By: Vicki Duong

As a butt kicker of all things that stand in his way, Chuck Norris needs a bit of rest and relaxation time every now and then. How does he relax, you ask? He composts – bad guys? No, he composts for his garden. Though it’s not uncommon to find a villainous evil doer in his compost heap or spinning around in his compost tumbler!

Back when Chuck was enjoying his temporary hiatus from Walker, Texas Ranger (it’ll be back, just you wait and see!), Chukie decided to spend some quality time getting back with his green self. He achieved this by tending to his mother’s rose and pansy gardens. Well, the Season 6 villains from Walker caught wind of his environmentally friendly activities and decided it was time to end it with him by feeding him into a chipper shredder. Since nothing gets past Chuck Norris, he was well aware of the Season 6 villains’ plans.

The morning that they arrived, they found Chuckie laboriously watering his mother’s flowers with his back turned to them. As they crept in for the kill, Chuckie was able to swiftly roundhouse kick two of them and send them sailing into a rain barrel! The remaining four stood stunned in disbelief until they were knocked to the ground by Chuckie’s iron fist and knee. One managed to back flip back onto his feet, but not for long for Chuckie wouldn’t allow it. In a graceful, Matrix-like fashion, Chuckie dropkicked him – right into an Expandable Worm Tower where he was overcome by voraciously hungry night crawlers.

Three down and three more still standing – Chuckie wasted no time. Using his wit and no-holds bar technique, he grabbed two of the Season 6 villains by their ankles and swung them into his poison ivy patch (poison ivy is irritating to us mere humans, but Chuck Norris uses it as a skin inhibitor for shaving). The last one refused to go down easy and came after him with a lawn sweeper. How foolish of you, thought Chuckie; you come to fight Walker, Texas Ranger and all you brought was a lawn sweeper?! Saving the best roundhouse kick for last, Chuckie sent him straight into an open compost bin; of course, Chuckie had to dispose of him in the garbage afterward because he was starting to make the compost smell like rotten eggs (an example of what happens when you have too much moisture in your compost).

With all six of the Season 6 villains properly disposed of, Chuckie was able to continue watering his roses and pansies in peace – until the hiatus is lifted, of course.

By: Ellen Bell

If you have recently purchased a compost tumbler bin, let me be the first to say congratulations!  You’ve just taken the first step toward aerobic composting.  What is aerobic composting, you ask, and why is it so great?  In this article, we’ll explain how aerobic composting works and what you need to do to get started.

There are two main types of composting, aerobic and anaerobic.  Anaerobic composting basically consists of piling up a bunch of organic materials, then letting them sit and rot.  Pretty gross, huh?  Well truthfully, yes, it is.  Anaerobic bacteria are slow and inefficient, which means that your compost pile will have to sit there for at least a year, maybe longer, before the materials at the very bottom are fully composted.  Second of all, microbes that do the decaying in anaerobic composting produce methane and sulfate gasses as a byproduct, something which we humans find very offensive.  If you’ve always thought of composting as a smelly and gross process, now is the time to make an important clarification: it’s anaerobic composting that’s a smelly and gross process.

Aerobic composting is an entirely different process.  Just as the name would suggest, aerobic composting requires air, specifically oxygen, to complete its process.  Aerobic bacteria are very efficient.  They break down organic matter very rapidly, often times completing the full composting process in less than 6 weeks.  Furthermore, aerobic microbes don’t give off smelly gasses, which means that aerobic composting is a virtually odorless process!

At this point, we’re sure that you’ll agree, aerobic composting is the preferable method.  With that having been said, where do you begin?  This brings us back to the compost tumbler.  A compost tumbler bin is the best way to get started with aerobic composting.  Usually designed in a cylindrical shape, compost tumblers spin on an axis, tumbling the materials inside and providing the necessary oxygen for aerobic composting to occur.  While it is possible to construct your own compost tumbler, the process isn’t easy and you may find that you’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration by purchasing a ready to assemble unit.  Compost tumbler bins are readily available for purchase through online and catalog stores and many can be assembled in minutes.

