By: Vicki Duong

As an avid gardener who takes advantage of the many benefits that composting has to offer, I can tell you that right from the start I had no idea what I was doing and what I had gotten myself into! I had a rough start to begin with and I’ll admit, it’s not like I was born with composting knowledge. I mean, I read up on a few articles and blogs that you’re not supposed to use any meat, bones, dairy products and animal fats in any of your compost bins or piles. Yeah, that’s common sense, but I wasn’t aware that there were other tender, loving, caring efforts that you still needed to implement into your compost heap.

For instance, you have to make sure that your compost heap is consistently aerated. Okay, so I didn’t quite grasp that at the first time I tried all this. Learn from my mistake here, folks, it’s actually a lot easier than it sounds. There are plenty of compost tumblers out there on the market that make aerating your compost really quite easy and fun. A lot of models actually include a rotating bin or a handle that allows you to wind up your bin, which circulates heat and oxygen within the compost matter. Without proper air circulation, the organic matter in your compost won’t be able to break down quickly and properly, and chances are will make things smell a bit rotten. Believe me, you don’t want to know what that smells like! Websites like Composters.com will definitely offer you a selection of compost tumblers and compost bins.

Bad odor is usually something that not everyone is too fond of and it’s even worse if it’s coming from your compost bin. But with some proper TLC, you can either avoid the problem or fix it altogether. One way to do this is to figure out what there’s too much or too little of. If it smells kind of like cat urine or ammonia-like, you may have way too much yard wastes in your compost. If it smells like wet dog, or maybe wet organic matter, then you need to start adding some dried leaves and maybe some hay and turn your compost; this will absorb all that excess moisture while adding heat to your pile.

With proper maintenance and tender, loving care, you’ll eventually be able to achieve the ideal compost pile for all your gardening needs. It’s a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but soon enough you’ll be able to figure out for yourself just what you need and how much of it is necessary for your compost pile.

By: Vicki Duong

Before you start on your first composting project of the year, have you thought about what you were going to place your compost in? I don’t mean, “In my garden,” or even, “In my houseplant’s soil,” those are all moot points. I mean, have you considered whether you were going to compost out in the open for anything and everyone to see, or perhaps in a compost bin or compost tumbler? After all, these are important points to consider and they may hold the key to a successful composting project.

There are quite a few methods when it comes to composting; some use the open composting method by building a pile of compost out in the woods or yard, others use compost tumblers and bins. I prefer the compost tumbler method out of all of them mainly because I lead quite a busy life and can’t commit to watering down my compost constantly if it’s out in the open in addition to turning the pile on a regular basis. However, that’s not to say that a compost tumbler is better than open composting; both methods produce the same amount of compost in the same amount of time so long as you keep your compost heaps aerated.

Moving forward, compost tumblers have a lot of great benefits, the most obvious being that if you’re a busy person all you really have to do is toss all your food scraps and/or yard waste into your tumbler, turn it or flip it (depending on the design) about every few days and you’re good. Tumblers of course, keep your compost aerated which is very important; you never want your compost to stay stagnant because that would bore the little microbes in your heap. They should be actively eating and decomposing all the matter in the tumbler or bin!

Another reason I prefer tumblers over other methods is that it keeps animals and rodents away from your compost. Your pile will stay securely in the tumbler until it’s ready to be removed, which can be easily done. But the big reason why I like compost tumblers is because they’re fun! Sorry to the folks who have open compost heaps, but I don’t find using a pitch fork to turn my compost appealing at all. Something about spinning or flipping my compost tumbler while on a steady axis sounds easier. Call me lazy or what have you, but know this: my compost heap is still just as good as yours!

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: Vicki Duong

Earlier we’ve talked about the differences between compost bins and compost tumblers, and let you, our wonderful composting audience, decide for yourselves on what you thought would work better for your needs. Well, let’s put our differences aside and talk about worm composting, also known in the composting world as vermiculture or vermicomposting. There’s really not much to it, we use worms, right? Right, but not just any worms; red wiggler worms or night crawlers are the preferred types of worms to use. Why not earthworms, you ask? Well, I’ll explain that in a second, but let me first tell you why red wigglers and night crawlers are so beneficial to the composting process.

Red wiggler worms, also known as red worms and by their scientific name of Eisenia fetida, are recognized as the best kind of composting worm. Thriving in darkness and swearing off light, red worms are hardy workers and can eat half of their own weight. Additionally, they have hearty appetites and can live off of food scraps such as banana peels and chicken mash (a yummy mix of cornmeal and chicken meat, this is usually used only if you plan to raise your red worms as fish bait). Red worms also live well in damp places, and as fish bait, will wiggle around on the hook since they can survive in water for several days at a time.

Night crawlers which are popular amongst fishermen can also be used as composting worms. With the same performance level as red worms, they’re not really considered your number one composting worm. One reason may be that even though they thrive in cool, shady areas, they don’t seem to fare too well if there’s too much moisture; in fact, once they hit water they’ll pretty much just die. Unusually enough, fisherman seem to like using night crawlers as bait probably because they’re pretty big and fat.

Using earthworms such as the kind that show up when it starts raining is not recommended. Earthworms are great burrowers and excellent soil aerators, but they won’t digest the organic matter and leave behind worm castings, which is what you want. Your best bet is to stick with red wiggler worms. Though not necessary, mixing red wigglers with night crawlers is okay, but you’re fine with sticking to one or the other.

Vermicomposting can be a fun activity for families, classrooms, or even just solo. Just be sure to feed your worms and watch them as they do the work for you.