Composter Picture

Mary, as per your request here is a picture of my composter. It's nothing fancy and it has seen better days, especially before the kids began using it as a jungle gym, but it continues to serve its' purpose well. Less than two months ago it was full to the brim with fresh grass trimmings, shredded newspaper, dead leaves and kitchen scraps. As I've added layers, it has also simultaneously shrunk and turned in to the black, loamy, rich soil that is pictured a couple of posts below.

I actually offer to rake the neighbors lawns to obtain their brown, dry leaves as they make some of the best dry compost material ever. When composting, there is a delicate balance that needs to be maintained between dry and green material and how it is layered, how moist it's kept and how and when it is turned. Almost anything degradable will compost over time if left to the elements but that can take months. Based on the system I use, I can turn trash & trimmings to compost in approximately a month and a half.