Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

My current tumbler load is mostly shredded fall leaves plus used coffee grounds from the local Starbucks. It seemed to be doing well (hot composting), but then it cooled off suddenly about 18 days after I added new stuff to it the last time. I looked it over, and it still mostly looks like shredded leaves, but black now instead of their earlier fall colors.

I realized from repeatedly sticking my thermocouple into the dual bins with the door open that it seemed like the thermocouple went easily into the same place every time. Like turning the tumbler was not really mixing it up much, except possibly around the outside.

So I got out my portable electrical drill and a bulb planting auger. I ran it down into the compost in the tumbler, then pulled it up while running the drill motor. That really broke up the compost, and fluffed up the load in the tumbler quite a ways towards the initial volume. So now I'm wondering how much good rotating the tumbler is doing?

Anyone care to share their experiences and suggestions.

Jim Marconnet

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