I gotta say, this is one of the best videos on composting. There're plenty of vids out there on the subject, but u make it simple, to the point , and the how. The amazing thing is ur channel is not even a gardening channel, but u got it down to a pat
I can’t say thank you enough for the kind words! I’m happy to hear it’s helpful. I’m a huge composter- I even find ways to do it on my travels lol. So I’m happy to see folks interested in it as it’s just good for the world! Hope you are able to get into it and a joy the process as much as I do! ❤️
That is such a great tip! I have noticed that it doesn't compost. Why they wouldn't make it compostable is beyond me but I hope in time we find a better way. Thanks for the great tip Sol!
Thank you so much!! I just started researching and learning about compost and was getting a little overwhelmed, but you just answered all of my questions and took away all of the overwhelm!
Oh thank you so very much for saying that! I promise once you start doing it you’ll see it’s so simple! And when in doubt put in more brown material or soil- it will help break it down! You’ll love it so much and it becomes so hard to not want to compost everything after starting. I literally save my coffee pods and put it all over my grass lol! Have fun compositing!
So try this out. Instead of shaking, rolling, or using a shovel of fork to turn the compost in the bucket, keep an empty bucket nearby. When it's time to "turn" the compost, unlike the compost bucket and pour it into the empty bucket. Do this back and forth a few times until you reach the desired result 😉
This is such a great idea! I think I need to workout my arms a little more for the bigger buckets lol. But that totally sounds like it's a good tactic. Thanks so much for sharing!
I loved your video, it feels real and in the moment, just very personal. I had a question that hadn't been answered since I started my research in composting and you answered it so well and clearly. I also love how you have that glam look but still place yourself out in the yard with all the dirt and plants, making it feel like you can have both those worlds without giving up one.
Abbie, thank you so incredibly much for the kind words! I was inspired to make the video because when I first began, the videos that were out at that time about bucket composting were really bad. Once I created my own, I saw how simple it was and wanted to share the knowledge bc it's good for planet earth! I make all sorts of videos on different random things, so I hope you subscribe and join along with me as I try new things! Thanks again so much and would love an update on how your composting is going!
Your presentation in composting was great! It is easy to follow and duplicate. Composting is a win-win! It helps the Earth and it helps us. What a beautiful relationship!
Thank you so incredibly much for that kind compliment! I created the video initially because when I had started composting, there was really no videos on it, and I wanted to share a step by step. But I wanted to make sure it worked first lol. Now I compost 5 buckets at a time and have done so on both coasts, so felt comfortable enough to share how I did it. Thank you so much for watching, and I agree- the biggest win about composting is how much it helps the Earth (and yours gardens if you're a gardener), and it's secretly so fun to do! I appreciate your support and I hope to make more gardening and sustainability content in the future, so please subscribe if you have any interest to see it! Stay safe out there and thanks again!
@@Dabblerella You are a beautiful soul! Thank you so much for your generous response. I value all that you have offered. Please remain healthy, wealthy and wise!
@@Worlds_to_Explore You seem like a fellow beautiful soul! Thank you so much for the wonderful and kind response, and I hope you stay safe, healthy and abundant as well! Much love & light to you!
Oh my goodness! That makes me so so happy to hear! I'm glad you were inspired and going to do your part- I really hope you enjoy it and it becomes a habit for you. It truly has made me feel better about my waste and it's done wonders for my gardens. Give me an update in a few months and let me know how it's going!
Thank you so much for the compliment! I created the video bc when I initially started my own, there weren't too many videos that had step-by-step directions to make one, and I was so worried about doing it wrong lol. Thankfully there's been alot of videos created by creators since, and I've received many views on here, which hopefully means the Earth is winning as more people are getting more & more interested in sustainability!
Here's what I don't understand about all these bucket composting videos: If you're supposed to start with a layer of branches to create some air space at the bottom; but then you're supposed to mix everything all up every week or so when you add more greens / browns, doesn't that mix up the branches too? No more bottom layer of branches! Please advise. Thank you.
Hi there! When I have put the branches down, it's more to create a base as well as allow some aeration. Sometimes some of my branches do move around, and I don't think that's a problem, but the compost gets so heavy, that it usually stays put for the most part. Even if they all move, it will still compost! It's surprisingly hard to mess up, so I wouldn't worry about that part too much! Once you get started, you'll see that you can't really go wrong and if it gets too watery, just add more brown material like soil on it.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear! Honestly, I swear once you make it you'll see how stinking easy it is. My biggest advice is to just have a bag of soil to mix in with it to keep the "brown materials" levels up, and it works like magic! Also if you want an extra feel good boost about composting, check out the Netflix Documentary called "Kiss the Ground" - it's real important work we're doing :) Thanks for letting me know and happy composting!
Haha aww thank you so much! Sadly my herb garden this year didn't take as well, but that year was bomb, right? lol! Thanks so much and hope you get to making your own compost bucket!
If you live in a climate that gets cold snowy winters can you leave the bucket outside? Do you still stir and add food scraps? You do have an amazing garden. Great video, thanks, very well done!!
This is such a helpful video! Just starting my own compost bin today here in New Hampshire, and I'm excited to see a simple process easily laid out that can help me do my best. Thanks so much!
I'm so glad it was helpful! It's become a weird hobby that is so oddly fun, and it has a "feel-good" feeling once it's all done, for so many reasons from creating recycled foods for my own gardens to helping the Earth in my little way. Happy composting!!
@@Dabblerella Absolutely! It feels great knowing the food we're "wasting" is actually going back into the ground to nourish the new food we'll be eating. The circle of life is pretty cool. :)
Thank you so much for watching and subscribing Javier! I truly appreciate it and am so delighted to hear that you are doing your part for Mother Earth all the way in South America! Happy Composting!
Hello from the states! That warms my heart that this video could help! I hope that this helps you create new soil where you are, it's so good for the Earth. Please subscribe for more content!
My drill comes in handy for SO MANY projects, that it's one of my best purchases ever! That and my Dremmel I feel like I use them all the time. Hope you have a good bucket compost experience!
Aww that's the nicest compliment ever! Thank you so much! Yes I dabble in ALOT of things, so I figured maybe it was a good reason to start sharing some of it out, in case it helps anyone else out. Composting is actually so fun for me, makes me feel good about doing my part, and does wonders for my gardens- and I hope it is for you too! Thank you for subscribing!
I'm trying to make (because it doesn't seem available anywhere) a *kitchen* compost bin (so just for collecting food scraps, not for making soil) but one with a foot pedal. All the kitchen compost bins for sale seem to be made for counter top use, with a lid (a lid would require you to use your hands which may be dirty from cooking etc). What I need to make is a foot pedal/hands-free version. Can I buy a regular foot pedal trash can and drill holes in it? And should I maybe glue some charcoal filters to the underside of the lid or elsewhere for the smells? And if it comes with a liner bucket (ideally it would) would it be OK if only the liner had holes drilled into it, and not the outside of the can? Thanks for any ideas!- Maria
Aww thank you so very much! When I had started there weren't many videos out there and it drove me crazy, so I thought, I'm just going to make my own. Hope your bucket does well! It's fun and so great for mother Earth!
