We've just gotten a compact ComposTumbler. We'll be using a lot of Russian
Thistle (not in seed) and kitchen waste. I was wondering if it would be
best to run the kitchen waste in the food processor before putting it in the
compost drum. Would a slurry, or paste be more detrimrntal than putting in
small pieces? Or would it speed up the process?
Carrie

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On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:30:33 -0600, "Klaurens"
wrote:

We've just gotten a compact ComposTumbler. We'll be using a lot of Russian
Thistle (not in seed) and kitchen waste. I was wondering if it would be
best to run the kitchen waste in the food processor before putting it in the
compost drum. Would a slurry, or paste be more detrimrntal than putting in
small pieces? Or would it speed up the process?
Carrie

Putting your waste thru a processor will greatly speed decomposition.
It is a lot of bother for such a small amount. I chop corn cobs into
pieces which take some months to break down completely.

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:30:33 -0600, "Klaurens"
wrote:

We've just gotten a compact ComposTumbler. We'll be using a lot of Russian
Thistle (not in seed) and kitchen waste. I was wondering if it would be
best to run the kitchen waste in the food processor before putting it in the
compost drum. Would a slurry, or paste be more detrimrntal than putting in
small pieces? Or would it speed up the process?

Composting isn't rocket science. Small bits decay faster than large
bits, but large bits decay after a while, too. I would hate to have to
wash my food processor every time I wanted to toss a canteloupe rind.
If it's convenient to chop things into smaller pieces for faster
composting, by all means do. But you're not making gazpacho -- just
recycling organic waste for a good purpose.

I bought a really inexpensive plastic pail from Walmart for four dollars. The
lid snaps shut, but not air tight. I put all the kitchen scraps in that and
empty them every few days to the pile which is furthest from the house. In a
tumbler, you can use whole material, but be sure to maintain the proper carbon
to nitrogen ratio. Plenty of brown leaves and one tenth the amount in food
scraps or green plant material is a good ratio. That's 10:1 carbon/nitrogen.
Keep it slightly moist and don't forget to turn it.


On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:30:33 -0600, "Klaurens" opined:

We've just gotten a compact ComposTumbler. We'll be using a lot of Russian
Thistle (not in seed) and kitchen waste. I was wondering if it would be
best to run the kitchen waste in the food processor before putting it in the
compost drum. Would a slurry, or paste be more detrimrntal than putting in
small pieces? Or would it speed up the process?
Carrie