canopy

On the topic of oxygen, yes compost needs oxygen. However, turning compost piles is old fashioned and seems to be a ritual that lacks scientific support. People seem to do it because they see other people do it. It may be interesting that research has found that within 15 minutes of turning a compost pile the new oxygen content is already depleted. Bottom line is turning a compost pile has little sustainable influence and a lot of research has been done side by side with turning versus no turning to support this conclusion. While you can turn a pile to increase aeration, a properly constructed compost pile needs no additional aeration and never needs turned. Having myself switched to the modern no-turn method, I can concur it works. In Thailand, keeping the pile wet year round I have found to be the key factor.

You seem confused. Please re-read the forum title.

A vinyl seat cover is terribly hot and sticky in this climate making it perhaps the most unsuitable material you could come up with, but alas that's all I have seen for sale as well. Ergonomics don't seem to have made it in Thailand. A work around would be to import a decent one.

Turning the pile is a common misconception of composting. As mentioned, turning is a good idea for batch composting. For the majority who do backyard composting incrementally a bit at a time, you never turn the pile. What you want is for the new material to heat up to a high enough temperature to break things down. That doesn't happen if you dilute it into the old stuff. Composting is a cycle and ideally you want to give your material the opportunity to go through each step of that cycle without interfering with it.

prophet01, on 2012-05-17 08:45:59, said:

You seem to be new so just a quick side bar. The de-facto model in Thailand for just about any sort of construction related thing is to just make something up without having expertise. Sort of like everyone tries to reinvent the wheel but the shape is always a little off. It won't work right and fail quickly, then you go through repair and replace cycles over and over trying to patch it up. This is seen as the normal way. In our countries we would implement proven techniques developed by professionals with guaranteed results that would be long lasting and sure. It is a very contrasting approach. I do hope the OP posts pictures to see your ideas which I imagine will be pretty good.