If at all. I know some folks just let it sit and go low and slow.
Just curious to see what you folks prefer.
Every couple of weeks during the summer, once a month over the winter. Used to do it weekly, but decided I should probably let it heat up more between turns.
I do it by getting a fork and properly turning and mixing it. Very physically demanding!
I only really have the one 800 litre bin though. I think the let it sit strategy works better when you have 2 or more, just layer well and let nature do the mixing!
It’s a really good workout. This sounds like a really fast pace to me but if you’re getting good exercise, there’s nothing wrong with that!
I’m usually really bad about turning it, perhaps once a season. I’ve been doing it more monthly lately though, my piles are definitely running warmer now.
I spin the handle on my drum composter every time I add to it. The other bins seem to be turned every 6 months.
2ftx2ft pile. Minimal compost needs. Plenty hot outside. Turned once or twice a season. Cardboard, food scraps, pee lasagna.
But I also just let the corncob skeletons live in my raised bed lol
I rarely ever turn my pile often enough…
I wish I had a bobcat or other bucket loader, or the motivation to build enough hand crank tumblers to handle the volume I have
I imagine it gets difficult at that kind of scale yeah. My pile is small. Only yard waste and green material I know wont attract animals. I live right in town and dont want to piss off the neighbours too much.
I live in Phoenix and just started to water and turn my compost daily during the summer. It looks a heck of a lot better. However, I always regard my “summer” compost to be nothing more than topsoil by the end of the season. At least it’s good for something.
(Is vermicompost verboten on this board? 😬)
My mother got tired of her subpod and gave it to me along with an aerator tool: https://subpod.com/products/subpod-compost-aerator
I’ve been using that for the subpod along with my basic compost bin I picked up from the city. I aerate almost daily as I add fresh kitchen waste. Dump in the new stuff, dig deep and pull up from the bottom, just enough to fully cover the new bits.
Based on the answers here, am I doing too much? My compost is good and hot, seems healthy!
Vermicomposting is cool too! I dont think you can really overaerate your compost. At the end of the day whether you aerate every day or once a year its gonna rot. Really just depends on what timeframe youre interested in and what you want to get out of it.
Twice a year I’d say. I have a series of piles maturing and this allows them to age for a full year+ before I use them. Really cuts down on the effort. Turning is for rapid results.
I let mine sit and it just compacted and didn’t really do much. Then I kept adding to it and made it worse. Rinse, repeat. Finally got a tiller and tilled it after 3 years and that made a world of difference.
Now I till it about once a month or so.
Still better than me. Once in the spring, once in the summer, once in the fall.
Probably should do it more often. Thanks for sharing.
My grandpa would water and turn his every other day. Wish I had the time/energy for that. lol
The oldtimers know what theyre doing, thats for sure.
