What's wrong with my compost?

I've noticed there's a slug in my compost, possibly more I would suspect now. I can also see some white fungi/mushrooms growing there. (Not much though)

My compost is/looks quite dry, even with all the rain we've been having. It's a plastic composter with lid, so obviously there's been no direct rainfall into it.

I have previously, poured half a bucket of water on the compost, but it seems to have dried up again. Again, I could be wrong. I've haven't turned it in some time, so it could be warm and moist further down.

Is there anything I could do here, to get what might be considered a healthy compost? I can't visualise the perfect brown compost, that the authorities/organisations say people can create without little effort, happening. Seems like it could be a very long time, before I get that.

 

Sounds like you've got the fungi doing the breaking down of your plant material. That's fine, but they are slower than bacteria, and will most likely be cooler.

I'm no expert but my inclination would be to turn the heap - to mix it up, and it will give you a chance to look at the rest of the heap. If its all stone cold I would remake the heap layered with fresh grass clippings - they tend to get the heat going quickly. Perhaps also some compost accelerator - e.g. Garotta, but I've never used that. I expect it also needs more water, if its completely covered.

I'm a lazy compost maker, I'm afraid. Chuck everything in a pile and leave it ... but a hotter heap will kill more bugs / seeds, so that's definitely worth aiming for.

 

Earthman, what type of container are you using?

 

I agree with K. Turn, water, and if you can, open it up, and sandwich it with green soft material like grass. Accelérators work fine. I used them in my old composter, wich was in a bad corner where I could not turn it easily. I always got lovely compost. It IS easy to make compost, but if you want it to be made FAST you have to work on it a lot. If you leave it alone it will take a long time to compost.... but compost it will, in the end. May easily take a whole year, or even two (depends on the materials).

 

Err! If it's a plastic container with a lid. It doesn't matter how much rain we're getting, it's gonna stay dry unless you leave the lid off.

 

Interesting. I have always used a compost heap at bottom of garden which has 2 sections and get brill compost. I just got plastic one nearer the kitchen for food waste which is just a revolting mess so this is interesting. Can't put food on one at bottom of garden cos of roland rat visiting.

 

Thanks people for your replies. The container I'm using is supposed to be a "Super Composter". It's a 450L one (about 4/5 full), which I got from Homebase for about £30. It's just under 1m cubed, each dimension approx 80-100 cm. There are 4 (lifting doors?) on each side and the sides aren't tightly sealed, they slot together on assembly. The idea was that the design 'aids circulation', you could say. The lid clips down and is springs open upon pressing down a (button?) at the front of the lid.

The material in the compost, I would say is quite woody. When I was cutting back my overgrown garden, I put branches with the leaves attached through a shredder. There was a lot of material and I would describe the compost as almost fluffy and light in texture. But the surface at least looks dry.

And the lid was closed the past two days, so it missed the "monsoon". Another question, are slugs supposed to be in the compost. Are they harmful? I wouldn't want they leaching nutrients away (if they do).

Lastly, can you turn the heap too much? Does turning it and turning it e.g every day, cause decomposition to find its 'rhythm' difficult? Or am I'm talking a load of bull here?

 

I would think that turning it every day will interrupt some of the "bloom" of the benefitial bugs. Once a week is probably better. Howevr, if you have a lot of woody material in there that will compost more slowly, and cooler.

Add Nettles, Comfry or grass clippings [not too much or it will become a soggy mess] to increase activity / heat

 

Thanks Kristen, still bugging about the slugs though :S These can't be the "benefitial" bugs you're on about, could they?

 

"These can't be the "benefitial" bugs you're on about, could they?"

I don't think it matters, but for sure if the compost heap was HOT they wouldn't be there.

Once the heap starts to cool down the worms et al start to move in, and they finish the job.

You could get a Dalek shaped composting bin which is, in effect, sealed and that would keep rodents and slugs [I assume] out.

 

Thanks again. I forgot to mention something though. I have used Miracle-Gro Compost Maker, in the heap. There's near enough a whole 1.3kg bag that's been emptied into the compost, as per instructions. And the 450 L composter was approx 4/5 full at the beginning.

I have 3 more bags of this compost maker. Would it be useful to use it all up at this stage or could it too be too much? I'm not sure what the compost maker actually consists of. If it's microrganisms, couldn't they possibly die being unused for months and it therefore be better to use them?

Again, if it does consist of microrganisms would they prefer a woody or leafy environment? Am I going too deep into the subject here?