It was time to dump a compost tube. This tube was started last October, and I stopped adding to it the end of May. It has been working for three months. I need an empty tube to start so I can stop adding to the other tube and let it sit for a month or so before I dump it freeing it up for leaves. It is a constant two-step dance. We use the tractor to move and lift the tubes because they are surprisingly heavy.
There was a sweet potato growing on top from the unused slips that I threw in there but no tubers had developed. I pulled the vine and threw it back in the tube.
Because it had been working for three whole months the worms had successfully broken down everything right to the top. This pile did not need any more turning. The next tube I dump will still be a little fresh and will need to be turned over the winter to use in the spring.
I began by scraping a layer off of the top onto the pavers. This pile is absolutely chock full of red wigglers and they need time to burrow down and save themselves.
I am so glad that we added the smaller screen insert. The sifter holds two good sized shovels full. I start by shaking the whole screen back and forth along the rim of the barrow. Then I pick up the insert and give that a good shake in mid-air.
Now for the biggest convenience. I carry the whole screen over to the compost tube and dump it. The large shaker is too heavy to be doing that each time. You would have to remove the uncomposted debris by hand.
The large screen is still the best for sifting a container full of used potting mix because you can upend the entire container and use the screen as a table top to sort out the roots. The larger frame will accommodate quite a large pot.
I worked on this for awhile and got through maybe a fifth of the pile before I decided to give the worms a break for the day. They will get themselves down to the bottom and may even move out by the time I get back to this. I dumped the compost in the resting bed that I am preparing for next year's tomatoes.
Great system! I like how your smaller sifter allows you to easily put that stuff into the next pile. I have one large screen (1/2 inch grid) that fits over the wheelbarrow and separates the fines and the coarse. The coarse gets dumped off onto a tarp, and involves man-handling the large, unwieldy screen. I may have to steal your idea!
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