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Saturday, October 7, 2023

Trying a New Way to Compost

We set up a compost bin for about a year now. I initially tried it while we were still in Singapore. It did not go as planned because I made the mistake of not balancing the green and brown matter in the bin. I had too much green stuff, so it didn't turn out well. 

Since we got home I finally learned to balance what I put in the bin. I learned you have to put equal amounts of green matter (peels, coffee grinds, eggs, fresh leaves etc.) and brown matter (paper, dried leaves, cut up toilet paper rolls etc.). Make sure to wet it, then cover it so it will heat up. I just left it as it is and let the earthworms find it. 




One thing though I don't like doing is moving the contents once a week. It's a lot of work. It's usually smelly in the beginning, but if you have the right balance between green and brown matter it shouldn't smell. I came across a video which taught a different way to compost. 

He said you can put an air tunnel in the middle of the bin. You can do this by using a pipe with holes in it. The holes would provide the air needed to help with decomposition. I didn't have a pipe, much less something that could create holes in it. So I used a water bottle and put holes in it. I think it would be able to provide the air needed. I could also pour water in it every so often to keep the contents moist. 

Well, it's supposed to aerate the bin better and make decomposition faster. Also, no need to turn the contents weekly. Ahh, one thing I noticed also is it's better to use a huge terracotta pot to compost than plastic bins. The pot already has holes in the bottom and allows the matter to breathe better. This also prevents you from accidentally drowning the earthworms if you put too much water. 

I'll let the bin warm up the next few days. This should allow the needed gasses and bacteria to develop and help with decomposition. It should hopefully be ready in a month! 

#BeKind #StaySafe


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