Ingenious Compost Tumbler Ideas for Leftover Food And Garden Waste
A vital piece of equipment for reducing household trash accumulation is the composter. A composter breaks down waste materials to become plant food. These substances, called composts, are decomposed organic materials that improve the soil’s condition and nutrient content.
Today, the composting process has become simplified through the use of a compost tumbler. This innovation expertly combining waste to produce a rich and uniform mixture. Owning a composter is beneficial for several reasons. We have outlined these advantages, a list of what to compost, a variety of the best designs, and other useful information to help you choose the best product to suit your composting needs.
Benefits of Composting at Home
Composting has many essential benefits, which can be achieved even in the comfort of your home.
Reduces Household Waste
The most attractive benefit of composting is that it decreases household waste. It reduces the amount of trash you need to discard since food remnants and other domestic waste are converted to compost.
This activity also decreases the frequency of waste disposal trips and the number of plastic garbage bags you will have to purchase.
Great for Your Plants
Composts are mainly sourced from human waste and food, which can be used to improve plant growth.
Adding composts to your garden soil allows it to conserve water and moisture while providing nutrients for plant growth.
The compost’s richness permits the growth of microbes that help garden plants and flowers grow bigger and flourish when used as mulch for planting.
Related: 10 DIY Compost Bin Ideas That Take Gardening To A New Level
Environmental Benefits
When you continuously dispose of refuse at designated dumping grounds, waste accumulation can occur, leading to land and even water pollution.
These dumping sites also release toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Composting reduces the amount of waste dumped into landfills and minimizes the harm caused by the buildup of garbage and the resulting gases.
Save Money
Trash disposal can be expensive, especially for a large family. Composting at home reduces the need for regular trash collection, saving you money. Also, it eliminates the need to purchase industrial chemicals or fertilizers.
How to Keep Your Compost Area Clean
The area around your composter is bound to be littered with waste spills and droplets. If you do not tackle this, it can cause your house to smell and attract vermin and unwanted pests.
You have to ensure that there are no water or food spillages around the area and if there are, clean them up immediately.
Indoor Composters
If you use an indoor composter, ensure to line the floor around it with newspaper or cardboard.
This will catch waste that may be spilled while putting the trash in the composter, and the exciting part is that you can compost the papers when you are done with them.
Outdoor Composters
If you own an outdoor composter, make sure the surrounding grasses do not overgrow. Mow the area regularly, clear up all fallen leaves, twigs, tree branches, pinecones, etc. and throw them all into your composter.
How to Clean Your Compost Bin
Compost is made up of food waste, and the containers they are kept in can become smelly and messy when they are not properly cleaned.
Not to worry, we have listed a few tips for you to prevent these offensive odors.
- Line your compost bins with newspapers or any type of paper to prevent the trash from sticking to the containers. This will reduce the stink and also avoid stains or marks from the compost
- Wash your bins and equipment regularly. You can also throw in some ground citrus peels and add a few drops of essential oils to get rid of those offensive odors.
- Put a Stop to Foul Odors by promptly cleaning up any waste spills or stains. Any mess or rubbish left on bare surfaces can become a playground for microbes, insects, and pests.
- Some food items, such as fats and oils, meat and fish remnants, and dairy products, should not be composted as they become rancid and easily give off foul odors. They also easily attract bugs and rodents.
- Turn over the compost regularly to aerate it and prevent foul odors.
How Do I Start Composting?
Composting can be done all year round, so it does not matter when you start. You can use any container you find lying around the house to begin storing compost, however the amount of waste you produce determines the size of your composter.
A small family can use a pail or bucket to store compost, while a larger group would require bigger containers.
You can keep your composter in the garden or the yard but make sure it is not close to a fire because composts are mildly flammable.
Additionally, your compost should be a balance between soft/fresh and hard/dry waste substances. The delicate matter mostly comes from the kitchen and is usually from fruits, vegetables. Grass strips from the garden or yard are also classified as soft waste.
The dry compost ingredients come from dry leaves, stems, twigs, hay, and even papers. However, make sure you do not include already prepared food in your compost as it will attract insects and rodents.
A perfect balance between fresh and dry waste ingredients helps in producing a rich compost mix. The soft or new matter is the nitrogen source and contains most of the bacteria, which will cause the compost to decay.
The dry/hard materials are sources of carbon that provide a great texture to the mix. They also balance out the fresh ingredients, prevent it from being too sticky, and allow the bacteria to work properly. A good compost blend will decompose at an ideal speed to give a well-balanced product.
Finally, ensure to continually turn your compost with a stick or pitchfork to aerate the mixture. This step allows moisture and air to circulate equally throughout the compost. It also helps to prevent the compost from having a foul smell.
How Long Does It Take for Compost to Compost?
This depends on the type of ingredients, the amount of waste, and the materials’ size in the compost pails. In compost bins where the compost is not regularly turned, it can take about one month to a year for the compost to be formed.
However, compost tumblers take a few weeks for the product to develop because they have systems that allow their contents to mix regularly. When compost is turned frequently, it introduces air into the blend, which speeds up the composting process. Also, the spinning of the compost barrel allows the waste materials to fragment faster.
What Is Bad About Composting?
Although composting is generally beneficial, some drawbacks can make it tiring and tedious.
Bad Smell
The odor that comes from compost can be very nasty and offensive. This stench can change the home’s air and even disturb the neighbors, and controlling it may be difficult.
