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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Can you over-aerate compost?

15 years ago

I recently bought a dual bin tumbler composter and am having more fun with it. I rotate the bins several times each day and add greens and browns to the one side while the other side cooks, 1-2 times daily. Am I slowing down the process by aerating TOO frequently? I know aeration is important, but should I let the heap quietly cook for a few days in between rotations?

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Comments (12)

takadi
15 years ago
I was told that aeration causes loss of nitrogen, but don't take my word for it
dchall_san_antonio
15 years ago
It is hard to know exactly. Some fungi like to grow long strands (hyphae). If you continually turn it, those never develop. But if they develop and you turn it, they break anyway so they may as well not have been there.

Loss of nitrogen only comes if you smell ammonia gas escaping. In a static pile the solution for that is to cover it with leaves and the leaves absorb the ammonia gas. In a tumbler I'm not sure there is a solution for ammonia escaping.
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digdirt2
15 years ago
Frequent turning of piles of compost does drop the temperature so I would assume the same is true in tumblers. I'd be inclined to not turn so often - what does the manufacturer recommend? - and let it cook more.

Depending on what you are adding, pathogens and weed seeds need that high temp to be killed so a little less turning and more cooking ;) would likely result in a better overall quality of compost.

JMO

Dave
Kimmsr
15 years ago
Each time you turn that tumbler you disrupt the activity of the bacteria at work digesting your material, so the more often you turn the more often that would happen. How productive are you if someone interrupts what you are doing several times a day?
Lloyd
15 years ago
I can't recall reading any literature making a case for having too much oxygen in the decomposition process so if you are talking strictly about aeration(oxygen availability), then no, one couldn't over aerate. However, the procedure one uses to aerate may have a detrimental effect usually related to parameters other than the availability of oxygen.

For sure tumblers can be different than piles when it comes to managing. However a bacteria is a bacteria and their reproduction rate allows for a very quick recovery in the event of any perceived disruption. There are billions of these things in active compost and reproducing by doubling makes it darn near impossible to disupt them by stirring as long as the requirements (food, water, oxygen) for life are still there. Ergo, I'd not be concerned about disturbing them during meal time.

It should be kept in mind that there are different stages during the composting process and each stage has different optimum conditions. During the thermophyillic stage, oxygen consumption is at its peak so frequent, if not constant, aeration is beneficial. One must also keep in mind that constant aeration can lead to a huge loss of moisture due to evaporation. Once this stage has passed, oxygen consumption seems to decrease thus making aeration less of an issue. This works out well because it seems the mesophyllic dudes seem to appreciate being disturbed less.

These guys explain it well in terms even I could grasp.

Lloyd
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
15 years ago
I'm far from sure but isn't this the way that farmers make 'hay'? They cut down long rows of something like alfalfa and then rather seriously aerate it a time or two.
digdirt2
15 years ago
but isn't this the way that farmers make 'hay'?

Not really. ;) We mow it when it as dry as possible, wait a day, rake into rows for the baler, wait 1 day, and then bale it.

Dave
glenam
15 years ago
You rake it once to windrow it and aerate it so underside of cutting can dry. If if gets rained on prior to baling, it has to be raked again so underside of windrow can be dry. When I was a kid if a neighbor's hay barn caught fire, we knew he baled the hay when it was too wet.
thanks,
swanz
15 years ago
Frequent turnings won't hut it. Just make sure the contents stay moist. I've made decent compost in 2 weeks by turning the piles every day.(making sure they stayed moist.)
stan6
Original Author
15 years ago
This is my first year composting. I began in mid Feb. Its going very, very slowly. I watch the C/N ratio, moisture and aerating carefully. Is the outside temp a big factor? It has been high in the mid 60's to lows in the low 40's until very recently. Is 50's to 70's the time it takes off?
bpgreen
15 years ago
"Is the outside temp a big factor?"

I think it's only a big factor when it gets below freezing. If you have the right mix you can still get compost to hot compost in the winter, but I've rarely managed to get that to work. Others here have, though.

If it's hot out, decomposition can sometimes happen faster, but most of the heat in compost is due to microbial activity.
swanz
15 years ago
"Is the outside temp a big factor?"

Yep, I've found that the hotter the better. So long as it stays moist. That's why things rot so quickly in the tropics.

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