Does anyone know why I keep finding this steel wool-like substance in my compost tumbler? It gets stuck on my aerator took every time I turn the compost. I’ve been finding this material in it for about a year. It’s not mold and it never breaks down. Could it be the type of compost bags we are using in our kitchen?
by Suitable_Self_1430
12 Comments
Isn’t that mycellium
Well. You can take that white stuff and break it up. I made a 2×4 structure with hardware cloth and put my compost on it to get the finer parts to fall thru and throw away any residual big sticks. I put my mycellium thru that screen
Looks like polyester fill material for pillows and stuffed animals.
Did you put dryer lint in the compost at one time? Or could it be insulation or stuffing from a pillow or duvet or stuffed toy?
Maybe a mouse brought some fuzz in to make a bed and then they were like nope this place won’t work out.
Do you empty your vacuum cleaner into the compost? I’m wondering if it’s fibres from an artificial carpet?
Look like a root system to me. Probably got plants growing inside the compost
What do you put in the compost that is not plant material from the yard and food waste from the kitchen? It could be anything. Do you put in napkins or packaging? Swiffer wipes?
You probably shouldn’t touch stuff from your compost pile with bare hands, especially when you can’t identify said object
This looks like polyester stuffing from toys or bedding. Maybe contributed by a rodent?
The look of it and feeling like steel wool doesnt sound like anything that grew in there. Its possible its what provides the structure for your compost bags. It sort of looks like the mesh material used to protect the roots of store bought plants which I know are supposed to breakdown long term, so it could be a similar material.
Maybe a lining to some cardboard or other househood browns you may have added too. Or as others have said a mouse. Did someone dump polyester pillow fill in there maybe?
But how does it taste?