Long Yield Time
The time taken for compost to fully form may be prolonged. This lengthy period may be due to the size and type of materials in the compost. It takes a long time for waste thrown into the compost bin without being broken into smaller bits to decay.
Stressful Process
Composting can become tedious because you will need to regularly monitor it and turn it frequently to allow air to penetrate the mix.
It Attracts Vermin
Animals usually are attracted to waste materials. Since compost is essentially made up of trash, bugs, rodents, snakes, and other animals tend to be drawn to it.
What Can You Put in Your Compost Bin?
Not every food item, waste, or garden junk can go in the compost bin. Some materials can cause the compost to have a horrid smell, while some may attract pests.
Fresh/Green waste such as vegetables, fruits, grass strips, leaves, coffee grounds, rice, teabags, weeds, and pasta.
Dry/Brown waste such as twigs, stems, branches, hay, eggshells, husks, and straw.
Some other dry items used in compost are paper, cardboard, newspaper, fur, hair, cotton rags, and paper towels.
What shouldn’t go in Compost?
Meat, fish, bones, dairy products, such as eggs, milk, yogurt, and fatty, oily, and greasy foods.
These waste materials decay and release nasty odors and also attract insects and other vermin.
Excreta from pets should not be added to composts because they might contain dangerous pathogens or microbes.
You should also not include infected plants in composts because they may transfer the diseases to other plants.
5 Best Compost Tumblers
Composters come in various designs, which allow you to select based on your needs and preferences.
1. Maze Compost Tumbler
Need a rust and heat-proof composter? This composter has dimensions of 30 x 41. 3 x 44. 5 inches while the cart measures 22. 8 x 25. 6 x 35 inches.
The drum has a capacity of 65 gallons and two chambers, both of which are fitted with individual gliding doors. These dual compartments allow you to prepare two large batches of compost at the same time.
It’s ratchet-lock handle, which secures it from children or pests and allows the compost barrel to rotate quickly. The cart will enable you to carry large quantities of waste or compost in one trip. It also has two wheels to permit easy movement of materials.
The bottom of the barrel has an opening to help with the removal or offloading of the compost. Meanwhile, the cart goes beneath this gap to effortlessly collect the decayed product. Also, there are adjustable air vents, and they allow the material to be aerated and decompose faster.
2. Miracle-Gro Large Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler
Have a look at this UV-resistant composter. With dimensions of 26.1 x 21.26 x 6.3 inches and a capacity of 27.7 gallons in each chamber, this equipment can efficiently produce a substantial amount of compost within a short period.
The Miracle-Gro compost tumbler is also sealed and fitted with locks at the sides to prevent pests and children from opening or entering. It also has an air vent for adequate aeration.
The composter has a built-in pole, which helps to break the waste materials up. It also rotates on its axis and can be easily turned to help the compost mix properly and produce a uniform blend.
Each chamber can take about 55.4 liters of material and has its sliding door to not interfere with the other compartment.
3. Good Ideas EZCJR-BLK 7-Cubic-Foot Compost Wizard Jr.
Looking for a highly efficient composter that does not require you to assemble anything? Durability and functionality are two qualities of this composter.
It is mostly made of polyethylene plastic and is rust-proof since it has no metal parts. This composter has a 12-inch large opening, which allows you to put large waste materials into the compost barrel with ease.
This product sits on top of a set of wheels, and these two features allow it to be tumbled. The air vents at the barrel side aerate the compost for a faster decay process and a well-mixed product.
This compost tumbler retains sufficient heat, which speeds up the decay of the waste. It allows it to produce compost at a shorter duration.
Its dimensions of 22 x 23.5 x 30 inches and 198-liter (7 cubic foot) capacity help produce significant amounts of compost in one batch. The equipment is also tightly sealed to prevent rodents and insects from entering the barrel.
4. Lifetime 60058 Compost Tumbler
Made from High-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE), this composter is UV-protected and can withstand high temperatures. With a coated steel frame to prevent corrosion and a stable, firm structure, this single-chambered compost tumbler is one of the best. Also, it has a capacity of 300 liters and dimensions of 35.5 x 40 x 43 inches.
This equipment has double-walled panels and is painted black. Both of these features help it to conserve heat to quicken the composting process.
It also has a built-in bar that moves to break up large waste particles and blend all the contents for a consistent mix. This bar also ensures that air goes into the products to hasten the formation of compost.
5. FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Tumbling Composter
Rated as the #1 Outdoor Composting Tumbler, this two-chambered compost tumbler is made from polypropylene plastic. It is equipped with a galvanized steel framework that makes it rust-proof. It is also resistant to UV rays and contains no BPA.
The two compartments allow you to make different compost batches and are supplied with a door that slides all the way open. It has dimensions of 36 x 30 x 28 inches and an overall capacity of 37 gallons. The product rotates on its axis and is covered with cavities that make holding and tumbling easy.
Composts are easily removed from the equipment by turning it over and allowing the contents to pour out of the opening. Therefore, you do not have to burrow with your hands or use a trowel to remove the composts.
The composter is highly aerated to speed up the decaying of the waste. It can produce entirely composted material within a couple of weeks!
Conclusion
Composters are an amazing equipment for producing home-grown fertilizers, reducing the stress of making compost. It is also a great way for you to actively partake in caring for the ecosystem. Overall, buying a compost tumbler is an excellent investment. With this guide you are set to purchase your very own composter.