What should I do if the compost is too wet?

For composting, a certain amount of moisture is necessary – the optimum condition of the compost is like a squeezed out sponge. If the rotting is too wet, the ventilation – and thus, the composting process – is disturbed. You must then add some “woody” materials, such as straw, dry grass, bark mulch, paper napkins, paper bags and rotting leaves. Furthermore, you can add 2-3 scoops of fresh raw compost from the harvest chamber, because it contains microorganisms necessary for the composting process and brings the it back in transition faster.

 

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What should I do if the compost is too dry?

The compost process can not really get underway, meaning the rotting comes closer and closer to a standstill if the compost is too dry. Compost creatures like moist environments, making composting impossible when there is a lack of moisture. The optimal consistency of compost is similar to a sponge; you can recognize to dry compost by it being cracked, crumbly or when it contains ants. Therefore, you should avoid installing your composter in placed where it will be directly in the sun light (and place a shrub in the sunny area).

If the compost is too dry, just “water” it and add a shovel of rock meal. This also helps the sliding elements be “oiled” and increases the sliding speed. New waste (such as fresh grass and wet kitchen waste) bring the process back on track. Furthermore, you can take a little bit of compost from the harvest chamber and add it back to the pile, because it contains the microorganisms necessary for the compost process and restart it again faster.

 

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Where should I place the composter?

Place the SUPERCOMP in a place where it is largely protected from bad weather conditions (places with a lot of wind and in the blazing sun). Since the SUPERCOMP is generally free from unpleasant odors, it can also be placed near the neighbours’ border or close to your own kitchen.

 

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Should I chop my waste in advance?

You don’t need to chop up your kitchen waste and garden waste in advance.” Strong” material such as branches, roots or oversized waste should be crushed so that these waste compost faster.

 

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What are the compost regulators and how must they be set?

The compost regulators are part of the device for supporting the pile; the pile is no longer with its full weight on the ground and is thus fully ventilated into the pile’s core. For more information on the technology and functionality of SUPERCOMPclick here.

 

With mounting set the knobs in the following position:

The material thrown in first falls to the ground. After the break-in period of about 6 weeks, the bio waste is now composted enough to form a cohesive mass which is supported by the device. The compost regulators are fixator after the breaking-in period so they can’t, for example, be pulled out by playing children. You no longer need to adjust their position later. For more information on how the SUPERCOMP works, click here.

 

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A faster and better composting result can be achieved if I…

For ideal and effective rotting, the right balance between carbon and nitrogen is important. Kitchen waste and grass clippings contain a lot of nitrogen, so you should always add “woody” materials such as leaves, shredded branches, sawdust, napkins or sachets. On the other hand, it is advisable to mix in nitrogen-rich to carbonaceous waste.

Nitrogen-rich waste is fruit and vegetable waste, brewed coffee and tea, potato tops, grass and grass clippings, bouquets and potted plants, banana peels and tropical fruit peels, weeds (without seeds, otherwise dried), herbs, wool, hair, dung.

Carbon-rich waste is trimmings from trees, shrubs and hedges, leaves, bark, straw, hay, wood shavings, sawdust, napkins, sachets.

The more colorful the mixing of waste, the better the quality of the final product. Now and then, mix a shovel of rock meal, lime and soil in, “watering” it when it’s too dry and mixing “woody” things in when it’s too wet.

 

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How do I recognize finished compost?

Apart from small residual amounts of branches and bones, there are no longer any recognizable plant parts. It consists of fine crumbs (beads), and most of the compost worms have left the pile. Only a few single leaf ribs are left and visible.

 

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What should not be composted at all or only in small amounts?

(source: biorama.eu)

1. INTERFERING MATERIALS

Glass, metal, and plastics clearly do not belong in the compost heap – an explanation is unnecessary.

2. ASH

Coal ash is suitable for composting only to a limited extent. Ashes contain high concentrations of heavy metals, and the large quantities of potash increase the salt content of the compost, leading to a saturation of the soil over the years.

3. MATERIALS CONTAMINATED BY PESTICIDES

Although most pesticides are degraded through composting, these starting materials are hardly recommended. Too little is known about the combination of such agents and the danger of the degradation products. For an example, clopyralid (this substance is allowed as a herbicide not only for farming and plant nursing, but also for home gardens) is not degraded in the digestive system of a cow, nor in the subsequent composting of manure. It has phytotoxic effects even in the compost.