@@Dabblerella thank you for taking the time to do so. In about how many months should I expect to see compost assuming that I've done the process correctly? Also, should I add some red wigglers?
@@null4177 I will say it's really hard to get the process wrong. No matter what it decomposes, but if you see that it's taking too long or you have bugs you can just add some additional brown material which helps, and at some point you just can *feel* what to add. Timing is tricky. I am always adding on top of my buckets, even as it goes down. But once the bucket it towards the top if I were to let it go it's about 4-8 weeks. In Cali it was less time because it was so hot and dry I guess that it decomposed faster. In Georgia it's tends to take much longer. I haven't ever used the red wigglers, and it will decompose regardless, but I do try to dig up some regular earth worms from my garden to stick in the buckets and it does make it move faster. I hope that helps, but don't worry it's hard to get wrong- you'll see!
@@null4177 A fellow Georgia Peach! Yay! Thank you so much- I will have many more Georgia videos coming soon so stay tuned! Thanks so much for subscribing!
This is very helpful but I do have a question. Why should we not throw meat, bones, and/or feces in the composting bucket? Ik they can be composted. Is it just because the process calls for more than a bucket?
Thank you so much or watching, and for composting if you get to it! So good for the Earth! Subscribe as I hope to make more content on this subject matter in time!
Thank you so much for watching, and if you create one yourself, thank you for helping the Earth! It really is so great and I am so happy to see so many people getting into composting. It's just good all around. And thank you so very much for the compliment on the sneakers! I got them from some small shop in California, and I was ripping off this cute look my friend had with ankle length high-top Converse, where she wore it with many outfits from shorts to dresses, and it looked so cute! So when I found these on sale, I purchased them. They are a no-name brand unfortunately so I think it was to the shop, but I am sure if you google white high top sneakers for women you can find a similiar pair. Thank you!
Well, it really depends. I continue to put things in and aerate it while it's breaking down so it takes a while to fill up since it's a constant process. If you were to fill it up and just leave it, it takes about 2-3 months to break down depending on how much water and aeration you do, which can make it quicker. When i've put worms in, it does speed up the process to about 1.5 months. But for my bucket to really fill up, that takes a while since it's a work in progress that keeps breaking down as I add more that restarts the process if that makes sense.
We are definitely getting plenty of rain here in Georgia these days! I'm gonna use this bucket idea.. easier than trying to tumble a large trash can lol
Yeah when I was in Cali, I had to "water" my compost bc the drought, but in GA, I haven't had to as often thank goodness! I tend to use to shovel to mix mine up more often than tumbling these days (since I'm always adding more scraps to it and find its easier), and so far it still seems to work just fine. Best of luck on your bucket composting!
@@Dabblerella you'll eventually deal with the lack of rain here too but for now we good right lol. Btw ever tried tossing some cooked bulk sausage in that cream cheese n rotel dip? It rocks that way as well 🙂
@@Chaotic_Enigma Nothing can be as bad as the drought that Cali had for so many years, but I know GA can go through those spells as well. Love the greenery here though- makes it more bearable in the heat! And no I have never thought to put meat in that dip, but I don't know why I wouldn't think to since I do in most my dips. I am not a huge sausage fan but maybe a spicy hot dog? Lol - thank you so much for the tip! I will have more easy recipes out eventually so let me know if you have variations of them for sure as I am always looking for recipes that are simple but good!
So inspiring, l 🏃🏾♀️ 🏃🏾♀️ 🏃🏾♀️ n got myself a bucket n followed your method. So well presented n detailed, jus exactly what l needed. Thank you 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾
Ahh that makes me so delighted to hear! Thank you for the kind words, and thank you even more for being a fellow composter! It really is so great for the earth, and it's so fun in it's own weird way right? Best of luck and happy composting!
Hi Carol! Sorry for the delayed response. To be completely honest, I struggle with it too sometimes. In this video, it was a good year and my compost really helped it grow well, but the year after this video was made, I was barely able to get any to sprout even with using my compost. And that's been an issue several times since I started. When I was in California I grew it in my terracotta pots and they grew great in there, but I just wasn't able to grow as much of it. However, in the ground I have had a lot more trouble. Have you tried growing it in a separate pot? It felt so much easier when I used that method so may be a better way to ensure it grows.
Oh wow does that work? That's genius!! Thank you for the tip! When I make a future video I will certainly share that information. Thank you so much Lanna!
Awww you just made my day for telling me that! Makes me very happy to hear that it's being taught because that means more people will be involved with helping our Earth! Thank you so much for sharing that information Donald!
The water seems to actually help my compost as it should be moist, but totally understand it can make it sloshy. Hope your compost is coming along well!
@@FrancescaA00 Oh that's so awesome to hear!! Yeah, I always try to tell folks it's really simple and hard to mess up. I have 4 of them going now and my yard has definitely experienced extra boost of nutrients that's done really well for my veggie and flower gardens! So happy to have inspired and keep up the good work!
When composting you have to have a good amount of "brown" materials to help break down the compost, and newspapers serve as "brown material" that helps to do that. I prefer to use mostly soil for brown material because I like to use the final compost in my gardens (it's totally garden gold), but I do sparingly put napkins and newspapers and paper egg cartons etc. I hope that helps answer your question, and so happy to know you are composting! Best of luck to you! it's really hard to get wrong and if you don't see it moving fast enough, just keep adding more "brown" materials in it to help it move along faster.
Good evening, I am beginning to get into the subject of small family gardens (I have little space) and all that this entails. I have no experience related to the subject and I would like to ask you some questions regarding compost: Can I do it in old plastic paint cans or wooden drawers for example? If I do not have at least natural wood and dry pruning waste at the moment, can I do it only with soil, grass and kitchen waste, eg fruit and vegetable peel, egg, etc? In this case the process to be carried out would be the same?
Hi there! So exciting that you want to start a compost bucket! Yes, I have used several old plastic paint buckets and it worked fine for me. I'm not sure if cans would, but I don't see why not. the only thing with that is that you want to make sure to peel out any paint because the chemicals may not allow the composting to work properly. So like the huge plastic paint buckets I used worked, but I had peeled most of the paint out of it before using. And regarding the wood - I actually don't use wood, as my brown material I use potting soil and I layer it. so at the bottom I put sticks just to help aerate, then I add some soil, then I'll add the layer of my kitchen wastes that consist of fruit and vegetable peels, coffee and tea, etc. Once I have a layer of that I top it with a layer of soil again. You continue this until it's full and mix around every once in a while to allow air to go in there. Also, depending on where you are, you may need to add a little water in there to keep moisture. When I was in California I had to add water often, but in Georgia I dont' ever need to because it's humid and stays moist. You'll see once you start that as long as you are layering it properly with enough brown materials (aka soil, or leaves or sawdust or paper), then it tends to decompose quickly. But I will caveat I've only done this process using soil and leaves as my brown material, so I can't speak to using another form. I hope this helps but let me know if you have any other questions!
This is my first time composting here in NJ. I started in the spring and it's going great. Do you leave it out all winter? I'm thinking of bringing it into the garage.
