Composting Tips; What To Compost - Mantis Back Porch CompoTumbler User Manual

User's Guide
T
he following guidelines will help you have compost within four
to six weeks. This process allows you to gradually fill your Back
Porch ComposTumbler with common organic kitchen throw-outs as
well as yard and garden waste. The speed at which these materials
compost is dependent upon the carbon/nitrogen content of the
materials, their size, the moisture of the materials, and how often
you turn the drum.

Composting Tips

The ratio of materials you put into your unit will affect the
1
amount of time it takes to make compost. You must always use
a combination of fresh green and dead brown materials, and
the volume of green should be equal to or greater than the
brown. Adding more green materials to the drum can speed up
your composting time but you should not exceed a 75/25 per-
cent mix of green material to brown material.
2
Use garden waste and plant or grass trimmings within two to
three days of cutting or they will not have enough nitrogen left
to be useful as a fresh green source. If you use dead grass as a
source of carbon, try to include another brown material along
with it. Dead grass is very low in carbon and may not be suffi-
cient by itself. For other carbon/brown sources please see the
list below.
Green Material
(Nitrogen)
✔ Fruit peels
✔ Vegetable peels
✔ Coffee grounds & filters
✔ Tea bags
✔ Egg shells
✔ Peanut shells
✔ Garden waste
✔ Plant trimmings
✔ Fresh grass clippings
✔ Hair trimmings

What To Compost

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Brown Material
(Carbon)
✔ Leaves (dry)
✔ Dry grass
✔ Dead garden waste
✔ Straw
✔ Sawdust
✔ Wood ashes (cold)
✔ Tissue Paper
✔ B/W Newspaper
✔ Paper and cartons
✔ Egg cartons