Hi, All: I acquired this Urban Gardener barrel composter some months ago. When acquired, it had a somewhat foul (read: manure) smell. There is a drain which had a plastic plug in it. The smell went away with the plug removed, a good rinse, and some days of air drying.
I have filled the barrel with a mix of mostly grass clippings, garden waste, and shredded leaves with some compressed cellulose packing material.
The compost smells fine, and it's a nice mix of shades of brown, but it seems too wet. I have seen a few worms, but I don't expect them to survive the winter. The barrel has been slightly warm at times, but not much. I have not added any extra water.
I've had slow but steady success with our Smith & Hawken BioStack. I'm not sure how this is supposed to work. I give it a tumble every chance I think about it.
Experienced advice would be appreciated.
by Professional-Key-863
3 Comments
I don’t think it could ever truly be big enough to hot compost. I would just fill it with enough grass clippings until It overflows and see.
Wet/damp is fine so long as it’s not too wet/damp. Looking at the specs for barrel, I didn’t see any kind of drain on the bottom; there’s an air vent, but based the design I’m curious how well that’d actually release liquid buildup. Is it wet like used coffee grounds or wet like mud?
Looks like you could add some browns, and patience.
Its winter now here (the netherlands) and my insulated composter is around 20 degrees (70 Fahrenheit).
It will heat up again in spring.
Just add balanced, spin once or twice a week.
I never have to water my tumbler. So it might be still wet from the rinsing.