Once you’ve got your new compost tumbler bin set up, you’re ready to begin aerobic composting!  The first step is to add the materials to be composted.  First and foremost, it is not advisable to put any meat or dairy products (including egg yolks) into an aerobic composter unit, because these will produce foul odors as they break down, thereby defeating your goal of odor-free composting.  Vegetable peelings, old bread, cooked rice, pasta, and other similar kitchen scraps can and should be added to an aerobic compost bin.  Houseplant trimmings, lint from the dryer, floor sweepings, and pet hair are also things that can be put in a composter.  From the outdoors, there are a multitude of items that can be composted such as yard trimmings, dead leaves, grass clippings, dead flowers, etc.  Other things that can be added to your compost tumbler include pencil shavings, sawdust, chopped up hay or straw, and aquarium plants.  When you first begin using your new composter, you need to build up adequate bacteria levels to break the materials down.  To this end, it’s a good idea to add some bulking materials in the beginning, such as peat moss or already finished compost, if you have a source for getting some.

With a little time and effort, you’ll have finished compost readily available from your aerobic compost bin.  This finished compost can be tilled into your garden soil or added to the topsoil around existing plants as a fertilizer.  You’ll soon begin to see the results that compost has on a garden with bigger plants, more flowers, and larger harvests of vegetables.  So what are you waiting for?  Start composting today!

By: Jack Nguyen

There are many different methods of composting, and there are a number of products now available to those who compost. The compost bin to buy depends on the needs of the garden or home. With that said, compost tumblers provide an efficient, low maintenance, and reliable method of composting.

One of the many misconceptions about composting is that there is an odor associated with decomposing materials. The odor that is referred to is caused when microbes don’t thrive amongst the compost. Microbes are the microscopic living organisms that convert biodegradable waste into rich organic soil. Like any living being, microbes require oxygen to exist. This happens by turning the compost. When the compost sits neglected, microbes don’t get their oxygen. When the microbes don’t get their oxygen, they die, they smell, and the compost doesn’t decompose nearly as fast. The smell associated with composting only happens when compost is neglected.

This is where compost tumblers come in very handy: they are incredibly easy to maintain. Every time you throw something in your compost tumbler, you just turn it a few times. It is never neglected, it is never stinky, and it turns out fresh organic soil in record breaking time. Typically, with a single compost bin or compost heap, decomposition time can take between six months and two years. Compost tumblers, when used and turned regularly, have been known to create humus in as little as a month or two. This does, of course, depend on the user. What can be accurately said is that compost tumblers will cut decomposition time in at least half.

There are a few things to consider when shopping for a compost tumbler. Compost tumblers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. As always the case, think first of your own composting needs. This will help to determine what size tumbler you need. Consider as well your own physical needs. Some people struggle with turning huge heaps of compost; one major advantage that compost tumblers offer is that they require very little physical exertion to turn. The height of some tumblers can be a factor because height determines ease of accessibility.

Another factor to consider is the material used in the construction of the tumbler. A good choice in material for compost tumblers is food grade plastic. This material is UV resistant which means that it will be durable, and last a very long time. Some compost tumblers have metal parts, which isn’t necessarily an advantage because they become weather rusted in certain climates. A food grade plastic compost tumbler generally outlives the rest, and maintains a nice warm temperature for the microbes that dwell in there.

Yet another important factor to consider before you buy is maneuverability. For the most part, when filled with compost, you’re probably not going to be moving your compost tumbler around your lawn or garden. However, there are some models that are bulkier and harder to move than others. If you know that you will at some point be required to move your bin, you should absolutely factor this into the equation. There are several rolling models that simply roll across your lawn, churning the compost as you move it. Now there are also several models that actually include wheels; one of which doubles as a wheelbarrow. So if maneuverability is an issue, you certainly are at no loss to find portable compost tumblers.

Whatever your composting need, give compost tumblers a shot. You might have to invest a bit more money up front than a standard compost bin, but you’ll find that the returns of this method of composting are well worth it.

By: Jim Allen

Looking for an activity the entire family can participate in that is educational, good for the planet and fun? Look no further than composting. Starting a compost pile in your backyard is one of the best ways to make a positive impact on the health of the environment and, on a smaller scale, the health of your plants and garden. Children of all ages can participate in some way and will learn invaluable lessons about how organic matter breaks down and the importance of keeping waste out of your county landfill. And, you’ll be helping to prepare the next generation of composters to continue to do their part for the planet.

