Re: Tips for compost tumbler

**Kelejan** 8/12/2018, 4:20 am

jimmy cee wrote:
Kelejan wrote:Jimmy, where do the worms come from in your pile of coffee grounds?
I honestly don't know.
I placed grinds in the middle space between 2 larger compost pits. I am sure I had over 500 lbs at one time.
In adjacent compost pits I did add quite a bit of horse manure, This is where I believe the worms came from.
I never added worms at all.

That must be the solution, Jimmy. If your pile of coffee ground has been there a while, it only needs one compost worm to start a colony. I remember that for years my compost pile never had compost worms, only the odd earthworm. Then I had a bag of sheep manure and now I always have the little wrigglers.

OhioGardener 8/16/2018, 7:18 pm

This evening on the way home I stopped at a local Starbucks to see if they had any coffee grounds I could get. The young lady that was at the counter said she didn't know, but would check. She came back in a few seconds and told me, "he said that nobody came to get them, so he threw them in the dumpster". Really surprised me, and I have never had that happen before.

Stopped at another Starbucks, and got two large bags full, about 50# of grounds & filters. The worms will love those! Very Happy

**sanderson** 8/17/2018, 2:29 am

**Kelejan** 8/17/2018, 9:01 am

WE have small Starbucks located inside a Safeway. When asked once if they gave away their coffee grounds to gardeners they said they were not allowed to because of the local laws.

For two years I collected a lovely amount of veggies from out local supermarket then one day they also had stop giving it away because of health reasons. Now I rely on friends and neighbours to let me have their peelings etc. to supplement the leaves I collect in the fall and the grass that goes into their lawnmower grass catchers.

OhioGardener 8/17/2018, 10:49 am

Very interesting, Kelejan - wonder what health reasons they are concerned about? A local gym opened a juice bar, and I can get the vegetable & fruit pulp from them, which I add to the coffee grounds for compost.

**donnainzone5** 8/17/2018, 12:41 pm

They think that people might eat contaminated or spoiled products and are afraid of liability issues.

There is a local exception for pig farmers, however, but one has to produce an appropriate business letterhead.

**jimmy cee** 8/17/2018, 1:20 pm

Kelejan wrote:WE have small Starbucks located inside a Safeway. When asked once if they gave away their coffee grounds to gardeners they said they were not allowed to because of the local laws.

For two years I collected a lovely amount of veggies from out local supermarket then one day they also had stop giving it away because of health reasons. Now I rely on friends and neighbours to let me have their peelings etc. to supplement the leaves I collect in the fall and the grass that goes into their lawnmower grass catchers.

I have read where in France it's a crime to throw away compostable material.
I also believe in this country many stores make excuses as to not want to distribute discarded veggies and fruits.

**Kelejan** 8/17/2018, 3:51 pm

donnainzone5 wrote:They think that people might eat contaminated or spoiled products and are afraid of liability issues.

There is a local exception for pig farmers, however, but one has to produce an appropriate business letterhead.

I agree that is the reason. And I can tell you that they must be right as so much of the discarded produced was still in the packets and would have been perfectly edible.

I did suggest that perhaps the store itself could cut up all the produce and mix it up and sell it as fit only for composting. Nah! Too much work and little profit.

**donnainzone5** 8/17/2018, 3:54 pm

KJ,

I've suggested the same thing.

The last time I brought the issue up at my local market, I was told that they have that produce composted, anyway. I wonder.... They must send it to our local dump, where it would be mixed with who-knows-how-many pesticide- or herbicide-contaminated garden waste.

**jimmy cee** 8/17/2018, 9:38 pm

They are in business to make a buck. if nothing is going to be purchased it goes into the trash...

**Kelejan** 8/17/2018, 11:52 pm

jimmy cee wrote:They are in business to make a buck. if nothing is going to be purchased it goes into the trash...

