Ok so I am new at the composting thing, been at it for 2 months or so now... Got all the good greens and browns, been turning and watering and well it looks good, but every time I open it poof TONS of little flies... they are either gnats or fruit flies... What am I doing wrong?? Too much water, not enough, not enough on the turning?
Thats another question, how often do I turn it? I have a store bought one that you just unlock and turn the entire bin. I love it, but want to make sure I am doing everything right!
Thanks a bunch!!!
- cherishedtiger
- Green Thumb
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- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Sounds like a good chance they are fungus gnats-- kind of delicate looking a little like very small mosquitos. Fruit flies would be a little bigger and sturdier, a little more fly- like than mosquito like.
If fungus gnats, it suggests that your compost is too wet. It wants to be just damp (they always say like a wrung out sponge), not wet. Be sure your bin has plenty of holes for air and drainage.
So you have a compost tumbler? If so you could give it a little spin every day. But they do batch composting, so you won't want to add any new raw materials until the stuff in there is done and turned to compost/ humus.
With a compost tumbler, if you put stuff in 2 months ago and haven't added any and have kept it damp and tumbling, it should be done by now. What is it looking and smelling like? Should look and smell like good fresh dark earth, with no recognizable pieces in it and no bad smell.
If fungus gnats, it suggests that your compost is too wet. It wants to be just damp (they always say like a wrung out sponge), not wet. Be sure your bin has plenty of holes for air and drainage.
So you have a compost tumbler? If so you could give it a little spin every day. But they do batch composting, so you won't want to add any new raw materials until the stuff in there is done and turned to compost/ humus.
With a compost tumbler, if you put stuff in 2 months ago and haven't added any and have kept it damp and tumbling, it should be done by now. What is it looking and smelling like? Should look and smell like good fresh dark earth, with no recognizable pieces in it and no bad smell.