Gardening is a past time for some who enjoy getting into the out of doors, for others it is a way to feed the family. Regardless of the reason, there are lots of ways to adjust the soil and enhance the growing process. One way is to create your own compost by using a tumbler similar to the Envirocycle compost system. This is a cheaper and easier way to create a nice rich additive to the soil to grow better crops and save money instead of buying expensive fertilizers.
You need to store the tumbler in a dry area. Sheds and garages are the best places to store them. Using a porch that is covered will also work if the rain doesn't get onto the tumbler. The final resort is to use a tarp that is strapped down to keep the moisture out. Keeping out the moisture is critical in this process to keep things moving and prevent a gross soup from occurring.
Add all of the material at once. Instead of adding a little bit of the recyclable material over time, you need to dump it all in the tumbler at once so it will begin the process together. Adding piecemeal will cause problems. Some people will get two tumblers so they can get one working and simply use the other to store the scraps of food and other materials. When the second is full, the first is usually ready to be emptied into the garden.
The material that can be added is organic. The first type is called green waste and is composed of food scraps, grass clippings, and includes tea bags and coffee grounds. The other type is called brown waste. It is composed of newspaper scraps, paper towels, and other wood-based products. It is imperative that you do not use plastic waste of any sort in the mix.
The ratio of the mix needs to be kept right in order for it to work. The formula is one green part to three brown parts of waste. The organic green waste can be broken down quickly and turned into a soup, so the more stable brown waste is needed to help absorb and slow the process to make a nice fertile mix for the garden. Strong odors are an indication that the mix is not balanced.
There should be a hand crank on the device. If there is it will be easier to turn. In either case, you need to turn the handle one full turn every single day until it is ready. You don't need to crank it more than this, but the complete rotation is important to get all the material involved in the process. This usually ends up moving the device less than a full rotation, which is how it is designed. Without this, you'll open the hatch to a mix that is partly composted and part not. This will also cause it to take much longer to do its work.
A strong odor means something is going bad. The ammonia smell will be related to having more organic material than brown waste. This means it is producing too much nitrogen. There may be a rotten egg smell which means there is too much moisture in the mix. In both cases, add more brown waste to help balance and absorb the moisture.
The process takes 2 to 10 weeks to finish. Remember, once you close the lid and start the process you don't want to open it to add more scraps. You can check on it, but it's best to keep it closed at least two weeks before opening to check it. Use a different bin to store organic material while the first process is ongoing.
You need to store the tumbler in a dry area. Sheds and garages are the best places to store them. Using a porch that is covered will also work if the rain doesn't get onto the tumbler. The final resort is to use a tarp that is strapped down to keep the moisture out. Keeping out the moisture is critical in this process to keep things moving and prevent a gross soup from occurring.
Add all of the material at once. Instead of adding a little bit of the recyclable material over time, you need to dump it all in the tumbler at once so it will begin the process together. Adding piecemeal will cause problems. Some people will get two tumblers so they can get one working and simply use the other to store the scraps of food and other materials. When the second is full, the first is usually ready to be emptied into the garden.
The material that can be added is organic. The first type is called green waste and is composed of food scraps, grass clippings, and includes tea bags and coffee grounds. The other type is called brown waste. It is composed of newspaper scraps, paper towels, and other wood-based products. It is imperative that you do not use plastic waste of any sort in the mix.
The ratio of the mix needs to be kept right in order for it to work. The formula is one green part to three brown parts of waste. The organic green waste can be broken down quickly and turned into a soup, so the more stable brown waste is needed to help absorb and slow the process to make a nice fertile mix for the garden. Strong odors are an indication that the mix is not balanced.
There should be a hand crank on the device. If there is it will be easier to turn. In either case, you need to turn the handle one full turn every single day until it is ready. You don't need to crank it more than this, but the complete rotation is important to get all the material involved in the process. This usually ends up moving the device less than a full rotation, which is how it is designed. Without this, you'll open the hatch to a mix that is partly composted and part not. This will also cause it to take much longer to do its work.
A strong odor means something is going bad. The ammonia smell will be related to having more organic material than brown waste. This means it is producing too much nitrogen. There may be a rotten egg smell which means there is too much moisture in the mix. In both cases, add more brown waste to help balance and absorb the moisture.
The process takes 2 to 10 weeks to finish. Remember, once you close the lid and start the process you don't want to open it to add more scraps. You can check on it, but it's best to keep it closed at least two weeks before opening to check it. Use a different bin to store organic material while the first process is ongoing.
About the Author:
Go green by using the envirocycle compost for your garden. To order this product now visit the following website at http://www.greenenergyapproved.com/thinking-of-going-green-check-out-these-9-great-habits.
0 comments: