90-120 degrees is the sweet spot temp wise. I've got a couple tumbler bins, as well as 3 worm bins.
Composting right requires fairly regular maintenance in order to keep the microbes alive and active. The pile (or bin) must be kept moist, but not too wet. The heat generated by a good pile naturally dries the pile out with time. Therefore the pile must be kept moist by either adding water or moist green inputs. Allowing a pile to dry too much can be devastating to your microbe population. A pile can dry out fast in hot weather.
The balance of green inputs and brown (carbon) inputs are also important. I believe the ideal ratio is 75% brown to 25% green. Brown includes dried leaves (preferably crushed or shredded) cardboard (cut in small pieces, the smaller the better), brown bags (shredded or cut in small pieces), wood chips or shaving and other dried organic material.
Green is vegetable waste, fresh cut grass (ideal for starting a pile and adding heat) egg shells, coffee grinds, fruit waste (banana peels cut up are great) and harvested plants and leaves cut up small of course.
I like to add a scoop of azomite to my pile ( as well as my worm bins) every other feeding or so. I service my tumblers every 2 or 3 days. I use a high output hand sprayer to moisten top with water. Then tumble and moisten top well again and close. Productive composting is not easy, it's work just like anything else. But just like everything good in life requires work, compost is no different.
