Home Composting System - Composting Techniques

Hot Composting

A hot composting pile needs 4 ingredients to function properly. It needs carbon (brown and dry), nitrogen (green and colourful), Oxygen (turning the pile) and water. Roughly 2-3 parts brown material (carbon) and needed for every 1 part green material (nitrogen). A high nitrogen content will help the pile heat up along with turning of the pile and introducing oxygen into the pile. If properly built, the pile temperatures should rise to between 60-68*C. If the pile becomes too hot or too cold you can help raise the temperature again by turning the pile and watering. A hot composting system can produce usable compost between a few weeks and several months. The pile can be built in a simple box with or without a top.

• Pros
• Cheap and easy container
• Quick process of waste to compost
• Cons
• Requires monitoring and turning

Anaerobic Composting

An anaerobic compost system used bacteria in a oxygen free environment to break down the waste. To get the process started you build the compost pile as you did previously, water the pile to roughly 70% moisture, cover and leave it. The moisture level of the pile needs to be monitored and the smell will also be quite bad.

• Pros
• Less work than aerobic composting
• Produces more usable compost per original ingredients
• Produces bio gases that can be collected for fuel
• Cons
• Produces bio gases
• Produces a very bad smell as the material breaks down
• Takes longer than aerobic composting

Tumble Bins

A tumble bin is a round drum that is rotated to move the compost around as introduce oxygen to the pile. Tumblers are good for cold composting as they will rarely achieve the temperature for hot composting.

There are different types of tumble bin designs.
Crank Handle: The bin is fixed to the frame while a pole runs through the center of the bin to a handle. When the handle is turned, paddles attached to the pole snide the drum rotate to move the compost around.
Center Axis: The bin is resting on the frame but is attached to the axis that runs through the bin. When the handle is turned the whole bin moves and the materials inside fall from one side to the other.
Base Rolling: The drum is placed on rollers. This method is turned by either pushing the drum or rotating the rollers. The drum will turn but the bin will stay in one place.

• Pros
• Good for small spaces
• Easy to turn materials
• Cons
• Volume is limited
• Cannot do hot composting easily

Bokashi Composting

Bokashi is a Japanese term for fermented organic matter. It is designed to speed up the process of breaking down the food scraps and waste. To fill a Bokashi composter you start by adding a strainer to the bottom of the bin. You must then sprinkle a substance called EM-1. Em-1 is a combination of rice bran, molasses and ceramic powder and is made to help speed up the decomposition process. Add the food scraps with more powder and seal. Everyday the liquid in the bin must be drained and after roughly 2 weeks you can add the waste to a worm farm or general compost pile.

• Pros
• Creates high quality compost at a fast rate.
• Easier to be consumed by worms in a vermicomposter
• Cons
• Requires EM-1 mix to continue process

Vermicomposting (Worm Farm)

Vermicomposting uses worms to break down food scraps and turn into compost. The process is as simple as burring the scraps under a layer of moist shredded paper, dead leaves and straw. Red Wigglers (Eisenia Fetida) are best suited for home decomposition. A good ratio of worms to food scraps is 2:1. A plan can be set up to work out how much waste a person uses per day and the number of worms can be worked out from there.

• Pros
• Materials are kept in one place
• Good for use indoors and in small places
• Works in the winter
• Cons
• Bedding material must be kept moist
• Fruit flies can be a problem if the food scraps are not properly buried

Compost

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

The Perfect Compost Recipe - How to Get Your Compost Heap Cooking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1kIpCBD3UI

How to Make Compost With Grass Clippings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlmI80qzRlk

Top 10 Composting Techniques

http://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-techniques.html

Are Compost Tumblers Worth The Cost?

http://www.compostjunkie.com/compost-tumblers.html

6 Ways to Make Great Compost
http://www.finegardening.com/6-ways-make-great-compost

Bokashi Composter Reviews and 'How to' Videos

http://www.compostjunkie.com/bokashi-composter.html