half green (high nitrogen) and half brown (dead stuff, sawdust, newspapers, etc.) Also, you won't want to fill it much more than about 3/4 full, so that when you tun it there is room for it to mix thoroughly. I found that using a shredder on all of the stuff first really sped the process up and yeilded a quite nice compost that was easy to use, although the frequent tumbling and turning tended to make it clump into balls about the size of horse poop, bigger if it was too wet. But if I turned it daily and kept an eye on the moisture, I could get a batch heated up to 160-180 and cooled back down in about two weeks, in warm weather. The volume would decrease by about half in that time. I always stickpile my compost to let it age and use it the next year, though.

bnoles · September 20, 2012

I am considering one. Which one did you order?

meadowyck · September 22, 2012

yes make sure to have half green in your mix. What a wonderful source of goodies to have to add to it.... can't wait to see before and after pictures of your new compost bin results.

Tracydr · September 22, 2012

I bought the Tumbleweed. I think it's 7 cu feet.
Should I put it in the shade? It gets really, really hot here.

kurt · September 22, 2012

Farmer Shawn what kind of Sunflower in your avatar?I grow them for our jobsite locations to help the truckers find our sites since sometimes there is no real adress.I am also addicted to the seeds.My guess Mammoth Russians.I can get them to 5-6 but the thing that strikes me is the full face upright flower.Mine tends to droop.

FarmerShawn · September 23, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurt

Farmer Shawn what kind of Sunflower in your avatar?I grow them for our jobsite locations to help the truckers find our sites since sometimes there is no real adress.I am also addicted to the seeds.My guess Mammoth Russians.I can get them to 5-6 but the thing that strikes me is the full face upright flower.Mine tends to droop.

That was an amazing volunteer that I let grow two years ago. It was over 16' tall, and had over 50 blossoms. I saved seeds from it, but last year I just got ordinary single blossomed plants from the seed. But this year, in an entirely different plot, two more volunteers I let grow look just like that monster. One fell over, but I will try to save seeds from the remaining one, and give it a try again next year. I didn't actually plant sunflowers this year, but did let several volunteers grow, and not all looked like this, so who knows what I'll get?

kurt · September 23, 2012

Well if you have good results I would be interested in some of those seeds.

Worth1 · September 23, 2012

The best compost tumbler is a good possum.

Worth

Zana · September 23, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

The best compost tumbler is a good possum.

Worth

Coons, squirrels and dogs are a dab hand too!

Although I have a feeling that most of the critters are after a self serve snack rather than doing the turning of the compost for us.

Zana

Texas Blues · September 25, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

The best compost tumbler is a good possum.

Worth

My dog missylou caught a possum sneaking under the fence the other night and as it was trying to exit she grabbed it and pulled it back in. Right then the possum went into "playing possum" mode and freaked my poor dog right out. " I didn't mean to kill it!!". Thank God it wasn't a skunk. That possum hangs out in a tree on the other side of the fence and I reckon it'll come back alright.

I was hoping that the compost pile would also attract the armadillo's rather than have them root up my lawn. Cute as those armored rats are, they sure do make a mess of things.

Keiththibodeaux · September 30, 2012

Might just be me, but I have chickens, too. Chicken manure/bedding is super high in nitrogen, so I am thinking that half green stuff for nitrogen is out the window. I would go 1/3 of your bedding, 1/3 of your unlimited paper, and 1/3 of the old Alfalfa hay. Should make some killer stuff. Maybe throw in a little dried molasses to kick things off.

Redbaron · September 30, 2012

Lots of others posted great advise. The only thing I would add to their advise is that I like to add one shovel full of dirt from the garden and one shovel full of old compost from my last batch to each new batch. On the theory that I am adding "starter cultures" and trace minerals.

Keiththibodeaux · September 30, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Lots of others posted great advise. The only thing I would add to their advise is that I like to add one shovel full of dirt from the garden and one shovel full of old compost from my last batch to each new batch. On the theory that I am adding "starter cultures" and trace minerals.

Great advice on the shovel full of dirt for sure, for the "starter cultures."

Tracydr · November 6, 2012

So, tumbler is working great. Gets very hot.
I need some advice on how to store future composting materials, now that I have a full bin?

September 20, 2012	#1
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	New compost tumbler So, I just ordered a new compost tumbler and it's on it's way. I need to clean out the chicken coop, which should fill about half the bin, I'm guessing. (7cu foot). The chicken coop hasn't been cleaned in about 9-10 months so it's some old/partially composted, some new stuff. I also have an unlimited supply of newspaper, weeds, aged horse manure and old alfalfa hay. Wondering what would be the best mixture to top off the bin for my first attempt? Previously, I've just been doing lasagna gardening, with very good, albeit slow success. I also have a tiny batch of worms getting started and may buy some more now that it's cooling off, to use for food scraps that for whatever reason don't go to the chickens.

September 20, 2012	#2
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	You should get some information from the company when it arrives that will be helpful. I have a big one that I used for years, until I got a tractor with a bucket that I now use to regularly turn a much bigger pile. But the standard mixture is about half green (high nitrogen) and half brown (dead stuff, sawdust, newspapers, etc.) Also, you won't want to fill it much more than about 3/4 full, so that when you tun it there is room for it to mix thoroughly. I found that using a shredder on all of the stuff first really sped the process up and yeilded a quite nice compost that was easy to use, although the frequent tumbling and turning tended to make it clump into balls about the size of horse poop, bigger if it was too wet. But if I turned it daily and kept an eye on the moisture, I could get a batch heated up to 160-180 and cooled back down in about two weeks, in warm weather. The volume would decrease by about half in that time. I always stickpile my compost to let it age and use it the next year, though. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

September 20, 2012	#3
bnoles Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: NW Atlanta, GA Zone 7 Posts: 3	I am considering one. Which one did you order? __________________ Cheers! Bob

September 22, 2012	#4
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	yes make sure to have half green in your mix. What a wonderful source of goodies to have to add to it.... can't wait to see before and after pictures of your new compost bin results. __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

September 22, 2012	#6
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	Farmer Shawn what kind of Sunflower in your avatar?I grow them for our jobsite locations to help the truckers find our sites since sometimes there is no real adress.I am also addicted to the seeds.My guess Mammoth Russians.I can get them to 5-6 but the thing that strikes me is the full face upright flower.Mine tends to droop. __________________ KURT

September 23, 2012	#8
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	Well if you have good results I would be interested in some of those seeds. __________________ KURT

September 23, 2012	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	The best compost tumbler is a good possum. Worth

September 30, 2012	#12
Keiththibodeaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 587	Might just be me, but I have chickens, too. Chicken manure/bedding is super high in nitrogen, so I am thinking that half green stuff for nitrogen is out the window. I would go 1/3 of your bedding, 1/3 of your unlimited paper, and 1/3 of the old Alfalfa hay. Should make some killer stuff. Maybe throw in a little dried molasses to kick things off. Last edited by Keiththibodeaux; September 30, 2012 at 06:41 PM.

September 30, 2012	#13
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Lots of others posted great advise. The only thing I would add to their advise is that I like to add one shovel full of dirt from the garden and one shovel full of old compost from my last batch to each new batch. On the theory that I am adding "starter cultures" and trace minerals. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

November 6, 2012	#15
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	So, tumbler is working great. Gets very hot. I need some advice on how to store future composting materials, now that I have a full bin?