I thought I had a composting disaster this week, but then I found out all the normal things are happening, even if they don't look normal.
So the other day I opened the bottom tray to see if any of the compost from up top had spilled over and noticed there was water and mold in the container. EEK! I then opened up the top of the composter and saw there was mold forming in there as well.
DON'T PANIC!
Too late. I quickly imagined toxic black mold creeping out of the composter and up the walls of my apartment like something out of The Blob...
posted originally from: Unplggd
I immediately emailed my point person at NatureMill and found out that all of this was normal and actually healthy. Dana told me, "Mold is a common occurrence and it indicates healthy soil. I understand it's not ideal so we recommend adding more sawdust and baking soda to dry out the compost. Make sure the unit is heating up and add less green items."
Phew, crisis averted.
Next week I think my compost will be ready to sprinkle on my green friends! Final photos of the process then.
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Be careful when adding the compost to your plants. I have a NatureMill composter and the first time I added some of the compost to my plants, I ended up killing my potted bay tree because it was a little too rich. I've learned that I have to let it sit and cure for a while, after removing it from the composter, before it's ready to add to the plants.