Hi everyone! I’d love to get your thoughts on my current compost setup and what the next steps should be to get a high-quality finished product. Im a compost student so all advice will be welcome!
I live in an apartment and I’ve been using Bokashi to collect kitchen scraps for several months, aiming to "batch compost" everything at once to achieve high temperatures.
Here’s what I put together:
Greens: 35 liters (~9.2 gallons) of Bokashi-prepped kitchen scraps.
Browns: 70 liters (~18.5 gallons) of shredded dry leaves.
The Bin: A 120-liter (~32-gallon) plastic barrel.
The Setup:
I installed passive aeration using a vertical, perforated PVC pipe (an aeration chimney). I also wrapped the barrel in reflective bubble wrap insulation to retain heat. In the picture you can see that I'm upgrading the insulation of the same barrel with a camping mat, but you get the idea.
The Results:
It worked! I managed to keep the temperature above 30°C (86°F) for a couple of weeks, reaching a peak of 50°C (122°F), despite average outdoor temperatures being around 8°C (46°F).
Current State:
The compost has been in the barrel for about two months now. The temperature has dropped to ambient levels, and I’ve even spotted a few worms in there. I’ve been turning it weekly to keep it oxygenated.
The material looks quite dark and well-decomposed (I can’t recognize any food scraps anymore), but it seems too wet and some organic "balls" or clumps have started to form.
What should i do now:
I’m considering adding shredded cardboard to soak up the moisture, but I’m worried it might cause even more clumping or matting.
What do you think of its current state? Should I add the cardboard or just let it cure as is? I think it's too wet to piss on it in this case... Any advice on the next step would be greatly appreciated!
Feel free to ask for more details. Thanks!