There is no magic, no shortcuts. There is only MANAGEMENT. Composting is simply a matter of making the indigenous bacteria very very happy. If these bacteria are kept at their optimum environmental conditions: plenty to eat, good room temperature, and lots and lots of fresh air, they will perform their natural work – making finished compost, in record time without odors.

PLEASE: If you want high numbers of indigenous bacteria and fungi in your compost, give them time to multiply while composting your bulking. Straw is good for composting, but will decompose very quickly. This will give you a fair count of microbes and finished product within 2 weeks or so. But if you use wood chips, and other more bulky organic material this will decompose slower and will allow your microbes to really multiply 100 fold more, this will ensure the microbes have food during this process which could take up to 12 weeks. In my mind it is all about the numbers!!

This is our attempt to explain how our Ritlee Rhino TM and SP range of turners helps create this near perfect environment.

The following cross sectional drawing illustrates the concept of Windrow Dynamics for all of us laymen. It is not designed to be a technical presentation.
Windrow Dynamics is basically the natural or unassisted airflow and subsequent bacterial activity of an undisturbed windrow caused by the rising of heated air.

n the above illustration, Zone # 3 represents what I call the Dead Zone, or the anaerobic spot that normally begins immediately in a newly formed windrow. Zone # 2, which is the most active zone, becomes the hottest and has the most biological activity. This Zone is the ideal zone. It can be the "Sweet Spot" of composting. However, temperatures will rise too high in this zone and begin to destroy beneficial bacteria. Zone # 1 is the least compact zone in the entire row. It is cooler than Zone #2 but warmer than Zone #3. Bacterial activity in this Zone slows down rapidly as the moisture evaporates and cool air penetrates it.

There are three basic operations of the Ritlee Rhino The first is the phenomena of continued particle size reduction without creating anaerobic pockets, in fact it crumbles these pockets. It does not Grind or Pulverize the material, However, as the structural integrity of the material weakens due to bacterial activity the collisions caused by the vortex action within the tunnel begins shattering the weakened particles into smaller jagged shaped pieces. This increased surface area dramatically accelerates microbial activity.

It is widely known that bacteria work only on the surface of the material. The more surface area that can be exposed, the more bacteria the material can support. Thus accelerating material breakdown resulting in a higher percentage of finished product. This brings us to the next basic operation of the Ritlee Rhino

Our Rhino, depending on model, from 500 to 1300 cu meter of compost per hour. With the specially designed rotor with its spatula type blades which work to the center from both sides allows phenomenal volumes of fresh air flow (Oxygen) through the row, and at the same time expels the CO2 buildup. Forcing air in the material is very important, keeping it there is vital.
To retain as much of this air as possible is critical NOT to squeeze the material like a sausage maker as it comes out the rear of the tunnel.

The throwing action of the rotor forms and shapes the discharge pile, not the shape of the tunnel. This action creates a porosity unequalled by any other turning device. Virtually every study on odours shows a direct correlation between lack of Oxygen and the presence of odours. It’s only "Common Sense" to retain as much oxygen as possible to insure maximum Windrow Dynamics.

1. It assures that all the material is being exposed to every position in the row
2. It distributes the various bacterial colonies to every part of the row.
3. It reestablishes families of microbes destroyed by high temperatures in Zone #2 or lack of oxygen in Zone #1.
4. It distributes the nutrients to every part of the row.
5. It allows the windrow dynamics to begin with a Zone # 2 condition.
6. It distributes the moisture evenly throughout the material.
7. It equalizes the heat to every area of the row.
8. It intersperses Varying types of material throughout the mix.

Note the fluffing action above

Note: Above main picture the rotor has been stopped to illustrate the "Slice" our rotor in our turner is busy processing.

While processing this continuous -travelling- slice it:

• Expells CO2 and lowers tempretures to well below 70deg
• Allows fresh air to take its place.
• Mixes in the water you may be applying with the drag line and applicator tube.
• Breaks up the clusters which form in the rows. These are mostly anerobic clusters.
• Really fluffs up the compost allowing plenty of air in the row.
• Totally mixes the row material bringing the outer material in and visa versa.

