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natural_mom

compost is matted/clumpy...new at composting

natural_mom
13 years ago

So I bought a compost tumbler this spring, which says it could produce finished compost in as early as 2-4 weeks, and I'm going on several months now and do not see finished compost anywhere in sight!!

Currently, everything in the tumbler is clumped/matted together. I do not have access to many browns so all I was putting in my compost was kitchen scraps and the occasional paper towel (torn up). One day I decided I MUST add more brown so I added a bunch of pine straw/needles leftover from our flower beds. I don't think the pine straw has broken down AT ALL. I've tried stirring it with a pitchfork, but that just moved the clumps around. And I'm not sure that there is anything resembling finished compost. There are lots of worms, and they seem to eat up the greens just fine cause the greens disappear. However, all that seems to be left is pine straw. No compost.

Another issue I've had is keeping it from getting too wet. I realized that rain water was getting in through the lid so now I cover it when it rains. For a good while there was standing water inside the tumbler. Now everything appears moist, but there is no standing water. Hope that's correct.

Wondering if I just need to start over. Or somehow sift out the pine straw, but honestly, I'm not sure what I'd be left with. Not much else seems to be in there. (Would post a pic but don't see that as an option here.) I'm discouraged but hopeful someone can help! :)

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