To hot compost, build a large (at least 1 cubic meter) pile with alternating layers of "greens" (nitrogen, like food scraps, grass) and "browns" (carbon, like leaves, cardboard) in roughly a 1:2 ratio, keeping it damp like a wrung-out sponge and adding a starter. Turn the pile every few days to aerate and maintain temperatures of 55-70°C (130-160°F) for fast decomposition, killing pathogens and creating rich compost in weeks, not months.
Simply gather your carbon and nitrogen-rich ma- terials and alternately layer them in your bin. Stick a com- post thermometer into the middle of the pile once fin- ished. Check the temperature of your pile daily and when it reaches 55-60o C it is time to flip it into the second bin.
Hot composts require a mixture of green and brown materials. You should aim for 25 parts carbon materials to one part nitrogen. Here are some examples of materials you can add to your pile.
How to Make a Hot Compost Heap
Hot composting involves a combination of brown materials, green materials, water, and periodic turning to create compost. If the ratios seem too complicated or confusing, you can work with volumes (size of the material, or the amount of space it takes up) of ingredients to simplify the process.
Materials to Avoid in a Hot Composting Bin or Pile
If your pile is not getting hot enough, you will need to add some nitrogen rich products such as garden waste, coffee grounds, or grass clippings. If the compost is getting too hot, you can add some high carbon scraps such as shredded cardboard, sawdust, or straw mulch.
Don't:
If you have access to an 'elsan' or chemical toilet disposal point, toilet or greywater drain, these are also ideal for emptying into. Never pour urine into a canal or waterway – over time, it has the potential to promote excessive algal growth, which can lead to eutrophication (lack of oxygen) of the waterway.
Time and effort.
A hot compost pile needs quite a bit of supervision. Besides weekly turning and watering, it will need to be monitored to ensure it is not too hot or too cold.
Toilet paper rolls are made from cardboard, so they are compostable! As long as these rolls aren't contaminated, they're a great addition to your compost bucket. Plus, it's a simple and easy solution to dispose of them.
Flies and maggots are rare in the HOTBIN but can prove irritating little critters once in situ. Their presence can indicate that your HOTBIN is probably not up to hot composting temperatures (40-60°C).
What weeds shouldn't you compost?
Using pee: a how-to guide. Keep in mind that urine is very high in nitrogen. You may need to pee daily, but your plants don't need your daily pee. Choose plants that need lots of nitrogen, such as corn and squash, tomatoes and cucumbers during their fruit-bearing stage, and older plants that need a boost.
By controlling the environment of the compost pile you can determine how fast or slow you complete the compost process. There are four basic ingredients in the compost pile, ni- trogen, carbon, water, and air.
Kick-start your composting this year, when by Hot Composting with HOTBIN, it's 32 times faster than traditional cold composting. The easy to HOTBINs are compact and occupy roughly the same space as a garbage-bin.
Forgetting the Balance of Ingredients
Indoor composting still relies on a mix of “greens” and “browns.” Too many food scraps turn into a wet mess, while too much paper or cardboard slows the process.
Yes, you can use the compost toilet when you have diarrhea. If that's the case, we recommend that you change the bags more often and add more cover material than usual to help bind the extra liquid. If the diarrhea is due to an illness, do not compost the solid waste.
Our Tip: Never rinse the canister with pure water, but always with acetic acid. Dilute this beforehand in a ratio of 1:7 (1 part vinegar to 7 parts water). This way you are on the safe side that your composting toilet remains hygienically fresh and above all fragrant.
You should not compost onions, garlic, and citrus peels in large amounts (they're too acidic/repel worms), diseased plants (spreads illness), Black Walnut tree debris (toxic juglone), and any vegetables cooked with oils, fats, dairy, or meat, as these attract pests and disrupt the balance, but many vegetable scraps like peels, stalks, and leaves are great for compost.
Breaking Down Composting and Understanding the Basics
However, compost can only effectively improve soil quality if the organic stream remains clean. When non-compostable materials, such as conventional plastics, glass, metals, and produce stickers end up in the compost mix, they can easily derail the entire process.
No Dairy and Eggs
The resulting smell of rotting milk or eggs will attract unwanted visitors. Eggshells, on the other hand, do provide valuable calcium to the resulting compost. It's best to rinse and dry the eggshells before reducing them to a fine grind or powder.
Add layers of materials to be composted one at a time, alternating between brown and green materials. Incorporate a nitrogen source to start decomposition. Some gardeners add a handful of nitrogen fertilizer to jump-start the process. Keep the pile moist.
If your pile isn't breaking down fast, add more browns like: