Freeze-Resistant Johnson-Su Composting Bioreactors Field Day

[@anitabyrne4814]

I met a guy here in Missouri who made a couple of Johnson-su bioreactors with the hoop house. He sells the compost tea in the farmer's market. Under my microscope, all his bacteria had shapes that I associate with aerobic bacteria. After being in the closed container for about 5 days, one slide might have 1 in a thousand individuals that had shapes I associate with anaerobic bacteria. The finished compost looked like soil, and not like clay.

[@flatsville9343]

So, what happened? Were you able to keep them fron freezing and the worms alive?

[@MhUser]

how are you going to remove the pipes? :)

[@isabellejenniches3667]

Great question. We've gotten smarter about that and now tie some string to the top of the tube to make it easier to wriggle them out. You can see photos on our instagram page.

[@lyudmylasharma7768]

You do know, the pipes must be pulled out after 24 hours? How are you planning to accomplish that inside the tent?

[@isabellejenniches3667]

One side of the cover will be rolled up to access the pipes. Good thinking!

[@I.am.Mumma.Bear.1]

Hope it’s all going well 😊👍🏽

[@808quake]

No worms???

[@nmhealthysoil]

Yes, you can add worms once the compost has cooled down.

[@GrannyGamer1]

I have very little electricity and truck in my own water. I live with extreme wing gusts. Could I make smaller composters, lined with and covered scrap sheet plastic with holes, yo retain more wate? I know I can't afford plastic sheeting, buy was gifted over 15 sheets translucent corrugated fiberglass, 4x16. Frame scrap lumber. I also have about 10 glass doors for southern exposure, which I could open, shade, for summer. I have great luck with bait worms from Walmart and can sell the extras yo local fishers. What's the wattage of your heat tapes? Expected I'll have to live without. I do have 10mm sheet plastic could line interior, wouldn't survive wind. Mostly containet and hanging garden growing for now. I'm on one acre desert sand, sparse vegetation. Must also protect everything from open range cattle, horses, donkeys

[@nmhealthysoil]

Hi! Definitely experiment with what you have in terms of materials for the hoop house. And here's a blog post on smaller Johnson-Su bioreactors that might be useful www.nmhealthysoil.org/2021/04/19/adapting-johnson-su-composting-bioreactors-for-home-use/ Good luck!

[@indica_dogo868]

You can use whatever you have to line the sides of the bioreactor. Plastic would work, but, make sure you have holes in the plastic for the reactor to breath. Or it'll go anaerobic on you.

[@indica_dogo868]

If you wanted to water with warm water you can store water in a dark container in the sun and water outta it when water is warm. We used black plastic barrels with water in em on the south wall of our greenhouse as a heat sink