I now have an 80 liter plastic bin on my deck, 24" x 16" x 15", that is the beginning of a compost experiment. The bin has holes in it for drainage and air. If I do this right, the books tell me I should have usable compost in three months.
Today, I started the first additions - shredded newspaper for the carbon layer, some soil from old potted plants for the next layer and my kitchen scraps from the past week for the nitrogen layer. I have left the top off so that the rain can dampen everything enough. The bin has a place to catch excess water, so I can leave it in the rain for a day or two without danger of becoming waterlogged, I think.
In the past week, my kitchen waste has congealed down to about two liters so it will take awhile to actually fill the bin. If the ratio is 4 carbon:1 soil:1 nitrogen, it will take a month or two just to fill the bin.
I am hoping that the heat reaction which accelerates the breakdown of the carbon and nitrogen components, will begin with the second layer of carbon/soil/nitrogen has been added.
Hi Marlene, thanks for following me. We have a lot in common, including trying to achieve the perfect compost!
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