DIY “stackable” composter part II
Having built and loaded the composter, it is now time to discuss routine maintenance of the pile. First however, I want to point out that what makes this unit work so well is a combination of the solar action against the dark panels, the insulation effect of the wood locking the heat in, and the separation between stacks that fascilitates aeration
As mentioned, there are many sites that discuss the science and “mechanics” of composting so I won’t review everything here. Basically, after the pile has sat for a couple of weeks, anaerobic fermentation will take place in the center of the pile and so it is time to mix things up. As pictured, all that you do is lay down a few bricks (or what have you) as a new foundation and then just start moving the stacks and compost onto the new pile (the top of the existing stack and pile becomes the new bottom etc.). I am pictured here using a shovel but it is only because I couldn’t find my pitch fork. Now having said all of that, if you only have up to four sections, just take one of those hot pokers used for the fireplace, work it down deep, and pull it up to the surface at an angle. In this way you can ”upend” and aerate the pile very easily. They make special tools for this, but the poker worked well for me, and is of course, “cheaper.”
Also, because worm compost (castings etc.) make better soil than tradional compost, I only need to partially break down the pile, because it’s destination is the worm bins. This is because what the worms actually utilize is the bacteria and fungi from the foods that go into their bins. Therefore, we are short cutting this process by hot composting first, and it is easier to just dump your kitchen scraps and other yard wastes into the hot composter than it is to store this stuff until the worms have consumed their existing food etc. In summary, this partially broken down stuff is a more bioavailable form than foods added straight to their bins etc. (and they will love you for it LOL!). To get to the finished compost, I think that I will just shovel out an area underneath the stack.
Of course, if your intent is to not setup worm composting, then you can just take the compost all the way using the hot method above. How often (and how many times) you will need to move the pile depends on the many factors like temperature, components of the pile, etc. I estimate that I will only need to move this pile this one time before it is “prime” for the worm bins. In this manner, the worms will break down this material into the final “vermipost” and castings in record time. This system of hot composting prior to vermiculure composting is being used very successfully in other countries (India for one).
