Compost Tumblers Take the Mess Out of Composting

Gardeners have always loved compost, but now that it’s easy to buy a compost bin tumbler online, they can love it even more. Best of all, their non-gardening neighbors can love it too.

Compost happens easily because it’s nature’s way to turn organic matter into thick, rich soil through the process of decay. But a compost tumbler makes that happen faster and with less mess. It does so by harnessing three elements: heat, gravity, and air. Compost needs to be kept warm so the friendly bacteria that break down the waste can do their job. It needs to be broken up frequently so it decays evenly. And it needs constant airflow because the compost-friendly bacteria are the aerobic type that can’t live in an oxygen-poor environment.

So a compost tumbler is made from a plastic or metal barrel in a dark color to absorb all of the sun’s heat. The barrel is suspended on a frame that allows it to turn freely using a crank handle. The critical part of the tumbler’s construction is some kind of baffle system inside the barrel that breaks up the compost as it decays while allowing air to circulate in from outside and vent outward. A good example is the Urban Compost Tumbler, which is sold online.

Making compost the old-fashioned way in a pile takes a long time, especially if you live in a cooler climate. It’s also a lot of work turning the pile often enough to make everything decay evenly. A compost tumbler really speeds up the composting process because they trap heat and make turning the pile so easy that you can do it every day with far less effort than it would take with a hoe or pitchfork. You can put it in your backyard or garden so you don’t have to move your compost far when it’s finished.

Here are some tips and tricks for making great compost in a tumbler:
* Only certain kinds of kitchen waste are appropriate for composting. Vegetable scraps are great. Meat and dairy should be kept out of the compost pile at all costs. Grains, such as breads, rice, and pasta, are up to the individual, but most gardeners agree that they get a cleaner compost if they keep these materials to a minimum.
* Don’t add the scraps little by little, or the process will never be finished. If it’s inconvenient to save up your kitchen waste to process all at once, buy two tumblers and make compost in stages.
* Work on getting your ratio of “greens” to “browns” just right. Greens are moist, rapidly decaying materials like kitchen waste and grass clippings. Browns are dryer materials like leaves and woody materials. About two-thirds green and one-third brown is about right. Browns decay faster when they’re processed in a shredder before they go into the tumbler.
* You’ll probably need to add water to the tumbler to get the right mix, but don’t add too much. The barrel’s contents should be very moist but not wet or soupy. Be sure to put a tray under the tumbler to catch the compost “tea” so you can pour it on your garden and take advantage of all the great nutrients in it.
* If you really want to speed the process up, add a commercial compost activator mix.

If you follow all these steps, you’ll have a nice batch of compost to put on your garden in about two months—without any mess, bugs, rodents, or complaining neighbors. You’ll have healthy soil full of good microorganisms that will nourish your plants better than any fertilizer, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re recycling your garden waste and doing your part to save the earth.