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TROUBLESHOOTING
Symptom
Problem(s)
Solution(s)
Odor
Excess nitrogen
Mix in "brown" material and rotate tumbler
Excess moisture
Lack of oxygen
The Pile Will Not Heat Up
Lack of nitrogen
Mix in "brown" material and rotate tumbler
Lack of oxygen
Rotate tumbler
Lack of moisture
Dampen mix
Excess moisture
Mix in "brown" material and rotate tumbler
Particle size is too big
Chip or grind materials
Animal Or Insect Pests
Pile contains bones, meat, fatty or starchy foods,
DO NOT ADD THESE MATERIALS TO MIXTURE
or animal manure
See DO NOT ADD THESE INGREDIENTS TO YOUR COMPOST PILE)
MISC TIPS AND TRICKS
Critical Mass - When is Enough Enough? - For efficient speed composting, you need to have a critical mass to generate a heat core, starting at a
minimum of 1 cubic foot of raw materials. Of course, more is better. The Tumbling Composter holds 6.5 cubic feet. A properly made batch will reach
temperatures of about 140° F in four to five days. At this time, you will notice the batch "settling." This is a good sign that your batch is working
properly.
NOTE: Once your batch gets to optimal size, refrain from adding raw materials to the working compost, and simply start a new batch with new
raw materials. You might be tempted to add more materials; but, this resets the clock on that batch to "Day 1." This is why it's recommended to
have at least two tumblers.
How to Tell When it's Done - Your compost is finished when the original material has been transformed into a uniform, dark brown, crumbly product
with a pleasant, earthy aroma. Dump the compost out of the tumbler, leaving a little bit inside as starter microbes for your next batch.
WHEN AND HOW TO USE COMPOST
Garden Fertilizer and Soil Building - Compost can be used throughout the season as a garden fertilizer. Simply side dress vegetables and flowers
for a slow-release food source and improved disease prevention. To improve tilth, fertility, water retention for sandy soils, water drainage for clay
soils, and soil's disease fighting characteristics, till in compost in spring and fall.
Lawn Feeding — Screened compost (compost that has been sifted to collect the smaller particles) can be applied as a lawn fertilizer throughout the
season. It will provide a wonderful slow-release food as well as assist in lawn disease prevention. Since the nutrients aren't as concentrated as in
chemical lawn foods, you'll avoid the stripes that can easily occur when incorrectly applying chemicals, along with chemical run-off.
Potting Mix (potted plants, seed starting) - Compost can be added to potting soil to create a nutrient-rich mixture. Most commercial potting mix is
made from Canadian peat moss, which is virtually void of nutrients, so the addition of good compost provides a real boost.
LOCATION FOR YOUR TUMBLING COMPOSTER
Choose a flat, level surface convenient to your source materials (kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, garden, etc.).
Since microbes work best at elevated temperatures, temperature is key to the breakdown of compost. Although microbes generate their own heat as
they work, you can help keep them warm by positioning the Compost Tumbler out of excessive wind and in full sunlight. In hotter areas of the country
a shady location may work as well. The fastest decomposition occurs between 140° and 160° Fahrenheit, but some breakdown will occur as long as
the compost is kept above freezing.
WINTER - Since the Tumbling Composter is portable, it can be moved (even when full) by one or two people to convenient locations. In winter, place
it by your back door so you do not have a long trek to recycle your kitchen scraps. Although the microbes stop working when the batch freezes,
freezing breaks down fibers in organic material which will speed decomposition in spring. In winter, do not turn the unit, but continue to add waste.
When spring arrives and the material defrosts, tumble and begin adding materials in the correct portions. You may find you need to add a lot of
carbon material to achieve the correct ratio, so do not overfill the Compost Tumbler during winter.
If you prefer not to use the Tumbling Composter in winter, move it to a location sheltered from high winds and excess snow accumulation. Ideally,
you should store it in your garage or shed.
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