First, congratulations on your composing! It's oddly satisfying isn't it? And so good for the earth! If you ever get the chance check out the "kiss the ground" documentary on netflix- it will make you feel good for what you do! You can certainly leave it out all winter. It will slow down, but will continue to work. I highly recommend not bringing it in anywhere as it can invite unwanted bugs or critters inside your home. In the winter months I actually use the actual ground beds to compost as it's easier and the cold doesn't bring bugs or critters when I'm covering it thankfully. But I have also done it in the buckets and both continue to work, but just doesn't work as fast as the warmer months. Happy to hear the composting is going well so far and congrats again!
I have! I haven’t ever used the specialty composting worms, but I have three worms from my yard in them and it definitely helps to move it along faster! I feel bad for the worms though so I eventually throw it all back out so they can live their life freely lol. But it does help make the compost faster! Just make sure they have enough holes for air.
Hello Uchenna, I actually didn't in this video, but since then, I have began adding different things to my soil. Sometimes I put my coffee grinds and tea leaves under my plants, and often, I take my banana peels and before throw it away, I put it in a jar for a few days, shake it up, and pour the water onto my plants and garden. I feel like it makes a difference, but the compost is mostly what I do and mix it with regular store bought soil. Hope that helps and would love to hear how your composting goes!
Thank you for watching it! Soil is not mandatory, but you will need something else in the "brown" materials for it to work well. I like to use soils (I said top soil but meant potting), but I like to use soil because I end up using the finished product in my gardens as the soil really has helped my herbs and flowers flourish. But other materials that you can use are like paper, napkins, leaves, hay, sawdust, etc. My preference just is soil and it's the only way I did it, so not sure how the other kinds will turn out.
Once my bucket is fully full, then it takes roughly 4-6 weeks. Can be less when I put more brown materials, but I tend to continue to use my buckets continuously so it's always breaking down. But if you want it to become soil, leave it for about a month or two and keep aerating and make sure there's alot of brown materials to help break it down. Putting worms in there also helps it go faster, so I sometimes woudl find then in my yard and put them in there to make it go faster. Hope that helps and best of luck on composting!!
Honestly, I personally wouldn't recommend doing any of it indoors, even if it doesn't have holes. Ultimately, it requires oxygen and mixing, and it's decomposing matter and can attract critters and cause unwanted smells, and I would worry about it causing mold or other unwanted things. I have heard of people doing that on their porches (creating buckets without holes), but since I haven't done it myself, I can't recommend it. Sorry I couldn't be of more help on that one, but hopefully if you search patio/porch bucket composting someone will have more insights on that!
Oh wow ha! I didn't know that but I guess that's another nitrogen lol! And I actually just top more soil when i see maggots, but honestly they do help to break down the compost faster for me so I just let them be. I haven't noticed an influx of flies or anything, although it is in the corner of my yard, but it hasn't been noticeable of any influx of them.
Hi Dabby, I am not quite clear what you are using to add the nitrogen, is that added by the kitchen scraps? Also, after the initial layers of branches and then leaves and cartons and paper and soil, do you pile the scraps right up to the top, or do you make layer of it and then add another layer of leaves or twigs. This wasn't covered in the vid so it's not quite clear
Personally, I eyeball fairly equal amounts of green and brown materials in layers until it fills up. Ideally, I've read to mix 3 parts carbon (dirt, leaves, newspaper) to one-part nitrogen (vegetable or fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, flower bouquets at the end of their life, etc), however, I’ve been doing layers fairly equally in parts and mine have worked just fine. When I add the green/nitrogen materials, I usually top it with a little soil, or old dry leaves, coffee grounds etc each time. Overall you want the mixture to be damp, but not soggy. If you see that it gets slimy/soggy, you can just add more carbon/brown materials to offset it. It’s better to have more carbon (brown materials) than nitrogen (green materials) - and it'll all compost eventually no matter what you do, but having a better level of each and aerating it every so often helps to move it along faster. Also, whenever it rains I go in my yard and actually add fresh wet soil as there’s often worms in that help the buckets process faster. Truly I don’t think there’s a wrong way to do it if you stay close to layering equal parts green and brown, and leaning a little more with the brown, and you’ll get more the hang of what works for your compost best as you experiment with it, as it will vary based on what kinds of things you’re putting in it, as well as the climate of your area. For example, my composts in Cali tended to decompose alot faster, and I think it was a combo of the fact that I lived in a hot valley that was dry and moved the decomposing bacteria faster, in addition to the fact that I used mostly just a little bit of fruit scraps and coffee, whereas in Georgia, I’m actually putting a lot more items in them with along with my family's scraps, and have had to experiment on what to use to keep them moving as fast as the green scraps have come in. But as a rule of thumb, just always add some sort of brown materials on top of each layer of green materials, like with dirt, dried leaves etc, and it should move along just fine. I've found that you will figure it out as you go, so not to get too bogged down on the exact measurements, but err on the side of extra dirt and dried brown materials if you feel it's not moving along at a healthy pace.
Typically about two months to get it be useable. However, I am always churning more and more in those, and the two months really begins after it's full. If you keep adding to it, those compost materials can actually hurt you plants if it's not fully composted, so I would say try to wait 6-8 weeks after it's full.
I read somewhere that coffee caffeine was a power boost for plants. I am not sure if this is true. May be it’s the same with leftover tea decoction as well.
Yes! While I just got my parents onto composting, they had been using their coffee grinds and tea leaves under their plants for years and swear by it. I read online that it's good for making green growth and the stems sturdy and strong. I add it to my compost since it's all good. My plants have been very healthy when I mix in compost to the soil.
To be honest, it's been different on each coast. When I was in Cali, where it was super hot, it took about 6-8 weeks, However, in Georgia, it seems to be taking a little longer 3-4 months. I have found the ones I aerate more, and when I'm good about adding more brown materials to mix in, tend to move faster. Also after it rains I sometimes go and pull up some soil in my yard with worms to put in my buckets- and that also makes it go a little faster.
I have holes both on the lid and the bottom. I like to have the bottom on soil, as worms and other critters may find their way into it, and also so the rain water can seep through when it rains. Hope that helps!
Don’t fill the buckets as full so the contents will mix more freely when you roll the bucket around. You will need more buckets, but it will make the composting quicker and easier.
You will need to have some brown materials. If you don't have leaves, old pine needles, or twigs and such in your own yard, the best is to just buy a cheap bag of soil to use as your brown layers. You can also use paper and cut up boxes, but I actually prefer to use soil anyway, as it gives me super fertile soil that I later use in my gardens. I hope that helps, but let me know if you have any other questions at all!
Hello and thank you for watching! To be completely honest, I have never had to do a temperature check on my composting. The climate regions I have lived in have been Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia. In both regions, even in the cold, the compost does it thing, however, it does slow down in the winter. The hotter climates have accelerated my composts. However, as long as you're not in a really cold area year round, you shouldn't have to do temperature checks for your compost unless you want to. Just make sure to keep adding "brown" materials such as soil, and you'll see it compost faster. It's really easy and not hard to mess up as you will see as you go. Hope that helps but so happy to hear you're composting! If you get a chance make sure to watch the Kiss the Ground movie on Netflix- does such a good job talking about how important this work is
I just loved your video...and also I got one question.... I have one transparent plastic container... Can I make compost in it? Or it will be a bad idea?
