With that in mind you will want a compost tumbler that churns and moves the compost mix the most, vertical axis tumblers tend to have more action than the roller types, unless the roller types have internal paddles, similar to a clothes dryer.  It is defiantly beneficial to keep it moving, whether horizontal or vertical axis.

Next up is temperature, the warmer the better. The compost tumbler won’t do you any good if the above mentioned bacteria, fungi and other little critters are frozen solid these are living things you know! So don’t expect to make fast compost in North Dakota in January unless you’ve got the tumbler in your living room. Ambient air temperature is a factor as well as radiated heat from the sun. If you have ever leaned on a black car in the summer sun you know how hot they can get, the same goes for compost tumblers, the darker tumblers will heat up and hold more heat than a lighter colored tumbler.

Other factors to consider are durability, Is the tumbler going to last more than one season? Will it fall off its axis? Some of these tumblers cost in the $200 dollar range, do your research and find ne that’s made to last.  On the same note is construction material, composting , by nature is a high moisture operation, make sure the parts can handle the moisture and the elements, that is if it isn’t in your living room hehe. Some models are made of recycled materials, others have steel frames, make sure you know what you’re getting.

Finally , there is always the do-it-yourselfer, there are tons of articles and videos on the subject of home-made compost tumblers. Do what works for you. I know some folks want to have the hands on thrill of making their own stuff, and others might not have the skill or the time to build their own compost tumbler. Just remember, there is something for everyone when it comes to quality compost tumblers.

Compost Tumblers have several advantages that make them useful, let’s face it, you don’t have such a variety of different composters based on the same principles if they don’t work.

The main advantage of the tumbler type compost is speed, the use of a tumbler can increase the speed of the composting greatly, This is due to aeration.

The tumbler aerates the material every time you flip the can or roll it, depending on the type. This increases the speed of decomposition, there by making the compost finish faster.  The second advantage of the compost tumbler is ease of use.  After the initial filling of the can, adding some water for moisture and putting the lid on, all you do to theses machines is flip them once or twice a day to get the compost rolling.

The last advantage can work both ways, meaning it can be both advantage and disadvantage, and that is the limited amount of compost the tumbler makes.

If your a small time gardener, or just like a few house plants around then these may be the system for you. Even if you don’t grow a lot of plants you’re still doing you part to reduce you impact on the landfills by recycling your kitchen scraps and yard waste, Heck you could even sell this to the local garden club, or give some to your neighbor who grows those great tomatoes. That ties in to the first disadvantage to the compost tumbler, The limited capacity.

If your a market gardener who works anywhere from a quarter to a whole acre of land, then these would be to small to be useful, unless you had three or four of the tumblers and were churing out compost in a laddered type system of output.

Let’s say you start the first tumbler up, load all your material and begin the process, then a week later start a second compost tumbler full, then a week later start a third one and so on, you could have a nearly unending supply of  compost working thru out the growing season….disadvantage?? Not as long as you had the funds and the material.  Just something to think about.

As you can see sometimes the line between advantage and disadvantage is in the eye of the user. Either side you take , the compost tumbler has several advantages to look at.  Try one and see!

Please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Compost Tumbler – More DIY How To Projects

By Kim Lugciano

Starting a garden is magnificent. By gardening you can give yourself plus your family your own home-grown vegetables that will be fresh from your backyard. By gardening not only will you save money, your fruits as well as vegetables that you grow can be free of dangerous fertilizers by means of composting. The way you compost will make a huge difference in your accomplishment.

What is composting? Compost is simply a blend of yard debris, kitchen waste, along with additional natural materials that are fully broken down (decomposed) into a material that you can utilize to help feed your garden. It will be a dark material that will be a “food source” meant for your soil because it can be very full of nutrients from all the natural matter it posses. The technical name used for compost is humus. But, for our use at this point we will just label it compost.

Why should you understand how to compost? You will see that there are actually two intentions to compost: First, it is utterly environmentally friendly. It reduces most amount of wastes that which goes into our landfills. Keep in mind that the more composting you engage in, the less we are contributing to the charge of trash elimination. Composting to the highest degree reduces all your need for manufactured and perhaps damaging fertilizers. Employing fewer fertilizer means that there is less ground water pollution from the overuse of fertilizer. Second, given that it can be packed of organic nutrients, it is certain that it is great used for the garden. It improves the nature of the soil. This will create better vegetation. A healthier plant is more immune to plant diseases. Compost in addition will make it more simple for the top soil to embrace plus preserve water. It improves sandy moreover clay-like soil.

Learning how to compost can be crucial. So what is it that you can you use to make compost? You may need to put together some space in order to accomplish this correctly. You as well will, nonetheless, want to produce a location close to the plants so that the composting spot is effortlessly easily reached. However you may as well choose to create it easy for you to get all the raw materials such like grass, leaves, food, and so on inside the compost bin.