We know that it is so wrong to trash it. Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 671790

Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 950477

OhioGardener 9/11/2018, 10:46 am

For anyone looking for a new, larger compost tumbler, Mantis (the company that bought ComposTumbler) is having a clearance sale on the Original ComposTumbler - $200 off the regular price. I have an old one similar to this one, except mine has two chambers, and was called the ComposTumber².

Click here for the Original ComposTumbler on sale.

OhioGardener 9/15/2018, 4:34 pm

Has55, I mentioned in another thread that Mantis (the company that bought ComposTumber) has a clearance sale on the Original ComposTumber. This is similar to the original one I have, except mine is the two-chamber version, and it is super easy to turn daily no matter how full it gets.

Mantis Original ComposTumbler

has55 9/17/2018, 3:40 am

OhioGardener wrote:Has55, I mentioned in another thread that Mantis (the company that bought ComposTumber) has a clearance sale on the Original ComposTumber. This is similar to the original one I have, except mine is the two-chamber version, and it is super easy to turn daily no matter how full it gets.

Mantis Original ComposTumbler

thank you. Do you know why it has a cancer warning?
Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 72pt

WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

how much compost is it making?

OhioGardener 9/17/2018, 8:23 am

has55 wrote:thank you. Do you know why it has a cancer warning?
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

how much compost is it making?

That cancer warning is California's Prop 65, which says that anything that isn't natural or organic can cause cancer or harm reproductive health. I ordered a new set of galvanized metal latches and the package they were in had the prop 65 warning. So, I guess either the metal of the body or plastic ends require that warning. The site specifications for the composter says: "Non-toxic powder-coated galvannealed steel, rust-resistant. BPA-free, food grade plastic end caps."

I create a batch of compost every month in mine. This one says it holds 18 bushels, which is about 22 cu ft, but that is the quantity of raw material and not the composted amount.

has55 9/17/2018, 12:21 pm

Approximately how much compost you think you are producing in the harvester

OhioGardener 9/17/2018, 12:39 pm

has55 wrote: Approximately how much compost you think you are producing in the harvester

I have two twin-bin composters, and each bin takes one month to complete the composting process. So, I get one wheelbarrow full of compost each week. My wheelbarrow says it holds 5 cu ft, and sometime is it heaped full while other times it is almost full. So, I probably average 4 cu ft a week. I never completely fill a composter before starting another one, probably fill about 3/4 full.

Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 Compos14

has55 9/17/2018, 4:28 pm

would you post a picture of the front of your large composter?

has55 9/17/2018, 4:30 pm

OhioGardener wrote:Has55, I mentioned in another thread that Mantis (the company that bought ComposTumber) has a clearance sale on the Original ComposTumber. This is similar to the original one I have, except mine is the two-chamber version, and it is super easy to turn daily no matter how full it gets.

Mantis Original ComposTumbler

I loved the "it is super easy to turn daily no matter how full it gets. "

has55 9/17/2018, 4:31 pm

Sanderson, what type of tumbler do you have?

OhioGardener 9/17/2018, 5:03 pm

has55 wrote:I loved the "it is super easy to turn daily no matter how full it gets. "

And, that is true due to the gear ratio at the crank. The only thing I have to periodically, especially after a prolonged rain storm, is add a little oil where the rods run through the bushings.

OhioGardener 9/17/2018, 5:19 pm

has55 wrote:would you post a picture of the front of your large composter?

I assumed you meant the door, so I went out and took some pictures of it showing the doors. This composter is the Twin, with two separate compartments.

Showing the 2 removable doors.

Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 Compos15

The doors removed.

Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 Compos16

One of the sections with nearly finished compost.

Tips for compost tumbler - Page 4 Compos17

has55 9/17/2018, 5:38 pm

nice. Impressive. Thank you for sharing.

has55 9/17/2018, 5:43 pm

here's a used one in Delphos, Ohio for 40.00
Used Mantis Compact ComposTumbler- Engineered to Make Compost Fast -pick up only

has55 9/17/2018, 5:46 pm

OG would you share how you prepare the mantis tumbler for composting, please.

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