Hi there! Thank you so very much for that super kind compliment, and for watching my channel! i truly appreciate it! I don't see anything wrong with using a transparent plastic container, if anything I would think that direct sunlight may even help the compost process move quicker. Thats just a hunch and I can't be certain, but I think it's worth a try! If all else fails you can always transport it to another one. But I think it should work just fine. Best of luck and let me know how it goes!
@@Dabblerella thanks a lot for replying me ... I have prepared the compost on that transparent container 😀 let's see how it goes and I will surely give you the update 👍🏼☺️
@@wisemanoftheearth Awesome!! Can't wait to hear the update! Happy decomposing, and if you get the chance, check out the documentary on Netflix called "Kiss the Ground." Will further make you proud for starting this sustainable journey!
I don't recall which one I used exactly, but I feel like it might have been the 5/32". Really you want it to be big enough and have enough holes to allow it to get enough air, but not big enough to have big critters getting in and out of it. I make them big enough so worms can get in and out as they would like as they help to make it compost faster. I'm sure any size will do, just not big enough for cockroaches or anything gross like that to get in. Hope that helps!
To be honest, I've never used a compost starter, but I would think that it would actually make it even better. The process of breakdown should be the same and make help move it along faster, but I haven't used one myself to confirm.
Yay! Congrats on starting your compost! I believe it's slightly different in each area, but once the bucket is full, it generally takes about 4-8 weeks. When I was in Cali, I lived in a valley where it was extremely hot, with not much foliage or humidity, and my compost seemed to break down a lot quicker in about a month. In Georgia, I'm finding my compost is taking almost double the time. However, the key for me to move it along faster has been to make sure to keep it moist if it gets dry, aerating it often (by rolling it or moving it around with a shovel), and always topping the green layers with a little brown, even if it's not a full green layer, I'll add dead leaves or potting soil, which helps with bug control, as well as decomposing it faster. After it rains I also try to bring some dirt from my yard that has worms in there, as it helps move it along quicker too. Thank you for trying it out as it's great for the Earth and for your gardens should you use the finished product in with your soil! Best of luck!
I’m in Northern California and Summers are hot so hopefully that helps. The bucket has soil and leaves. I’ll add some soil from my garden. I’ve been moving it around everyday. Thanks for the help.
@@FrancescaA00 Oh perfect! I think the dry weather in general should make it work faster hopefully. The humidity here in GA is what I believe is making mine take longer now. But that's great! Best of luck with it, and if you have any tips you find along the way, please do share!
Green layer would be the compost items from your daily foods- such as the fruit peels and kitchen waste, or grass clippings, fresh leaves. The way I like to think of them it is the more "alive" stuff" (high nitrogen) versus the "dead stuff" (high carbon). You'll see the more dead stuff you have, the quicker the compost will compost, but layering even works fine and if you see it's slow, just add more brown. I put worms in mine that I find in my yard too and that helps tremendously in breaking it down quicker! Happy Composting!
I wouldn't recommend that. The bucket has decomposing matter and will attract bugs and will smell awful. I've heard of some folks doing bucket composts on their patios, but I believe that it's a different type of bucket composting without holes. I've never done it myself to know how to do that version. But the purpose of this version is the holes helps to aerate and it will let bugs in and out- which is great for the compost process, so I definitely would say not to do this version indoors.
The best way I have found is to just add more brown material. Usually if you have it too soggy or have too much of the green material, that can happen. Try adding some extra soil and try to top each time with brown material over whatever you put in and it should help with that problem! Best of luck and so glad you are doing it!
Great point! I never had an issue with smell, although I keep it in the corner of my yard far from the house. But I think your point is important as to not attract any unwanted critters.
Ooh thank you for this recommendation! I have never thought of that and I can see how that would be better! I will definitely be trying this. I also noticed corn on the cob takes forever too, so I don't put it in as much. If you ever have a reco for that, please let me know! Appreciate the tip on the eggs!
@@Dabblerella All my corn cobs go to the worms. I have a vermiculture tower with worms that give us great casting. The worms eat the cobs AND live in them as they break down.
I'm totally an amateur! And this was my second video so before I had even the tools I have now, but maybe one day I will make a new one and will try to have better lighting :)
Oh yeah they do! I actually often dig up worms from the garden and throw them in there and they get to work quick! Such a good tip! Thank you! Will need to say that in my update videos!
Thank you! I've personally been compositing for many years in and out of the bucket, but sharing the step-by-step of how to start a bucket one as the videos when I began weren't too great in sharing all the details of how to build one properly. But thankfully there's now a ton of content out there as the interest has gotten to be higher so many resources you can check on. Regardless, grateful to communities who are interested in sustainability!
I gotta say, this is one of the best videos on composting. There're plenty of vids out there on the subject, but u make it simple, to the point , and the how. The amazing thing is ur channel is not even a gardening channel, but u got it down to a pat
I can’t say thank you enough for the kind words! I’m happy to hear it’s helpful. I’m a huge composter- I even find ways to do it on my travels lol. So I’m happy to see folks interested in it as it’s just good for the world! Hope you are able to get into it and a joy the process as much as I do! ❤️
This is great. Just a tiny tip: don't forget to peal the supermarket label stickers prior to start composting it.
That is such a great tip! I have noticed that it doesn't compost. Why they wouldn't make it compostable is beyond me but I hope in time we find a better way. Thanks for the great tip Sol!
Thank you so much!! I just started researching and learning about compost and was getting a little overwhelmed, but you just answered all of my questions and took away all of the overwhelm!
Oh thank you so very much for saying that! I promise once you start doing it you’ll see it’s so simple! And when in doubt put in more brown material or soil- it will help break it down! You’ll love it so much and it becomes so hard to not want to compost everything after starting. I literally save my coffee pods and put it all over my grass lol! Have fun compositing!
So try this out. Instead of shaking, rolling, or using a shovel of fork to turn the compost in the bucket, keep an empty bucket nearby. When it's time to "turn" the compost, unlike the compost bucket and pour it into the empty bucket. Do this back and forth a few times until you reach the desired result 😉
This is such a great idea! I think I need to workout my arms a little more for the bigger buckets lol. But that totally sounds like it's a good tactic. Thanks so much for sharing!
I do this and it works like a charm!!! ❤️
I loved your video, it feels real and in the moment, just very personal. I had a question that hadn't been answered since I started my research in composting and you answered it so well and clearly. I also love how you have that glam look but still place yourself out in the yard with all the dirt and plants, making it feel like you can have both those worlds without giving up one.
Abbie, thank you so incredibly much for the kind words! I was inspired to make the video because when I first began, the videos that were out at that time about bucket composting were really bad. Once I created my own, I saw how simple it was and wanted to share the knowledge bc it's good for planet earth! I make all sorts of videos on different random things, so I hope you subscribe and join along with me as I try new things!
Thanks again so much and would love an update on how your composting is going!
Your presentation in composting was great! It is easy to follow and duplicate. Composting is a win-win! It helps the Earth and it helps us. What a beautiful relationship!
Thank you so incredibly much for that kind compliment! I created the video initially because when I had started composting, there was really no videos on it, and I wanted to share a step by step. But I wanted to make sure it worked first lol. Now I compost 5 buckets at a time and have done so on both coasts, so felt comfortable enough to share how I did it. Thank you so much for watching, and I agree- the biggest win about composting is how much it helps the Earth (and yours gardens if you're a gardener), and it's secretly so fun to do! I appreciate your support and I hope to make more gardening and sustainability content in the future, so please subscribe if you have any interest to see it! Stay safe out there and thanks again!
