Composting question......

[Jolyn]

Today i picked up a compost tumbler from freecycle. I'm soooooooooo excited but i'm not sure how to start it.
Does anyone else have a tumbler? What should i put in first to get it going?
With a tumbler can i add new stuff daily?

Thanks for any info,
Jodie

 

[dangerouschicken]

Add stuff whenever you have it and just tumble once a week. Grass after you mow, leaves, food stuffs, all of that works great.

In fact, you can add any food scraps except banana peels, bones, meat, eggs, cheese, dairy products, seeds or pits, and oils.

Have fun! YAY COMPOSTING!

OH and if you really want a jump start, there are commercial products for starting compost at any garden center. They aren't that necessary, imho. Just let nature do its thing!

 

[WriterofWords]

I add straw to mine, helps the texture. I add the banana peels to mine though, I just don't put any meat or oil in it at all. Egg shells used to go in, but I got tired of getting chickens out! They get the shells now. Coffee grounds really add a kick to it too, tea leaves too. I don't use a tumbler, I use a big bin made out of pallets.

 

[Jolyn]

This compost will be going on our flowers....I don't have straw but would putting some of my shavings from the chicken coop be ok to start it? Then add to it with the other stuff?
Why are banana peals a problem with compost dangerouschicken?

Oh and what about worms? Can i toss some in too?

 

[bluie]

Make sure you have the right balance between "browns" and "greens". Browns are pine shavings, dry leaves, anything thats brown and dry. Greens are anything green, fresh and wet and manure and chicken poop. I think its like 3/4 brown to 1/4 green. Brown alone will compost, but will take a long time. Green alone will never compost, just rot and sit there with bugs. Everything will compost MUCH faster and better if it is chopped up in the smallest pieces you can get. Other posters are correct in saying avoid oil, bones, meat, etc. Mostly they attract vermin. You can certainly add coffee grounds (with the filter) and egg shells, preferably crushed.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the green and brown thing. We just dump so much in ours (we have three!) that I can't keep track of the balance thing. I just know it is working when we get that gorgeous black soil on the bottom

 

[d.k]

* Oh, wow!! I want one of those tumblers. So jealous! And you got it free, too. They cost a *small fortune* in the gardening mags! I put the banana peels on the mulch at the base of my roses. They're great for roses. Don't know why they shouldn't go in the tumbler, never heard that b/f.

 

[Jolyn]

Ok so say my boys have toast in the morning and they don't eat it all.....or they leave some spaghetti with red sauce on there plate....can that go into the compost pile?

Also if i use dried weeds could they get into the soil that i end up using the compost on?

 

[freerange freaks]

I don't know if you have this problem down south but we have to add water to ours. The moisture keeps the bacteria plentiful and the temperature high.

 

[tiki244]

Quote:
I would feed the spaghetti to the chickens and compost their manure,,,,,,,I heard not to add weeds because a lot of times the weed seeds germinate when you put the compost where ever you are putting it when done.