Whats your favorite type of composter?

Hey guys im big into composting, I have two large wooden sections of my yard where I compost. I throw all the material into the larger bin, then after its decomposed a bit I throw it into the second bin to complete the process. My problem is Ive run out of space.

Do any of you guys use a very efficent system that can be used on a large scale (large for a suburban home)?

I want to hear how you guys compost!

 

I have a few piles of compost raw materials. My compost piles are held in cages. Each cage is made of four sections of concrete reinforcing wire (looks like fence wire). Each section is six feet long and five feet tall. The pieces fit together to form a square. I have three pairs of spaces for each of the piles. Each pile will be in its space one, then turned into its space two next month, then back to space one etc. I start the cycle for a pair spaces every four months. The finished compost is moved out of the way, into a fourth area, to make room for a new start. I make up large batchs of general purpose organic fertilizer (4 parts kelp meal, 4 parts alfalfa meal, 1 part blood meal, 1 part bone meal, 1 part ground phosphate, 1 part limestone). I keep a tote of it next to my compost piles and when I stir the piles I add a big hand full of the fertilizer too. The entire composting area is covered, to keep out most rain, and therefore no leaching (hell, I've put in a lot of work, I don't want a rain storm to wash it away). I keep the piles moist with a sprinkler. Took a little experimenting, well a lot of it, but now 1/4 day once a month (not counting picking up the compost materials) and I've got a black gold mine.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

my composting system is pretty small in comparison with poor old dad's, but it works for what my needs are. it's a regular sized black plastic garbage can with holes drilled in the sides for ventilation. i used compost accelerator from crappy tire last year, and went from table scraps to compost within a couple of months. i dont know what's in that stuff~it says all natural materials, but it sure sped things up

 

Oh, Dear Lady Nimh, that 'cartoon' says it all ....

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

oops, i took it out of my sig...

remember on the old forums, the old sigs stayed with the posts.

 

Providing there are no roots in the compost mixture, a quick way to chop up quickly is lay the mixture on the ground and run over wiht a lawn mower (without the catcher) several times until the mixture is chopped up fine.Once this is done, pick up using the catcher.

To speed up composting I have used the plastic rubbish bag method where you put a couple bucket fulls in a bag and leave out in the sun for a couple of weeks. It helps if it is shaken within that time.

 

I just decided to compost this year, although I don't really know what I'm doing. I just have a little 3x3 ft. fenced square that I throw all my table scraps, yard clippings, etc in. it's not very full. I can't wait to rake up all the leaves in my yard, though. I have this tea bag from the green tea I drank this morning and I'm wondering, should I put it in the pile?

 

Thank you... there for a minute, I thought I was losing my mind faster than I think I am... ??? or something like that....

Peace, That old compost lover,
poor_old_dad

 

I do the same thing now that I live back in the city . Makes it easier if I use two of them to dump one from another when they need to be turned. I use to make my compost bins out of old skids...three sides and one drop down side to get the pitch fork into it. Wow, I miss the country so bad:$