We all know recycling is important, and hopefully it has become an engrained part of your family’s daily routine. But once that plastic bottle or paper wrapper ends up in its assigned barrel, your work is finished. And unless you go visit a waste treatment facility or recycling plant, chances are its pretty much a mystery to most what actually becomes of our recycled waste. Composting puts you in charge of the entire process. Your compost bin or tumbler is the recycling facility and you are the head of waste management, at least for a good portion of your food scraps and yard waste.

If you maintain a garden or even just have some basic plants and flowers around your home, composting is the ideal way to keep them healthy and really, to give them what they need to thrive. Finished compost, or humus, added to your soil acts as a pH buffer and helps your soil retain moisture and oxygen. Humus can also cool the soil surface and help deter erosion by encouraging a vigorous root system bolstered by the added nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and other nutrients present. If you’re not the gardening type, simply donate your finished humus to a friend or family member with a green thumb or even to your local gardening center.

To get started, a simple compost bin or compost tumbler is recommended, along with one of the many guides or how-to books on the market. These should list the items that are good for your compost pile and those that are not. Pay special attention to this – not all waste is good for your compost pile. There is an optimum nitrogen – carbon ratio a composter should strive for, and adding the wrong food scraps or lawn and garden waste could ruin the whole batch.

By: Ellen Bell

One of the biggest complaints people have about composting is that it smells.  And in some cases, this is true.  When organic materials are heaped up in a pile and left to sit, they essentially rot, and we all know that rotting food and plants are going to smell.  But did you know that composting doesn’t have to stink?  It’s true!  In this article we’ll explain the 3 simple steps that anyone can follow to go from smelly to odor free composting.

The first step in odorless composting is to understand the two basic methods of composting: aerobic and anaerobic.  As the name would suggest, aerobic composting requires air, specifically oxygen, to be successful.  Anaerobic composting, on the other hand, is what occurs when the compost isn’t exposed to the air.

The primary differences between aerobic and anaerobic composting are speed of decomposition and odor created.  Aerobic bacteria work very quickly and efficiently.  Compost that’s properly aerated can decompose to a finished product within a month or two, under the right conditions.  Anaerobic bacteria, on the other hand are very inefficient, sometimes taking as long as a couple years to produce finished compost.  Anaerobic bacteria also product methane and sulfate gasses as a byproduct of the composting process.  These gasses are bad for the environment; they are greenhouse gasses that deplete our ozone.  Furthermore, these are the gasses that smell offensive to humans.  When we think of a smelly compost heap, what we’re really thinking of is anaerobic composting.  Aerobic bacteria, on the other hand, do not produce these gasses, thus the reason that aerobic composting results in little to no odor.

One of the best ways to ensure that your compost is aerobic is to use a compost tumbler.  These drum-shaped devices are usually mounted on an axel so they can spin or rotate freely.  The action of the compost turning and tumbling inside the bin aerates the material, providing the necessary oxygen for the aerobic bacteria to do their job.

If you don’t have a compost tumbler, or simply don’t want to invest in one, you can encourage the growth of aerobic bacteria in a regular compost heap by simply turning the material on a regular basis.  You may want to invest in a long handled tool such as a large shovel or pitchfork to make the turning process easier.  Regardless of whether you have a compost tumbler or a basic compost heap, you should aim for turning the material every 2 to 3 days for best results.

The second step in odorless composting is to maintain the appropriate ratio of browns and greens in the bin.  Examples of browns, or carbon rich materials, include dried leaves, shredded paper, sawdust, and dryer lint.  Examples of greens, or nitrogen rich materials, include green grass clippings, vegetable or fruit peelings, cooked rice and pasta, and seaweed or other aquarium plants.  If you get compost bin with too many greens, the material will begin to smell.  This is easy to adjust by simply adding more browns.  In addition to the items listed above, other browns might include peat moss, pencil shavings, shredded paper napkins, coffee grounds, chopped hay or straw, potting soil, nut shells, and tea bags.  Finished compost will also act as a brown material.

The third and last step in avoiding a smelly compost bin is to keep out all meats, eggs, and dairy products.  When the proteins in these items break down, they create an unpleasant odor.  Also to be avoided are any fatty wastes including butter, shortening, cooking oils, lard, and other animal fats.

And that’s all there is to it!  With 3 simple steps, you can change your smelly and slow compost heap into a lean, mean, and odorless composting system that will turn out finished compost in a matter of weeks.  So what are you waiting for?  Begin your odorless composting system today!