A compost tumbler has certainly made my composting experience more pleasurable. For many years I struggled with composting in heaps. I had four piles – gathered, mixed, finished. And I did this for years, many years of pitching and shoveling. I’ve had my share of overwhelming these too. If you are in a similar situation and you’re looking for something more convenient then you come to the right place. We will discuss about compost tumbler and the best way to use it.
You don’t have to now wait for many seasons to utilize your rich organic compost in your garden. And the best part of it all is you no longer need to use your pitchfork and dig into that gooey compost. Honestly, I just dislike getting my hands into the compost bin.
How to use a Compost Tumbler
If you have researched about these tumblers then you would know that these barrels can be turned or rotated, constructed from plastic that is recycled. The bin can be used to fill all your kitchen waste and yard waste. The entire composting process within the bin can be activated with garden soil, finished compost, manure commercial starters, and even with nothing. Once the organic matters are placed into this bin it begins to break down because these bins have numerous microbes and various living Organisms that are powered by oxygen. To expedite the process within the bin it is recommended to turn the bin at least thrice weekly. This mixes all the microbes with organic matter, infusing oxygen within the bin. The tumbler retains all the matter within it and aids in the process of generating heat. If these few instructions are followed and you diligently turn the tumbler, then in one month or maybe two months you would have rich fresh compost ready for you to use.
Let’s Tumble!
Composing is not a recent activity; our ancestors have been practicing it for thousands of years. With regard to the tumbler bin, I guess somewhere in the 70s, a couple of very innovative gardeners got together and made an innovative plan of compost rollers and some different schemes for turning and containing compost. Tumbler bins have been around for decades however over the years we have seen numerous choices made easily available.
If you look at the commercial tumblers, they are available in two types; vertical and horizontal. They also have variations including spherical tumblers that are specifically constructed to roll on the ground and contain ones that have stands. You could also come across various sizes to fit your yard right from small to larger ones. The simplest ones that you would come across are the rotating barrels, and the horizontal tumblers are constructed with cranks that aid in turning the bin. All these tumbler bins are well ventilated allowing a fresh flow of oxygen within the bin. If you looked at the higher-end models they also offer a piping system that carries oxygen to the barrel adding it to the center segment of the pile. Over the years we have seen a lot of modifications and improvements to these tumbler bins and I am truly thankful because it is excellent to speed things up while keeping my hand’s clean
Pick a tumbler of your choice, load it, turn it and your compost will be ready within a month or two. All the best!