What must you not utilize in your compost? Remember that you should not employ any meats in the compost blend. In addition, you have to steer clear of all animal fats. If you utilize these, you are going to unintentionally invite little “neighbors” from your adjacent vicinity wanting to dine out of the composting bin. Do not use newspaper or shredded paper. Using this may be a drawback since they are known to include chemicals that will be a bit unsafe for your compost. Cat and dog feces are a problem because they are known to have little parasites furthermore they have an excessive odor. Your garden is not a bathroom. Remember that you can utilize manure from horses, chickens, and cattle in tiny amounts. However they will possess an odor also.

How do you get compost? Make a container or else bin with the purpose that can hold all the materials that you have to include. You can search on the net for a blueprint of your choice. But the main point to do in composting is turning your composting mix again and again. This gets the mixture ideal moreover adds necessary air to the composting procedure.

Composting appropriately will create a thriving as well as a healthier garden that you may benefit from, while also being environmentally friendly. A win-win for everybody.

About the Author: For step by step info on how to compost visit my site. You will also find free of charge plans to construct a compost sifter along with compost bins.

Source: www.isnare.com

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By Anthony Tripodi

For those of you with pesky neighbors who don’t appreciate big piles of yard waste rotting in plain sight, there is the compost bin. The compost bin keeps your compost neat and tidy. Choosing the right type of bin for you is less about your composting needs and more about your personal preference. Your compost won’t know the difference between being piled in a corner and rotting away behind the custom built cedar doors of a multi-bin setup.

The simplest compost bin you can build is to not build one at all. It’s not an option for all of us but those in the country with lots of acreage can just stack up their yard waste in a pile.

Another easy option for a compost bin is to purchase a length of temporary wire fencing such as chicken wire, rabbit fencing or whatever you can get your hands on. Hammer a few posts in the ground so that the fence holds it’s shape and stands upright and attach the fence with string or wire. Start filling it up with leaves and grass clippings and that’s it you’re done.

This last option will take the longest to build but will also last the longest and look the best. Compost will rot the quickest if it’s in a pile at least 4′x4′x4′. That’s four feet wide by four feet long by four feet deep. So building a cube out of four foot 2×4′s is a great way to make a compost bin. Connect the four foot sections at the corners of the cube with galvanized nails or screws and then attach some of that wire fencing that was mentioned above, to the sides with heavy duty wood staples. As your needs for compost grow, build another cube and place it next to your first one. Now you have a multi-bin system. Start your compost in the first bin and as it decomposes move it to the next bin. Moving your compost to a new bin is a great way to aerate it.

Stay away from pressure treated lumber and just realize that your bin will rot in about 5-10 years. Seems fitting that a compost bin will eventually turn to compost itself.

Whether you take a wire fence and bend it into a circle or you break out your woodworking skills and create a masterpiece, your compost bin will help you keep your garden healthy and happy.

About the Author: Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of WatchItRot.com – The Compost Guide. For more information about Compost including ideas and equipment, visit http://www.watchitrot.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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Our RotoComposter Compost Tumbler takes the backbreaking effort out of turning your compost. You won’t need to struggle with forks or shovels trying to tear apart a packed, root bound brick of material. With our compost bin you can make rich, high quality compost from your garden, yard, and kitchen waste in just weeks. The large capacity compost drum rotates on a stable base providing quick and easy mixing. Just turn it about once a week to keep oxygen, nutrients, microorgani (more…)

I was in the yard doing some cleanup and I got to thinking about what I have put in the compost pile this week, let me rephrase that…alot of cleanup!
So here they are , its what works for me, your mileage may vary!!

1. Old Hay

We have alot of hay bales and they break open or get wet and just generally get unusable, I take the old bales and break them up, soak them down real good with the water hose and then layer them in the pile, This makes up the main ingredient in my system. You have to soak them good, otherwise it acts like a thatched roof and water just rolls right off of it!

2. Grass Clippings

Grass Clippings are the green component or nitrogen ingredient of this set up, I have about an acre and a half of “lawn” area and that provides plenty of grass clippings for 2 piles I use a Cub Cadet walk behind mower with bagger for harvesting the grass clippings, it works great ! P.S. We also have a riding mower for the rest of the yard, I don’t push the bagger over the whole yard! :/

3. Animal Manure

We have Cows, Chickens, Pigs, Goats and a Horse, there is no shortage of manure choices. I usually us chicken litter for this component, it’s easy to get because the chickens roost in the same place every night, occasionally the odd cow pie will go in if I have the shovel handy but I don’t go turd hunting for the most part!

These three items make up the main part of the compost pile, once I get the layers they pretty well sit for about a month, after about three days if everything is working, you can pull back the top layer and feel the heat that is building up… that means its working!

The Next two ingredients are stuff that just goes on the pile as they build up, they add that little extra boost hehehe.

4. Garden And Yard Waste

This is anything that I pull from the garden that doesn’t get eaten or fed to some animal, weeds, dead plant matter, well let me say naturally dead, not anything that was diseased, that’s a good way to ruin your garden! And as above more grass clippings, shredded fall leaves… they too will make a waterproof mat if left whole! They don’t have to be powder, just break em up a little.

5. Kitchen Waste

This can be just about anything but meat, dairy, or oils. I drink alot of coffee and all my used coffee grounds go into the pile, we put the egg shells in there the whole shooting match. This makes up a small amount of the overall pile , but it adds alot of good stuff!