• Vast reduction of Odours (a major cause of site closures), which are caused by: (Bad odour is a obvious sign of anerobic conditions)
  • Cold spots due to little or no aerobic bacterial activity.
  • Anaerobic pockets due to excess moisture collection.
  • Anaerobic pockets due to lack of oxygen.
  • Old Clumps when they are finally broken open.
• It substantially increases the diversity of organisms working in material.
• More complete biological breakdown of the the finished product is consistent.
• Insuring the broadest variety of micro organisms in finished product to encourage plant life and benefitial for the lands the compost is used in.
  

Aeration is not "agitation" nor the mere exposing of the material to the ambient air inside the tunnel as rototiller or flat paddle type turners do. The ambient air in the tunnel can be full of Carbon Dioxide released from inside the pile and short on much needed Oxygen. Like breathing into a paper bag. The essence of successful turning/aeration is to force (and retain) fresh breathable air into all the material, and to completely "disrupt," "reshape" and "restack" the row. This action thoroughly exchanges the material in all three Zones creating an entire row with the characteristics of Zone # 2. The Windrow Dynamics will, over time, reform the three Zones. Therefore, proper timing of the turns will lead to a reduced in size in both Zone # 1 and Zone # 3.

A plain front end loader will never expose all the material and allow breakup op the anerobic clumps formed in the compos. Access to fresh air for the compost will be very erratic and localised as front end loaders pick up about 1 cu meter of compost and re-dump this with very little disruption, of the material.

By way of example, when a baker is baking a cake from scratch he does not simply add all the material in a bowl and stir it with a fork for a few seconds then expect the cake to turn out OK. His primary purpose for stirring is to THOROUGHLY mix all the ingredients, eliminate chunks and insure consistency and complete activity of the ingredients. The finished product, the cake, will be as good as the ingredients and how well they are blended. No matter how you cut it, being able to produce consistent, mature compost with little or no Odours does not happen by accident. It is the result of proper operation and management.

Its a matter of eliminating clumps, aerating the material and most importantly, mixing it thoroughly. Mixing of the material brings substantial benefits to the compost producer which more than justifies the investment in a Rhino windrow aerator/turner. Whether it’s a self-propelled or a Tow-behind.

Purchasing a windrow turner should not be a matter of the lowest price, although our products are very competitively priced, it must be a matter of which machine will produce the highest quality product in the shortest possible time with the least odours.

• A product which is of a sturdy construction, durable, efficient, reliable and dependable.
• A product which will not damage the microorganisms in the compost because the rotor is turning too fast.
• A product with the correct spacing, angle and sturdy mounting of spatulas on a H/D constructed turning tube.
• Not A Product where the manufacturer of the turner has tried to take shortcuts in order to sell a cheaper turner.
• A product backed by a company which has a proven track record of always taking care of its customers after the sale.
• It’s a COMMON SENSE decision.

See us for wood chippers as well, the wood chips are used in the compost:

What is composting?:Composting is controlled decomposition, the natural breakdown process of organic residues. Composting transforms raw organic waste materials into biologically stable, humic substances that make excellent soil amendments. Compost is easier to handle than manure and other raw organic materials, stores well and is odour-free. Composting is an ancient technology, practiced today at every scale from the backyard compost pile to large commercial operations.

What is compost?: Compost is organic matter in which certain sets of microorganisms have grown aerobically or anerobically using the organic matter present.In the process of feeding, growing and multiplying, these microorganisms release metabolic heat and metabolic products.

Thermal Composting.-Worm Composting and Static Pile Composting.

Benefits of adding compost to soils:
Compost is an organic matter source with a unique ability to improve the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of soils. It improves water retention in sandy soils and promotes soil structure in clayey soils by increasing the stability of soil aggregates. Adding compost to soil increases soil fertility and cation exchange capacity and can reduce fertilizer requirements of more than 50%. Soil becomes microbially active and more suppressive to soil-borne and foliar pathogens. Enhanced microbial activity also accelerates the breakdown of pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds. Compost amendments reduce the
bioavailability of heavy metals—an important quality in the remediation of contaminated soils.