@@Dabblerella You are a beautiful soul! Thank you so much for your generous response. I value all that you have offered.
Please remain healthy, wealthy and wise!
@@Worlds_to_Explore You seem like a fellow beautiful soul! Thank you so much for the wonderful and kind response, and I hope you stay safe, healthy and abundant as well! Much love & light to you!
Just went to Home Depot and got a bucket today and started our compost. My 4 year old loved making it!
Oh my goodness! That makes me so so happy to hear! I'm glad you were inspired and going to do your part- I really hope you enjoy it and it becomes a habit for you. It truly has made me feel better about my waste and it's done wonders for my gardens. Give me an update in a few months and let me know how it's going!
U r completely right , my trash is reduced to the third after I started composting , thank u for a great vid, very practical way👍👍
Thank you so much for the compliment! I created the video bc when I initially started my own, there weren't too many videos that had step-by-step directions to make one, and I was so worried about doing it wrong lol. Thankfully there's been alot of videos created by creators since, and I've received many views on here, which hopefully means the Earth is winning as more people are getting more & more interested in sustainability!
L
If you bake your egg shells they will break down a lot faster. Great video!
Here's what I don't understand about all these bucket composting videos: If you're supposed to start with a layer of branches to create some air space at the bottom; but then you're supposed to mix everything all up every week or so when you add more greens / browns, doesn't that mix up the branches too? No more bottom layer of branches! Please advise. Thank you.
Hi there! When I have put the branches down, it's more to create a base as well as allow some aeration. Sometimes some of my branches do move around, and I don't think that's a problem, but the compost gets so heavy, that it usually stays put for the most part. Even if they all move, it will still compost! It's surprisingly hard to mess up, so I wouldn't worry about that part too much! Once you get started, you'll see that you can't really go wrong and if it gets too watery, just add more brown material like soil on it.
That way looks so much less overwhelming than other things I've seen thanks =)
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear! Honestly, I swear once you make it you'll see how stinking easy it is. My biggest advice is to just have a bag of soil to mix in with it to keep the "brown materials" levels up, and it works like magic! Also if you want an extra feel good boost about composting, check out the Netflix Documentary called "Kiss the Ground" - it's real important work we're doing :)
Thanks for letting me know and happy composting!
Beautiful, smart, and shes got a banging herb garden. She's a 10.
Haha aww thank you so much! Sadly my herb garden this year didn't take as well, but that year was bomb, right? lol! Thanks so much and hope you get to making your own compost bucket!
The kiss to the drill lol
haha! I'm silly lol!!
GOOD LOOKING COMPOST BLACK GOLD
Isn’t she beautiful! 😍😍😍
This is exactly what information I was looking for!! Thanks for making it simple!
If you live in a climate that gets cold snowy winters can you leave the bucket outside? Do you still stir and add food scraps? You do have an amazing garden. Great video, thanks, very well done!!
Aww thank you so much for watching! I'm so happy it helped and I hope your bucket composing goes well! It is so oddly fun to do!
This is such a helpful video! Just starting my own compost bin today here in New Hampshire, and I'm excited to see a simple process easily laid out that can help me do my best. Thanks so much!
I'm so glad it was helpful! It's become a weird hobby that is so oddly fun, and it has a "feel-good" feeling once it's all done, for so many reasons from creating recycled foods for my own gardens to helping the Earth in my little way. Happy composting!!
@@Dabblerella Absolutely! It feels great knowing the food we're "wasting" is actually going back into the ground to nourish the new food we'll be eating. The circle of life is pretty cool. :)
great stuff i did the exact same thing but i used a waste basket from dollar tree. keep up the good work
Nice and easy, just the way I like it 😊
Thanks for posting. Regards from South America!
Thank you so much for watching and subscribing Javier! I truly appreciate it and am so delighted to hear that you are doing your part for Mother Earth all the way in South America! Happy Composting!
Very helpful from start to finish. Thanks!
Thank you so much Rosie! Happy composting!
Great video 🙌
From Nigeria, your information is very useful to me
Hello from the states! That warms my heart that this video could help! I hope that this helps you create new soil where you are, it's so good for the Earth. Please subscribe for more content!
Very well presented. I'm off to buy a drill now!
My drill comes in handy for SO MANY projects, that it's one of my best purchases ever! That and my Dremmel I feel like I use them all the time. Hope you have a good bucket compost experience!
@@Dabblerella It's getting warm here in Tokyo and it's beginning to smell like compost!
Great step-by-step directions, thanks!!
I'm so glad it could help! Thank you for watching!
looks like your somewhat new to youtube, I came for the compost video very nice and I liked the name dabblerella lol good work.
Aww that's the nicest compliment ever! Thank you so much! Yes I dabble in ALOT of things, so I figured maybe it was a good reason to start sharing some of it out, in case it helps anyone else out. Composting is actually so fun for me, makes me feel good about doing my part, and does wonders for my gardens- and I hope it is for you too! Thank you for subscribing!
I'm trying to make (because it doesn't seem available anywhere) a *kitchen* compost bin (so just for collecting food scraps, not for making soil) but one with a foot pedal. All the kitchen compost bins for sale seem to be made for counter top use, with a lid (a lid would require you to use your hands which may be dirty from cooking etc). What I need to make is a foot pedal/hands-free version. Can I buy a regular foot pedal trash can and drill holes in it? And should I maybe glue some charcoal filters to the underside of the lid or elsewhere for the smells? And if it comes with a liner bucket (ideally it would) would it be OK if only the liner had holes drilled into it, and not the outside of the can? Thanks for any ideas!- Maria
Awesome video. Very detailed, and I really appreciate you focusing on the bucket method.
Aww thank you so very much! When I had started there weren't many videos out there and it drove me crazy, so I thought, I'm just going to make my own. Hope your bucket does well! It's fun and so great for mother Earth!
@@Dabblerella thank you for taking the time to do so. In about how many months should I expect to see compost assuming that I've done the process correctly? Also, should I add some red wigglers?
@@null4177 I will say it's really hard to get the process wrong. No matter what it decomposes, but if you see that it's taking too long or you have bugs you can just add some additional brown material which helps, and at some point you just can *feel* what to add. Timing is tricky. I am always adding on top of my buckets, even as it goes down. But once the bucket it towards the top if I were to let it go it's about 4-8 weeks. In Cali it was less time because it was so hot and dry I guess that it decomposed faster. In Georgia it's tends to take much longer. I haven't ever used the red wigglers, and it will decompose regardless, but I do try to dig up some regular earth worms from my garden to stick in the buckets and it does make it move faster. I hope that helps, but don't worry it's hard to get wrong- you'll see!
@@Dabblerella thank you so much! I am also in Georgia. Will subscribe ! Hope to see more of your garden
@@null4177 A fellow Georgia Peach! Yay! Thank you so much- I will have many more Georgia videos coming soon so stay tuned! Thanks so much for subscribing!
This is very helpful but I do have a question. Why should we not throw meat, bones, and/or feces in the composting bucket? Ik they can be composted. Is it just because the process calls for more than a bucket?
