AboutGreg Expertise As a Master Gardener: taken classes in All Phases of Gardening...I Specialize in Lawns... Pererennials... Compost... Organic Gardening.
Question Hello,
I purchased a compost twin compost tumbler and have been trying to make compost with it for quite some time but it does not seem to work. I have read that you are supposed to have a percentage of dry and a percentage of green matter in the composter but all my tries have not worked. All that seems to happen is the stuff dries out and I get no compost. Am I supposed to add water to the tumbler or is there something else I need to add. I turn the tumbler each day as the instructions stated. here is a link to the tumbler I purchased http://www.outdoordecor.com/product_detail.asp?item=VCM10012:Gardening:Compost-T...
Thank you in advance for looking at my question
Answer Hello John
Thanks for the link, but all Compost Tumblers work on the same principle.
Carbon <brown matter> and Nitrogen <green matter> should have a Ratio of 25-1 in your tumbler. Don't be overly concerned if you don't make this Ratio ideal. You have mostly solved your own question here, yes you need moisture and an Activator to get things going. Keep the matter wet, but do not Soak it. About the consistency of a Damp Mop will do just fine. Now as for an Activator, you can go BUY one at a local Garden Shop, OR you can just take regular Garden Soil, a few bucket fulls should do it, and throw this into the mix.
Moisture is VERY important to get the matter to Decompose, without it, you get the results that you have listed. Keep turning the tumbler per manufacturers recommendations and you should see the results you desire. REMEMBER keep it wet, till it fully decomposes. Keep experimenting with different kinds of things in the Tumbler, and remember that the smaller the things that go into the tumbler, the quicker they Decompose.