Adds lots of organic matter to your soil, which contains and retains the moisture in your soil. Adds an enormous diversity of organisms to your soil. Adds a source of food for this diversity of organisms in your soil. Allows all above to be available for plants when required.

Ritlee promote the Thermal way of making compost for the following reasons:

1. 8 to 12 weeks to make compost.
2. High levels of Aerobic Microbial life present (The good guys!).
3. With high levels of microbes in the soil, there will be high interaction between them, which is beneficial for plant quality, constant availability of food for plants, and health.
4. High levels of decomposed organic ‘roughage’ present, which contains and retains moisture, together with it aerates the soil.
5. This compost has no anaerobic conditions, which cause the foul smell and contain the microbial life not required in your soils.
6. We want to get the bacteria; the fungi, the protozoa, the nematodes etc back into the soil.
7. We want to get the foods, which the microorganisms feed from, back into the soils.
8. WE WANT TO GET THE INTERACTION AS NATURE INTENDED IT BACK!!

We want nutrient cycling, Not nutrients which will leach out of the soils.

We want compost, which will contain benefitial active organisms.

Aerobic Compost:

This is deep rich brown in colour (NOT BLACK /Because this tells me it is compost gone wrong---Burnt), smells good, crumbs and if you look carefully should have white fungal content.

Besides the decomposed plant material present in this compost, which is ideal for aeration of soil and water retention, Aerobic compost contains billions of Aerobic organisms (Microbes) like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, arthropods, protozoa, nematodes etc.

These good guys live on Oxygen and in most cases and are killed by CO2.

Also

Temperature wise, temperatures above 70 degrees does a lot of damage to the organism numbers, and can even ”Burn” them to death.

(CO2 and above 70 degree temperatures are ideal Anaerobic Conditions which we definitely Do Not Want!)

Yes, allow your compost row to get to 70 deg for the first and 2nd turn to allow the killing of the unwanted grass and weed seeds, but thereafter control the tempretures. (Each turn will bring tempretures down to correct levels, as well as distribute the microbes through the row and break up the possible anerobic clusters which will have formed. This action will also breakup the material in the row as it gets more decomposed in the row!)

Applying water in rows at farm in Saudi Arabia.

In my mind the most important factor to control is temprature. Temprature tells you when to turn, this is also the time when your CO2 levels are too high and need to be expelled out of the row and replaced with fresh air.

Moisture wise, grab some of your compost in your hand and squeeze, if one or 2 drops fall out, great, if the clump keeps its shape when you open your hand then great. (If not too clayey!)

1. New row being prepared. 2. 3Weeks, 3. 6 Weeks, 4. Finished!

Aerobic compost:

• ·         Improves soil structure.
• ·         Does Not Leach out.
• ·         Suppresses disease.
• ·         Retains Nutrients and makes them available to the plants at rates the plants need them at.
• ·         Decomposes Toxins.
• ·         Builds and rebuilds soil structure.
• ·         Increases root depth; reduce water need because of good water retention.
• ·         Massively Improves fruit bearing and quality of plants.
• ·         Is phenomenal for grass quality, greenness and root depth.
• ·         No more fertilisers needed. With healthy crops your disease, fungal and pest spraying costs will also be drastically reduced!

With Aerobic compost you are getting compost AND Beneficial microbes back into the soil!!

Remember as a kid how many earthworms were in your garden? How many to-day?

Anaerobic Compost:

This compost does have its good points like improving soil structure, improving water retention etc, BUT, the benefitial life you want is exceptionally low.

This is normally black in colour indicating to me that this is compost, which has gone wrong (Normally burnt!)

It has smell, which is not bad, but is very strong if heavily anaerobic. This tends to cake and has no beneficial organism life present.

Besides the decomposed plant material present in this compost, which is ideal for aeration of soil and water retention, anaerobic compost contains no beneficial microbes.

This compost has had very high levels of CO2 present and has been starved of fresh air (Oxygen). Temperatures have been allowed to raise far too high.

These are all conditions ideal for Anaerobic conditions which have NO advantages for your soil.

Starting material to be used in the manufacture of compost:

In order to make good Aerobic compost ideally we need:

Model 15