Great video 🤍 thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much or watching, and for composting if you get to it! So good for the Earth! Subscribe as I hope to make more content on this subject matter in time!
Interesting topic for beginners...
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for the tips; this was extremely helpful! :)
Oh I'm so happy to hear it was! Hope your compost goes well and you keep up with it- it's so great for the Earth!
I learned a lot. Thank you.Where did you get those sneakers, love them?
Thank you so much for watching, and if you create one yourself, thank you for helping the Earth! It really is so great and I am so happy to see so many people getting into composting. It's just good all around.
And thank you so very much for the compliment on the sneakers! I got them from some small shop in California, and I was ripping off this cute look my friend had with ankle length high-top Converse, where she wore it with many outfits from shorts to dresses, and it looked so cute! So when I found these on sale, I purchased them. They are a no-name brand unfortunately so I think it was to the shop, but I am sure if you google white high top sneakers for women you can find a similiar pair. Thank you!
Great job. Easy.
Thank you! And it really is so easy to do! You will see as you do your own. Thank you for doing your part in creating a more sustainable world!
How long does it take to breakdown to soil?
Well, it really depends. I continue to put things in and aerate it while it's breaking down so it takes a while to fill up since it's a constant process. If you were to fill it up and just leave it, it takes about 2-3 months to break down depending on how much water and aeration you do, which can make it quicker. When i've put worms in, it does speed up the process to about 1.5 months. But for my bucket to really fill up, that takes a while since it's a work in progress that keeps breaking down as I add more that restarts the process if that makes sense.
We are definitely getting plenty of rain here in Georgia these days! I'm gonna use this bucket idea.. easier than trying to tumble a large trash can lol
Yeah when I was in Cali, I had to "water" my compost bc the drought, but in GA, I haven't had to as often thank goodness! I tend to use to shovel to mix mine up more often than tumbling these days (since I'm always adding more scraps to it and find its easier), and so far it still seems to work just fine. Best of luck on your bucket composting!
@@Dabblerella you'll eventually deal with the lack of rain here too but for now we good right lol. Btw ever tried tossing some cooked bulk sausage in that cream cheese n rotel dip? It rocks that way as well 🙂
@@Chaotic_Enigma Nothing can be as bad as the drought that Cali had for so many years, but I know GA can go through those spells as well. Love the greenery here though- makes it more bearable in the heat! And no I have never thought to put meat in that dip, but I don't know why I wouldn't think to since I do in most my dips. I am not a huge sausage fan but maybe a spicy hot dog? Lol - thank you so much for the tip! I will have more easy recipes out eventually so let me know if you have variations of them for sure as I am always looking for recipes that are simple but good!
The orange Home Depot buckets are not considered food safe. Home Depot does sell a while food safe bucket found in the paint supply aisle.
So inspiring, l 🏃🏾♀️ 🏃🏾♀️ 🏃🏾♀️ n got myself a bucket n followed your method. So well presented n detailed, jus exactly what l needed. Thank you 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾
Ahh that makes me so delighted to hear! Thank you for the kind words, and thank you even more for being a fellow composter! It really is so great for the earth, and it's so fun in it's own weird way right? Best of luck and happy composting!
I have been struggling growing my cilantro, any tips???
Hi Carol! Sorry for the delayed response. To be completely honest, I struggle with it too sometimes. In this video, it was a good year and my compost really helped it grow well, but the year after this video was made, I was barely able to get any to sprout even with using my compost. And that's been an issue several times since I started.
When I was in California I grew it in my terracotta pots and they grew great in there, but I just wasn't able to grow as much of it. However, in the ground I have had a lot more trouble. Have you tried growing it in a separate pot? It felt so much easier when I used that method so may be a better way to ensure it grows.
Hack: if you dont have a drill to make holes you can use a nail and heat it up over flame and make holes while it's hot
Oh wow does that work? That's genius!! Thank you for the tip! When I make a future video I will certainly share that information. Thank you so much Lanna!
our teacher let us watch this video in online class thanks
Awww you just made my day for telling me that! Makes me very happy to hear that it's being taught because that means more people will be involved with helping our Earth! Thank you so much for sharing that information Donald!
I don’t put holes on top of lid because when it rains
The water seems to actually help my compost as it should be moist, but totally understand it can make it sloshy. Hope your compost is coming along well!
I’m going to try this.
You'll have to let me know how it goes! It's really fun and also such a feel-good thing and surprisingly easy to do! Happy composting!
I tried it and it’s worked great. The soil in my new house was devoid of nutrients so the compost has helped sooo much. Thanks for the tip.
@@FrancescaA00 Oh that's so awesome to hear!! Yeah, I always try to tell folks it's really simple and hard to mess up. I have 4 of them going now and my yard has definitely experienced extra boost of nutrients that's done really well for my veggie and flower gardens! So happy to have inspired and keep up the good work!
what is the whole purpose of adding newspapers, how much should you add and how often? thanks
When composting you have to have a good amount of "brown" materials to help break down the compost, and newspapers serve as "brown material" that helps to do that. I prefer to use mostly soil for brown material because I like to use the final compost in my gardens (it's totally garden gold), but I do sparingly put napkins and newspapers and paper egg cartons etc.
I hope that helps answer your question, and so happy to know you are composting! Best of luck to you! it's really hard to get wrong and if you don't see it moving fast enough, just keep adding more "brown" materials in it to help it move along faster.
Good evening, I am beginning to get into the subject of small family gardens (I have little space) and all that this entails. I have no experience related to the subject and I would like to ask you some questions regarding compost: Can I do it in old plastic paint cans or wooden drawers for example? If I do not have at least natural wood and dry pruning waste at the moment, can I do it only with soil, grass and kitchen waste, eg fruit and vegetable peel, egg, etc? In this case the process to be carried out would be the same?
Hi there! So exciting that you want to start a compost bucket! Yes, I have used several old plastic paint buckets and it worked fine for me. I'm not sure if cans would, but I don't see why not. the only thing with that is that you want to make sure to peel out any paint because the chemicals may not allow the composting to work properly. So like the huge plastic paint buckets I used worked, but I had peeled most of the paint out of it before using.
And regarding the wood - I actually don't use wood, as my brown material I use potting soil and I layer it. so at the bottom I put sticks just to help aerate, then I add some soil, then I'll add the layer of my kitchen wastes that consist of fruit and vegetable peels, coffee and tea, etc. Once I have a layer of that I top it with a layer of soil again. You continue this until it's full and mix around every once in a while to allow air to go in there. Also, depending on where you are, you may need to add a little water in there to keep moisture. When I was in California I had to add water often, but in Georgia I dont' ever need to because it's humid and stays moist.
You'll see once you start that as long as you are layering it properly with enough brown materials (aka soil, or leaves or sawdust or paper), then it tends to decompose quickly. But I will caveat I've only done this process using soil and leaves as my brown material, so I can't speak to using another form.
I hope this helps but let me know if you have any other questions!
This is my first time composting here in NJ. I started in the spring and it's going great. Do you leave it out all winter? I'm thinking of bringing it into the garage.
First, congratulations on your composing! It's oddly satisfying isn't it? And so good for the earth! If you ever get the chance check out the "kiss the ground" documentary on netflix- it will make you feel good for what you do!
