Compost Pile versus Tumbler
By katprice
@katprice (805)
United States
December 29, 2006 2:57pm CST
Currently I have my composting material in a bin that I rotate once a week. I have some other barrels that hold the material until it's ready to be put in the bin.
Are you composting, and if so how long does it take you to get some good compost? Also, are you using a compost pile or a bin/tumbler?
3 people like this
5 responses
@drakan291 (817)
• Ireland
31 Mar 07
I just have a big heap out at the back of my garden. It really dosn't need much work! All you guys have to do is turn it once a year! And that isn't even that hard..Well maby a little...okay a lot but anyway it is worth it!
@katprice (805)
• United States
23 Apr 07
I actually have been using a dog crate that my puppy outgrew. I filled it with food scraps as well as scraps from the yard, like leaves, sticks, etc. I turn it every week, but it's taken like a year to get the material to look like mulch. I SO want to get the ComposTumbler because it will produce a load of mulch in 2 weeks.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
3 Jan 07
I am a newbie to composting. The extent of my composting is to toss my food scraps onto a pile of leaves. My husband balks at this practice. He worked for a landscaper too! You would think that he would understand the benefits of using compost. And, if you can make it in your back yard even better. I need tips.
2 people like this
@katprice (805)
• United States
3 Jan 07
I think a compost bin or tumbler is the way to go, something that animals can't get into. There's a guy down the road who throws scraps out his back door and you can just imagine the attention that attracts from the local stray and wild animals. Our dog even went over there a couple of times, before we put the fence up.
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10657)
• United States
30 Dec 06
We have pallets forming compost bins. We through all our stuff in there all year and each new growing season we take off the top layer and get at the gold beneath. Our garden has gotten so good in spots with this stuff that I do not even have to dig it up to plant. The ground is so pliable and the plants so happen that grow there. Hope all my garden gets alot like that in the next few years.
@katprice (805)
• United States
2 Jan 07
That seems to be a good system, I may have to switch to something like that. I really want the http://www.compostumbler.com Compost Tumbler but I'm not sure which size to get. I like the fact that it creates compost more rapidly than a pile or other system and in today's instant society where we want everything quickly, that sure fits the bill.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
11 May 07
I had a ComposTumbler for 10 yrs. b4 it finally rusted beyond repair last year. I had a big hole in the yard left after removing a huge concrete slab so threw all my compost stuff in there. I just dug it all out this past weekend and added it all to my garden and filled the hole in with all the ashes from my firepit out back. Now I'm debating on using one of my old plastic garbage cans as a compost bin. Can't have an open pit with all the wild animals in the woods around us. -sighs- Oh how I miss my ComposTumbler. One of these days I'll buy another and bigger one. The one I had was the smallest size they made that fit on our deck. Now that we have moved from our very small yard to over an acre yard, the bigger one will come in handy.
1 person likes this
@katprice (805)
• United States
16 Jul 07
They don't even make the very smallest size anymore. You have your choice of big and bigger. Prices start at $401 including shipping. Ebay has them for about $50 cheaper. I am using a plastic dog crate that my puppy outgrew and so far it's working pretty well. It doesn't work as fast as the Compost Tumbler, though. There's no way I'm getting good compost avery 14 days. I wish!
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
19 Jul 07
I went with my garbage can for my compost bin. It's really hot and doesn't really smell so my guess is it's working just fine. Now if I can just get my garden under control. No weeds but it's totally overgrown with vege plants. No longer can see the path I made between the rows of tomatoes and my green bean fence toppled under the weight of all the vines. This never happened to me b4 so I'm thinking this is going to be a bumper crop year for me.
1 person likes this
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
27 Mar 08
If you want compost faster then use a blender to make the vegetable scraps smaller and where each piece will have more surface area for the bacteria to break it down for the worms to digest it even more. If you leave large pieces of material then it will take longer for it to turn to good compost. Also make sure to aerate it and keep it moist so that the bacteria and worms do not dry out and die on you.
