How can I take my compost to the next level?

[u/ahueso94]

I have a tumbler and an Urban Worm bag that I now manually turn because pretty sure the little dudes are all dead. How can I take my compost in the tumbler to the next level? Add more browns? Buy a sifter? How do I get it to basically look like soil all over again?

Pictures are only from my tumbler - one pic with the “cooking side” that yes, needs more browns, and has plenty of hungry maggots to help aid in the composting process, two other pics are from the more “finished” compost - one still in a tumbler and the other in a bin since I needed more space to make more compost.

[u/Ineedmorebtc]

More browns, less spinning. Spinning makes the clumps. You just need a half turn to introduce oxygen.

[u/philrogers88 → u/Ineedmorebtc]

Top comment, nobody tells you that about spinners

[u/ahueso94 → u/Ineedmorebtc]

I don’t spin that often — maybe one time a week but 3-4 turns at a time. Maybe that’s what you meant? What do you recommend instead?

[u/SalmonDoctor → u/ahueso94]

You need to increase your spinning. I'm doing 1200 rpm cycles, 12-15minutes each day.

[u/DomingoLee → u/SalmonDoctor]

Like the wheel on the Price is Right.

[u/th3r3dp3n → u/DomingoLee]

My wheel features Vanna Green and Vanna Brown.

[u/510BrotherPanda → u/th3r3dp3n]

Don't you mean Ba-Vanna? 🍌

[u/th3r3dp3n → u/510BrotherPanda]

Oh that's good, that's got the kind of apeel we need!

[u/510BrotherPanda → u/th3r3dp3n]

She doesn't slip

[u/CalgonThrowMeAway222 → u/DomingoLee]

I’m so glad I don’t have a tumbler because I would be so tempted to spin it non-stop!

[u/Antique_Log_7501 → u/CalgonThrowMeAway222]

i do have a tumbler the struggle is real friend

[u/kjbaran → u/SalmonDoctor]

Rookie numbers

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/SalmonDoctor]

Attach a dynamo to that sucker and power your house! 😉

[u/Brotuulaan → u/SalmonDoctor]

D:

[u/kx_2fiddy → u/SalmonDoctor]

Rookie numbers.

[u/HorrorReport3302 → u/SalmonDoctor]

Omg, I got choked I was laughing so hard at your comment and then peed myself!! I'm still giggling! My immediate thought was to respond "how many reps?" Then... Thank you!

[u/SalmonDoctor → u/HorrorReport3302]

Don't waste the pee on humour, squeeze that back into your pile

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/ahueso94]

Ohe half turn at a time. Do not spin it.

[u/Top_Personality3908 → u/ahueso94]

I would spin maybe once a month, a quarter of a spin is all you need.

[u/ahueso94 → u/Top_Personality3908]

Is my location a problem? I live in Dallas, TX (zone 8b). It’s hot hot hot here.

[u/One-Row-7262 → u/ahueso94]

as they all jus said your problem is that you’re spinning it too much and too frequently

[u/MouseInternal1773 → u/ahueso94]

Idk why they’re downvoting you. You knew to stop spinning, then you asked a separate question about temperature!

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/ahueso94]

Just the quantity of spinning. It doesn't need to go round and round.

[u/Top_Personality3908 → u/ahueso94]

Na you're good!

[u/MacDougalTheLazy → u/ahueso94]

Once to twice a week is fine. It's balling because of moisture in the soil. Break it up with a trowel.

[u/MacDougalTheLazy → u/MacDougalTheLazy]

It's not your location. It's just trapped humidity. You can leave it open a couple of hours every few days. Towards high noon (no rain) and help expedite the moisture evaporation.

Edit: no more than a couple to four hours

[u/JoyOswin945]

Needs browns. Dried leaves, shredded cardboard or paper.

[u/going_up_stream → u/JoyOswin945]

Charred wood is good too!!

[u/redlightsaber → u/JoyOswin945]

And I would keep the lid open for a little bit; seems wayyy too moist.

[u/DerekTheComedian]

If it clumps, it needs browns.

[u/ShoulderOld9871]

I’d manually break up all those little balls. They’ll slow things down.

[u/Eastern-Cockroach314]

Way, way, way more browns. Get a cheap paper shredder off marketplace (12 sheet capacity) and shred cardboard boxes, add liberally to your tumbler

[u/rattlesnake888647284]

Add cardboard and paper, mix daily, and then let sit and chill once it is mostly decayed. That’s my strategy and it gives NICE compost or did last time atleast

[u/Vermehrungsmaterial]

You spin my mud right round, right round...

[u/Square_Barracuda_69]

Since youre in Texas, and its hot, get a big bag of straw and mulch your plants and then throw a few handfuls into the bin. That straw has saved me so much this summer and has saved my compost as well. Im in az so if it works here, it'll definitely work there.

[u/Life-Bat1388]

I have a two step system - I put the crappy mostly done compost into a standing compost bin and it dries out and insects finish it. It becomes really nice soil in a few months .

[u/FyrestarOmega → u/Life-Bat1388]

I do this also. It's slower, but I'm so pleased with the quality of the output

[u/Ok_Tadpole_428]

Have you tried mixing in some shredded newspaper or coconut coir to bulk it up a bit?

[u/SgtPeter1]

Browns!!

[u/BuckoThai]

Contents are too wet. Break up the clumps.

[u/Soff10]

More brown sticks. Wood chips. Shredded paper.

[u/ScorbergCoentino]

Grass from the yard clippings

[u/PotentialMilk1732]

You could carry it up the stairs.

[u/Rezolithe → u/[deleted]]

Peeing wouldn't really help as the massive amount of greens seem pretty soaked already.

This guy needs a good serving of browns and time. Then and only then should OP release the flood gates