You can certainly leave it out all winter. It will slow down, but will continue to work. I highly recommend not bringing it in anywhere as it can invite unwanted bugs or critters inside your home.
In the winter months I actually use the actual ground beds to compost as it's easier and the cold doesn't bring bugs or critters when I'm covering it thankfully. But I have also done it in the buckets and both continue to work, but just doesn't work as fast as the warmer months.
Happy to hear the composting is going well so far and congrats again!
Add worms directly to your compost bucket?
Do you ever use worms for your composting bin? I've heard they are very beneficial!
I have! I haven’t ever used the specialty composting worms, but I have three worms from my yard in them and it definitely helps to move it along faster! I feel bad for the worms though so I eventually throw it all back out so they can live their life freely lol. But it does help make the compost faster! Just make sure they have enough holes for air.
Thanks for this video. I find it very helpful.
One question though, do you use any other fertilizer for your plants?
Hello Uchenna, I actually didn't in this video, but since then, I have began adding different things to my soil. Sometimes I put my coffee grinds and tea leaves under my plants, and often, I take my banana peels and before throw it away, I put it in a jar for a few days, shake it up, and pour the water onto my plants and garden. I feel like it makes a difference, but the compost is mostly what I do and mix it with regular store bought soil.
Hope that helps and would love to hear how your composting goes!
hi !! thank u for the video, is the top soil mandatory?
Thank you for watching it! Soil is not mandatory, but you will need something else in the "brown" materials for it to work well. I like to use soils (I said top soil but meant potting), but I like to use soil because I end up using the finished product in my gardens as the soil really has helped my herbs and flowers flourish. But other materials that you can use are like paper, napkins, leaves, hay, sawdust, etc. My preference just is soil and it's the only way I did it, so not sure how the other kinds will turn out.
@@Dabblerella thank u so much!! i'm gonna start my bucket tomorrow :)
@@isaquimpo1795 So exciting! You'll come to find out it's super simple and oddly fun lol! Best of luck with it!
How long does it take for a typical compost bucket to break down for it to be used?
Once my bucket is fully full, then it takes roughly 4-6 weeks. Can be less when I put more brown materials, but I tend to continue to use my buckets continuously so it's always breaking down. But if you want it to become soil, leave it for about a month or two and keep aerating and make sure there's alot of brown materials to help break it down. Putting worms in there also helps it go faster, so I sometimes woudl find then in my yard and put them in there to make it go faster. Hope that helps and best of luck on composting!!
I have a bucket with a gamma lid...and its winter can i do this inside wothout making holes cuz its gunna smell? Or will.this work outside?
Honestly, I personally wouldn't recommend doing any of it indoors, even if it doesn't have holes. Ultimately, it requires oxygen and mixing, and it's decomposing matter and can attract critters and cause unwanted smells, and I would worry about it causing mold or other unwanted things. I have heard of people doing that on their porches (creating buckets without holes), but since I haven't done it myself, I can't recommend it. Sorry I couldn't be of more help on that one, but hopefully if you search patio/porch bucket composting someone will have more insights on that!
@@Dabblerella gay
Urine is a high nitrogen source and can help break the browns down quicker.
What do you do if you discover you have maggots in your compost container?
Oh wow ha! I didn't know that but I guess that's another nitrogen lol!
And I actually just top more soil when i see maggots, but honestly they do help to break down the compost faster for me so I just let them be. I haven't noticed an influx of flies or anything, although it is in the corner of my yard, but it hasn't been noticeable of any influx of them.
👍
Tyfs great video ❤😁
Thank you so much for watching! And composting if you end up making one, it's just so much better for Mother Earth!
Hi Dabby, I am not quite clear what you are using to add the nitrogen, is that added by the kitchen scraps? Also, after the initial layers of branches and then leaves and cartons and paper and soil, do you pile the scraps right up to the top, or do you make layer of it and then add another layer of leaves or twigs. This wasn't covered in the vid so it's not quite clear
Personally, I eyeball fairly equal amounts of green and brown materials in layers until it fills up. Ideally, I've read to mix 3 parts carbon (dirt, leaves, newspaper) to one-part nitrogen (vegetable or fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, flower bouquets at the end of their life, etc), however, I’ve been doing layers fairly equally in parts and mine have worked just fine.
When I add the green/nitrogen materials, I usually top it with a little soil, or old dry leaves, coffee grounds etc each time. Overall you want the mixture to be damp, but not soggy. If you see that it gets slimy/soggy, you can just add more carbon/brown materials to offset it.
It’s better to have more carbon (brown materials) than nitrogen (green materials) - and it'll all compost eventually no matter what you do, but having a better level of each and aerating it every so often helps to move it along faster. Also, whenever it rains I go in my yard and actually add fresh wet soil as there’s often worms in that help the buckets process faster.
Truly I don’t think there’s a wrong way to do it if you stay close to layering equal parts green and brown, and leaning a little more with the brown, and you’ll get more the hang of what works for your compost best as you experiment with it, as it will vary based on what kinds of things you’re putting in it, as well as the climate of your area.
For example, my composts in Cali tended to decompose alot faster, and I think it was a combo of the fact that I lived in a hot valley that was dry and moved the decomposing bacteria faster, in addition to the fact that I used mostly just a little bit of fruit scraps and coffee, whereas in Georgia, I’m actually putting a lot more items in them with along with my family's scraps, and have had to experiment on what to use to keep them moving as fast as the green scraps have come in.
But as a rule of thumb, just always add some sort of brown materials on top of each layer of green materials, like with dirt, dried leaves etc, and it should move along just fine.
I've found that you will figure it out as you go, so not to get too bogged down on the exact measurements, but err on the side of extra dirt and dried brown materials if you feel it's not moving along at a healthy pace.
This answered my questions too, thanks not only for a useful video but detailed responses to comments too!
How long does it take to make the compost usable?
Typically about two months to get it be useable. However, I am always churning more and more in those, and the two months really begins after it's full. If you keep adding to it, those compost materials can actually hurt you plants if it's not fully composted, so I would say try to wait 6-8 weeks after it's full.
I read somewhere that coffee caffeine was a power boost for plants. I am not sure if this is true. May be it’s the same with leftover tea decoction as well.
Yes! While I just got my parents onto composting, they had been using their coffee grinds and tea leaves under their plants for years and swear by it. I read online that it's good for making green growth and the stems sturdy and strong. I add it to my compost since it's all good. My plants have been very healthy when I mix in compost to the soil.
How long does it take to turn into compost soil?
To be honest, it's been different on each coast. When I was in Cali, where it was super hot, it took about 6-8 weeks, However, in Georgia, it seems to be taking a little longer 3-4 months. I have found the ones I aerate more, and when I'm good about adding more brown materials to mix in, tend to move faster. Also after it rains I sometimes go and pull up some soil in my yard with worms to put in my buckets- and that also makes it go a little faster.
Dabblerella, thank you. I’ll do the same. I live in a warmer climate in Texas.
@@proverbs31knitting25 Best of luck! I hope you have a great result and can use this natural gold for your gardens!
Does the lid need holes as well or just the bottom and sides?
Holes in lid might let in rain.
