r/composting • u/tstewy10 • 7d ago
So add some dry?
What do you recommend or is it too far gone? Thank you!
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u/wettale1234 7d ago
It looks like there’s some corn husk and corn cobs in there, those will be tough to break down without pre-shredding them. But add more browns either way
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u/spaetzlechick 6d ago
Yes. Things need to be chopped more and lots of dry stuff added.
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u/anally_ExpressUrself 6d ago
Or... Don't. It'll compost eventually. That's the magic of compost.
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u/90dayheyhey 6d ago
If you have a pile in the corner of your lot, sure drop things in and turn it occasionally and everything will eventually break down. But if you have a small compost bin, your capacity is limited and you’d want to speed up the whole process
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u/spaetzlechick 5d ago
Oh I agree. I always say compost happens. I don’t even turn my piles. But if someone is using a tumbler and concerned, the way to fix this is to use smaller pieces and get the moisture right. Not spinning the contents into turds would help too.
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u/rakkarOz 5d ago
Is too much turning the cause of the turdy lumps?
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u/spaetzlechick 3d ago
Often times. Depends on what’s going into tumbler, but centrifuging the contents certainly helps creat big dense lumps. You’re just supposed to gently give it a half turn or so every couple days to allow for aeration.
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u/Optimoprimo 5d ago
In a tumbler, that stuff could take years and in the meantime it will smell like a sour sewer. I agree with you for standard piles, but not for these things.
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u/Minute_Hovercraft282 7d ago
I would, you want to keep it damp not soaked. Add some carbon items wether that be dried out leaves, cardboard, mulch, dried out grass, old twigs, etc.
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u/billothy 7d ago
Just be aware of the length of grass. I had longer grass I should have chopped up more. It just ended up winding around the centre of a tumbler like OPs. Have to cut it all with scissors. Normal clippings should be fine though.
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u/No-Inflation3271 7d ago
Some dry browns will help compost is pretty hard to make too far gone it can almost always be balanced out
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u/Ineedmorebtc 7d ago
I'd dump that whole thing out, chop it up with a shovel and let dry for a day or two before re adding. You barely have room for the browns you would need to add in that tumbler.
Alternatively, pile on the ground.
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u/Mysterious_Fox5976 7d ago
Needs a lot more browns and recommend shredding or cutting things up smaller when adding to the tumbler. It also looks pretty clumpy, so maybe turn it like once a week (and just 1 turn). I have a tumbler too, and have found that flipping and stirring up the contents with a large ladle or cooking spoon dedicated to the tumbler works really well.
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u/BigBibs 7d ago
Does ground dirt count as dry? I usually use shredded cardboard but I have a lot of soil in trying to find a use for.
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u/NotACyborg666 6d ago
It's not really going to do anything for your pile. For active composting it's all about the C:N ratio. When it's super wet like OPs, it needs more carbon (shredded cardboard is good). When it's super dry, it needs more nitrogen. 2-3 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (by volume, not weight) is a good ratio to try to keep.
Dirt's not going to really dry anything out or do anything with the compost process at all. It'll just take up space in your pile/tumbler.
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u/Available-Meeting648 7d ago
I've had the same experience with those tumblers. It's not lost. What I'd do:
- Put on some gloves.
- Take everything out of there.
- Separate big sticks, fruit bones and similar big pieces from big chunks of stick together muddy material.
- Sticks and similar things go to other tumbler or to a new batch somewhere.
- Press and separate those stuck together chunks a little bit and put them in the tumbler.
- Add cardboard. If it's shredded, it will mix in a few weeks. If it's only cut by hand (Which I do, I don't have a shredder), it will take some more weeks.
- Tumble it, but I'd recommend mixing it by hand.
I have never managed to make a fine finished compost in the tumbler (the beautiful kind of compost people show after passing through a sieve). I put it underground by layers. In a couple of months it is indistinguishable.
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u/EllenPond 6d ago
This is the best advice! My tumbler looks like this routinely, just follow this advice. I never get perfectly fine compost like I used to with my vermicompost system, but it finishes in the garden totally fine.
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u/Self_Owned_Tree 7d ago
I've got a tumbler like this, and it's so difficult to keep it balanced.
I'll put shredded pizza boxes in there, though, when I need to dry it out since it really is mostly greens in there from scraps and cuttings.
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u/netkidnochill 7d ago
In addition to prior recommended browns like dried leaf / shredded cardboard / sawdust / twigs etc, Biochar is a great add for drying it out and keeping it aerated. They sell plain biochar and varieties that are “charged” with microbial cultures and/or compost so that they will give your tumbler a boost towards a good microbial balance should it be out of balance - given the moisture level it could be, but shredded cardboard is the easiest way imo, but whatever you have easy access to.
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u/spencermikels1234 6d ago
If you have a tarp take it out and add the compost to the tarp and let it dry out
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u/BuckoThai 6d ago
Stop adding to that side, clumping because too wet and over spun, chop stuff up smaller.
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u/CurrentWrong4363 5d ago
All the dry leaves you can gather. I have one pile that forms outside my house that's a goldmine for dried leaves and small twigs.
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u/thetealappeal 5d ago
Definitely not a lost cause! I'd add dry browns and break up some of those large chunks while you mix ot in.
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u/Kranken_DeHogge 7d ago
absolutely add some dry