So there you go , this is what I have put in the compost piles I make. If You want to see the pile being built check Here.

Enjoy!

Practical Compost Making

Author: Katie Collins

Whether you are an ordinary gardener, or an organic gardener which doesn’t use of any sort of chemical additive for fertilization or pest control, a quality compost becomes one of the most important factors in determining the ultimate success of your garden. Compost is one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments. With a good quality compost there is no need to use any sort of commercial fertilizer, and one of the best features of compost is that it can literally be made without spending a dime.

What Exactly Is Compost

Compost is the remnants of any organic material that has been aerobically decomposed. Compost is often also called humus. In earth science “humus” is defined as any organic matter which has reached a point of stability, where it will break down no further and can remain essentially as it is for centuries, or even millennia. So both words, for practical gardening purposes, basically mean the same thing; the end product of decomposed organic matter. It is also important to note that this decomposition is a result of a aerobic process as opposed to an anaerobic process. For example, vegetables placed in an airtight plastic bag will still decompose but will do so in an anaerobic manner since there is limited oxygen available. Anaerobic decomposition is what produces the foul odor that most of us are quite aware of.

The Compost Decomposition Process

The decomposition of organic matter is actually a process of repeated digestions as organic matter repeatedly passes through the intestinal tracts of soil animals or is attacked by the digestive enzymes secreted by microorganisms. Compost is the end product of this complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects. In reality composting simply replicates nature’s natural system of breaking down materials on the forest floor. But fortunately for us, the organic gardener, this process results in a product that significantly improves soil fertility and helps keep the soil in a healthy balanced condition where nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus will be produced naturally.

Compost Ingredients

Although almost any organic material can be used for compost pile, caution should be used when backyard composting as most backyard systems will not reach high enough temperatures to kill pathogens or deter vermin. So generally pet feces, non vegetarian animal manure, meat scraps, and dairy products should not be used unless you can be sure that an adequate temperatures will be reached.

To ensure proper composting your compost pile needs the right mixture of carbon rich “brown matter” and nitrogen rich “green matter”. Brown matter can consist of such items as dried leaves, straw, sawdust, wood chips, and even non-inked paper and cardboard. Green matter can include green plant material such as grass clippings, fresh cut hay, weeds, animal manures, fruit and vegetable table scraps, seaweed’s, and coffee grounds.

The Composting Process

This speed by which the composting process will occur will depend to a large extent on amount of effort you desire to put into creating the compost. Passive composting obviously takes the least amount of effort on your part. You simply mix the materials together in a freestanding pile and allow them to sit and rot on their own. This process may take a year or two but eventually you’ll have compost.

However, by actively managing your compost pile, you can often get finished compost in as little as one month. You can actively decrease the amount of time it takes to create compost if you’re willing to take the time to chop up your materials since shredded organic materials can heat up more rapidly and decompose quickly.

Heat is an important factor in effective composting. Hot composting allows aerobic bacteria to thrive. The ideal condition is for pasteurization to occur in a hot compost. Pasteurization will occur when the temperature reaches 55° Celsius (131°F) or more for three or more days. This will kill most pathogens and seeds. Pasteurized compost is valuable to the home gardener since the pasteurization process is otherwise both expensive and complicated, and adding chemicals to produce pasteurization is not an acceptable alternative for organic gardening.

Compost Tumblers

For many gardeners, space is often an issue, and even you have adequate space in your backyard you may not want to have a large unsightly compost heap. Compost tumblers offer a reasonable and effective alternative to the compost pile. And while the claims of some compost tumblers to produce compost in as little as 13 days may be slightly exaggerated, they do offer several benefits over the standard compost heap and they actually can accelerate the decomposition process because of their convenience.

There are a number of benefits of compost tumblers. First, they are generally easy to use and come in a number of sizes and styles that make the turning of your compost piles much easier. Second, because they are fully enclosed they are pest proof from such common pests as squirrels, raccoons, rats and dogs. Also, because tumblers are in a closed environment it’s much easier to retain moisture so your compost doesn’t dry out. Also in wet weather it won’t get too soggy. The enclosed environment also keeps unpleasant orders inside the compost tumbler (however if you’re keeping your compost properly aerated by proper turning there should not be any unpleasant odors).

Whether you garden by more modern means, or are a strict organic gardener, one thing is certain; healthy plants come from a healthy and nutritious soil. By making your own compost (a.k.a. gardeners black gold), not only are you being environmentally friendly and very economical, you’re producing your own natural black gold for your vegetables, herbs and flowers and providing healthy, safe, and great tasting food for your loved ones.

About the Author:
Katie Collins is a gardener, mother and writer.
For more great articles and advice on gardening please visit our websites at
Great Vegetable Gardens and
Better Organic Gardens

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Practical Compost Making

Why spend money on expensive fertilizers when you can create your own composting and reduce landfill waste as well? With a Lifetime Composter you can easily reduce, reuse, and recycle kitchen and garden waste into a rich organic soil conditioner. Compost helps retain the moisture in your soil and adds rich nutrients for healthy plants. The Lifetime Composter is designed with black, double-walled panels to absorb and retain the heat that decomposes the material. An internal bar (more…)