I have holes both on the lid and the bottom. I like to have the bottom on soil, as worms and other critters may find their way into it, and also so the rain water can seep through when it rains. Hope that helps!
Don’t fill the buckets as full so the contents will mix more freely when you roll the bucket around. You will need more buckets, but it will make the composting quicker and easier.
ATL in the house College Park South side :)
Yassss! A-Town Represent!
What can I use if I don’t have any brown ?
You will need to have some brown materials. If you don't have leaves, old pine needles, or twigs and such in your own yard, the best is to just buy a cheap bag of soil to use as your brown layers. You can also use paper and cut up boxes, but I actually prefer to use soil anyway, as it gives me super fertile soil that I later use in my gardens. I hope that helps, but let me know if you have any other questions at all!
Hi, what temp does it reach in the bucket please?
Hello and thank you for watching! To be completely honest, I have never had to do a temperature check on my composting. The climate regions I have lived in have been Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia. In both regions, even in the cold, the compost does it thing, however, it does slow down in the winter. The hotter climates have accelerated my composts. However, as long as you're not in a really cold area year round, you shouldn't have to do temperature checks for your compost unless you want to. Just make sure to keep adding "brown" materials such as soil, and you'll see it compost faster. It's really easy and not hard to mess up as you will see as you go. Hope that helps but so happy to hear you're composting! If you get a chance make sure to watch the Kiss the Ground movie on Netflix- does such a good job talking about how important this work is
@@Dabblerella thank you
I just loved your video...and also I got one question.... I have one transparent plastic container... Can I make compost in it? Or it will be a bad idea?
Hi there! Thank you so very much for that super kind compliment, and for watching my channel! i truly appreciate it! I don't see anything wrong with using a transparent plastic container, if anything I would think that direct sunlight may even help the compost process move quicker. Thats just a hunch and I can't be certain, but I think it's worth a try! If all else fails you can always transport it to another one. But I think it should work just fine. Best of luck and let me know how it goes!
@@Dabblerella thanks a lot for replying me ... I have prepared the compost on that transparent container 😀 let's see how it goes and I will surely give you the update 👍🏼☺️
@@wisemanoftheearth Awesome!! Can't wait to hear the update! Happy decomposing, and if you get the chance, check out the documentary on Netflix called "Kiss the Ground." Will further make you proud for starting this sustainable journey!
@@Dabblerella yes ofcourse I will watch it and recommend it to my friends too 😀
What size is this size drill bit?
I don't recall which one I used exactly, but I feel like it might have been the 5/32". Really you want it to be big enough and have enough holes to allow it to get enough air, but not big enough to have big critters getting in and out of it. I make them big enough so worms can get in and out as they would like as they help to make it compost faster. I'm sure any size will do, just not big enough for cockroaches or anything gross like that to get in. Hope that helps!
Can we use compost starter also with this one
To be honest, I've never used a compost starter, but I would think that it would actually make it even better. The process of breakdown should be the same and make help move it along faster, but I haven't used one myself to confirm.
@@DabblerellaThank you so much for your kind reply
I just made it. How long does it take to break down ?
Yay! Congrats on starting your compost!
I believe it's slightly different in each area, but once the bucket is full, it generally takes about 4-8 weeks.
When I was in Cali, I lived in a valley where it was extremely hot, with not much foliage or humidity, and my compost seemed to break down a lot quicker in about a month. In Georgia, I'm finding my compost is taking almost double the time.
However, the key for me to move it along faster has been to make sure to keep it moist if it gets dry, aerating it often (by rolling it or moving it around with a shovel), and always topping the green layers with a little brown, even if it's not a full green layer, I'll add dead leaves or potting soil, which helps with bug control, as well as decomposing it faster.
After it rains I also try to bring some dirt from my yard that has worms in there, as it helps move it along quicker too.
Thank you for trying it out as it's great for the Earth and for your gardens should you use the finished product in with your soil! Best of luck!
I’m in Northern California and Summers are hot so hopefully that helps. The bucket has soil and leaves. I’ll add some soil from my garden. I’ve been moving it around everyday. Thanks for the help.
@@FrancescaA00 Oh perfect! I think the dry weather in general should make it work faster hopefully. The humidity here in GA is what I believe is making mine take longer now. But that's great! Best of luck with it, and if you have any tips you find along the way, please do share!
What is considered green layer ?
Green layer would be the compost items from your daily foods- such as the fruit peels and kitchen waste, or grass clippings, fresh leaves. The way I like to think of them it is the more "alive" stuff" (high nitrogen) versus the "dead stuff" (high carbon). You'll see the more dead stuff you have, the quicker the compost will compost, but layering even works fine and if you see it's slow, just add more brown. I put worms in mine that I find in my yard too and that helps tremendously in breaking it down quicker! Happy Composting!
Can I keep this bucket inside
I wouldn't recommend that. The bucket has decomposing matter and will attract bugs and will smell awful. I've heard of some folks doing bucket composts on their patios, but I believe that it's a different type of bucket composting without holes. I've never done it myself to know how to do that version. But the purpose of this version is the holes helps to aerate and it will let bugs in and out- which is great for the compost process, so I definitely would say not to do this version indoors.
How do I get rid of the gnats?
The best way I have found is to just add more brown material. Usually if you have it too soggy or have too much of the green material, that can happen. Try adding some extra soil and try to top each time with brown material over whatever you put in and it should help with that problem! Best of luck and so glad you are doing it!
Thank you!
Thank.you for watching! And best of luck if you create your own!
Holy Big Hat!
👍👍🙏
It won't smell of you maintain the right nitrogen carbon ratio
Great point! I never had an issue with smell, although I keep it in the corner of my yard far from the house. But I think your point is important as to not attract any unwanted critters.
Crazy they sell the buckets for 30 dollars each if buy already made
Do they really?? I had no idea! So silly when you can do it yourself for so cheap!
Egg shells take FOREVER to breakdown. Highly recommend breaking them up. I use a blender.
Ooh thank you for this recommendation! I have never thought of that and I can see how that would be better! I will definitely be trying this. I also noticed corn on the cob takes forever too, so I don't put it in as much. If you ever have a reco for that, please let me know! Appreciate the tip on the eggs!
@@Dabblerella All my corn cobs go to the worms. I have a vermiculture tower with worms that give us great casting. The worms eat the cobs AND live in them as they break down.
why ur video so dark?
I'm totally an amateur! And this was my second video so before I had even the tools I have now, but maybe one day I will make a new one and will try to have better lighting :)
@@Dabblerella i think its the effects you use
Aunty, it you add worms, they will do the job for you.
Oh yeah they do! I actually often dig up worms from the garden and throw them in there and they get to work quick! Such a good tip! Thank you! Will need to say that in my update videos!
Thanks girl 🙏
Thanks for watching!
Interesting topic for beginners...
Thank you! I've personally been compositing for many years in and out of the bucket, but sharing the step-by-step of how to start a bucket one as the videos when I began weren't too great in sharing all the details of how to build one properly. But thankfully there's now a ton of content out there as the interest has gotten to be higher so many resources you can check on. Regardless, grateful to communities who are interested in sustainability!
Top soil?
Top soil is cheaper so I used that but potting soil is the best to mix with if you plan to use the compost in your garden.