Compost Bin Steaming - July 2025

This Spring, I've been a little slow on mowing the lawn.  It seems that I've been leaving it a bit too long everytime it needs a cut and that has lead me to bag the clippings.  As the Summer heat arrives, the lawn will slow down and I'll go back to mulching it, but for the past few weeks, it has been all-bagging-all-the-time. 

That means that we're running heavy on nitrogen.  Grass clippings, if left alone get all slimy, gross, smelly and don't do much decomposition.  But, thanks to the Village of Downers Grove, I have access to a free supply of arborist wood chips.  Those are a great way to balance the grass clippings with some carbon/browns.  

The past few times I've cut the lawn, I dumped the clippings in the 'holding' bin on the left.  A day or two after, I went out and picked up some arborist chips.  I used my fork to sort-of mix them up as best I could.  And...then leave it alone.  

This morning, I went out to the bin to turn it and saw this - video below.  It was over 70 degrees at the time, so not cold.

That's some good composting-action, isn't it?

I don't think I have the ratio right just yet - too much nitrogen.  But, I'll add more arborist chips in the coming weeks to try to get it balanced just right.  

Then comes the big(er) job later this Summer:  Turning all the bins over.  I'll empty out the tumbler with 'finished compost' and move the 'finishing bin material into the tumbler.  Then, move everything else over one bin "to the left". 

Here's a look back at these bins in April.  Some decomposition is taking place with the temperature warming up.