4. VACUUM CLEANER BAGS, STREET SWEEPINGS

The contents of vacuum cleaner bags and dirt from the road or the parking lot contain tire debris, air pollutants, etc. It is also not known what these materials introduce into the compost heap ecosystem.

5. LEATHER AND TREAT WOOD

Leather and wood are often impregnated with chemicals that assist in the preservation of leather or the preservation of wood. These also kill the soil life in the compost and can be difficult to degrade, as they were actually designed to withstand the forces of nature.

6. DOG, CAT, AND BIRD DROPPINGS

The droppings of these omnivores is usually contaminated with germs and parasites, which can become a problem if the compost sanitation is not sufficient.

7. ROOT WEEDS

Creeping thistle, couch grass or field bindweed are very tough, and oftentimes,  only two to three centimeters long pieces of root already multiply magnificently in compost heaps. Roots that were painstakingly removed from beds should therefore left out to dry for about ten days in the sun; to see if they are still alive, make a cut into the roots, and only then put them into the composter!

8. WEED SEEDS

Weed seeds can only be destroyed in composting  by the high temperatures in the hot rotting. If the weeds are weeded out before flowering, there certainly are no seeds, and young plants can be much easier to remove from the bed.

9. MEAT, SAUSAGE, BONE

May only be composted if a hot rotting takes place by the addition of fresh waste. In no case can large pieces or a whole animals compost! Avoid areas where there are problems with rodents. Meat residues should be covered to protect them from flies.

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Do I need a compost accelerator?

No. Within a short period of time, a SUPERCOMP forms its own ecosystem (biocenosis) with numerous compost organisms that are responsible for the composting process. In order to put the ecosystem in transition even faster, you can „inoculate“ your SUPERCOMP with compost worms.

To maintain the optimum balance, you should from time check to the humidity level inside. The optimum condition of the compost is like a squeezed out sponge. You can recognize dry compost by its cracked, crumbly structure or when ants are inside. In this case, “water” it a little bit and add a shovel full of rock meal. If the rotting is too wet, the ventilation – and thus, the composting process – is disturbed. You must then add some “woody” materials, such as straw, dry grass, bark mulch, paper napkins, paper bags and rotting leaves. Furthermore, you can add 2-3 scoops of fresh raw compost from the harvest chamber, because it contains microorganisms necessary for the composting process and brings the it back in transition faster.

 

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Should I protect my wooden composter from the weather?

Protection & best look for many years to come: also order JOTUN UV WOOD PROTECTION

Your composter is a beautiful piece of garden furniture that is exposed to any sort of weather and solar radiation.

We therefore recommend that you embed your composter – at least the lid – with a UV Wood Protection Stain.

Many of our customers ask us which product they should take. Thanks to our past experiences, we can recommend the JOTUN Demidekk Terrasslasyr in 4 selected hues  (a product of premium quality class).

Due to their ability withstand extreme weather conditions, JOTUN oils are used especially in shipbuilding.

Of course, the decision is left up to you whether you want this sort of protection. You may also choose to use a more favorable (oil-based) product from the hardware store.

Durability

Protection from UV fungi/UV radiation

for at least 2 years (depending on weather conditions, up to 4 years) – then, repeat the process

Application

Paint on 1x by brush, let dry for 1 hour, repeat.

(1 liter is sufficient for one composter.)

Note on the shades

Website Look: Natural fiber 100% visible

Antique Look: Nut fiber 25% visible

Classic Look: Chestnut fiber 50% visible

Modern Look: Stone Grey fiber 5% visible

 

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Should I perforate the floor plate in order to create contact with the ground?

It is often claimed that the compost pile needs an open connection to the ground for the creatures to get inside the pile.

From a technical perspective it can be said that this is not true. The compost process works purely by bacteria, such as in large composting plants, where heaps are dumped on solid ground. Our lab tests – among others in the composting of “only” oranges – done with the Joanneum Research Institute of the University of Technology of Graz have been carried out in a shed on a concrete floor.

Therefore, composting with the SUPERCOMP on closed ground, terraces etc. is possible. The base plate is impermeable to water and thus protects the surface. The smooth surface of the plate facilitates compost removal from the harvest chamber.

From a holistically ecological perspective, the following applies:

A connection to the ground is advantageous, but can also be replaced by the introduction of “compost life”, for example by adding 2-3 buckets of raw compost or rotting leaves with compost worms into the composter. The ecosystem can also grow this way, and creatures can wander through the small gaps in the removal flap below at night.

 

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