It's been 10 weeks since I started my first batch of compost. I emptied out the composter to start another batch. This is what my first batch looks like:

It looks and smells like soil. It sure doesn't look or smell like table scraps, coffee, leaves, and shredded paper! I have been keeping my scraps and coffee grinds in a large trash can beside my composter. Each time I add a large amount of scraps, I cover it with a generous layer of dried leaves. Not only does this help keep the proper ratio of green to brown material, but it also keeps it from smelling and attracting so many flies. I filled my composter with a new batch, which only emptied out half of my trash can, and added a large amount of dried leaves. This is what my new batch looks like:

It already started the decomposition process in the trash can, so I don't figure it won't take as long in the composter as the first batch did. We will see.

Composting Materials

I've done quite a bit of research on which materials would be good for my compost and which items would be bad. A carbon rich material is considered "Brown" and a nitrogen rich material is considered "Green".

The Brown materials I've used or will use in my compost:
shredded paper
dried leaves
lint from the dryer
pencil shavings
wood ash
grass clippings

I've chosen not to use weeds. If the temperature in the composter doesn't reach about 160 degrees it will not kill the weed seeds. That's not a chance i'm willing to take.

The Green materials I've used or will use in my compost:
coffee grinds (with filters)
tea bags
vegetable and fruit scraps
egg shells
crushed stale cereal
crushed stale chips
the liquid drained from canned fruits and vegetables
the water from my fish bowl when I clean it out.
cow manure

Materials I don't want to use:
pet feces
weeds
meat
greasy foods
coal ash

I chop everything really small before placing it in my compost pile. The smaller the pieces are, the faster it will compost. Once I have filled my composter, I won't add anything else to it. I don't want everything at different stages of decomposition. I place new items in my garden trash bin. Once my compost is ready, I will empty out the drum and start a new batch from the materials in my trash bin.

I found this really great site called "163 Things You Can Compost".
http://www.plantea.com/compost-materials.htm

Compost Station

I've been wanting a composter for several years now. I love gardening, and I hate wasting, so a composter is just perfect for me. This year, Randy is going to build me a raised garden since I have a hard time getting down on the ground. Now we will be able to fill it with nutrient rich compost! This is the frame that Randy built by tearing apart pallets. Since the pallets were free, this part didn't cost us anything.

OK ... the barrel fit. The 55 gallon barrel was free too, so thus far my compost station has still not cost us anything.

This is Randy cutting the hole in the side of the barrel for the door.

The hinges, locks, and handle have been installed. This is the only part of this project that cost us. We purchased the hardware at Walmart, which cost us less than $10.00. We used long bolts because they will help in breaking down the materials inside the composter.

Next, we filled the composter with the materials I have been saving. The proper ratio for a productive compost is 30 parts carbon material to 1 part nitrogen material. The carbon material I used was shredded paper and dried leaves. The Nitrogen material I used was coffee grinds, fresh vegetable clippings from the kitchen, tea bags, egg shells, and apple cores. Besides the Carbon/Nitrogen ratio, the other two most important factors are air and water. We drilled holes in the 55 gallon drum for air and drainage. After we filled the composter with the materials, we wet them down really well and turned the drum to mix it all well. This is what we are starting with:

I placed a large garden trash can beside my composter to told excess materials until there is room in the composter for them.

I will be posting a photo each week of the progress of the compost. If I have the proper C:N ratio, the temperature inside the composter will reach about 140 degrees. The microorganisms breaking down the compost will generate this heat, along with the sun on the black drum. Without the heat, the compost won't break down.