I always thought that this was more than reasonable and much quicker than most who make their own compost. Lately, however, I have been hearing more and more about the compost bin tumbler which really is the best value composter. In an effort to find out about these tumbling composter machines I started to do a little research. This started because I had heard that with an urban compost tumbler you can have very good compost in only a matter of weeks! Claims run from only 14 days to 21 days. Either way, if true it is extremely fast. Follow this post as I explain what I have learnt about the compost bin tumbler, where to buy them, how efficient they are and can you really make GOOD compost in 14 days! Don't forget to read more about the urban compost bin tumbler in the next post, and all about what to add to the composting tumbler, and if they are good value for money in the post the urban compost tumbler.
Urban Compost Tumblers
How do they work?
Compost bin tumblers are efficient at producing compost quickly because of the ease of mixing the contents. Each time the tumbling composter is turned it mixes the contents, thus increasing the speed of decomposition. By mixing regularly the contents will get much more uniformly hot which turns the contents in to great compost at a much faster rate.
The Compost bin tumbler, like traditional heaps, works by easily and efficiently aerating the contents. One thing I have found is that to make them super efficient and to speed up the process you should add a compost activator.You can purchase these from a number of stores. I have never used these, but if they mean you can get compost in 14-21 days then I certainly think they are well worth the money. For the price of a small bag of potting soil they are more than worth the money. The Organica® Compost Activator has good reviews and if you can get an organic compost activator then I strongly suggest you do.
What To Add To A Composting Tumbler?
As these urban compost tumblers are designed to rapidly create compost it is advised that you only use soft clippings and cuttings and easily broken down materials. If you add anything too woody then it will drastically increase the time taken to produce very good compost. The ideal elements to add to a tumbling composter are:
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Weeds
- Kitchen waste
- Any soft green organic matter
By only using soft green organic matter the process works much quicker. You should also add a little bit of garden soil to get the microbes and bacteria working quickly although everything I have read so far recomends using the compost activator we just talked about.What To Do With A Compost Bin Tumbler
Looking in to urban compost tumblers they seem remarkably easy to use. It is simply a matter of rotating the drum every 5 days or so to keep the contents aerated and to increase the speed of making the compost. You simply add to the contents as you need to and then, once full, keep tumbling it for a few weeks and hey presto! That, at least, is what the manufacturers claim. I shall look at whether the 2-3 weeks timespan is actually true in a little while.
Compost Bin Tumbler Reviews
I have been searching around to try to find urban compost tumbler reviews and the only place that has any in any number is Amazon. Just as well really, as they are by far the cheapest source if you are going to purchase one. As for so many things you really won't find cheaper products with better service. The most popular, probably because they are also the least expensive, is the Tumbleweed Composter in the US. What I am surprised about with all these composting tumblers is that they have so many good reviews.
If you are looking to buy one, I would certainly read through some of the reviews to get the one you think will be most suitable. The composting tumbler reviews on Amazon are very honest and you can certainly pick an urban compost tumbler easily after reading what people have to say.
The Best Urban Compost Tumbler?
As you know this is as much a journey for me as it is for you. I have been looking in to the world of the composting tumbler in an effort to see how they work and if it is suitable for me. So far I am both pleased with the prices, at least from Amazon, some other sites were extremely expensive. It seems you really should have a compost activator to aid the process, or at least add some soil, although it seems this may not be as effective. I have also learned that it is very simple to rotate the tumbling composter a few times a week to keep it working at the most efficient way it can.
But what are the best urban compost tumblers? I looked to see what is both the most popular and the best value. The Envirocycle Composter is a nice compact design and has FANTASTIC reviews. It also has the added bonus of making manure tea which is invaluable as a rich feed for plants and veggies of all kinds.
Next is the Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter. This spins on a horizontal axis so will take up a little more room but the Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter comes highly recommended. One owner was well on her way to having compost within a week by using it!
There are many tumbling composters to choose from. There are the average family sized ones up to what seems like a great purchase if you are serious about making quality compost in larger bulk. The Mantis 4000-00-02 ComposT-Twin Composting Bin is a serious bit of kit indeed. This is more what I will be going for I think. Something a bit more expensive but a real quality design.The Benefits Of A Twin Composting Bin
The Mantis 4000-00-02 ComposT-Twin Composting Bin is a dual chamber compost bin tumbler. For me this would be ideal. Here is what the product description says:
The Mantis Compost-Twin 2-chamber rotating composter is the composter's dream come true. Now you can "cook" one batch while you add organic scraps to another with no mess, no odors, and no hard work. It is built with a sturdy tubular frame and features fully enclosed chambers and four aerator vents. The easy-to-turn handle and gear system makes for easy mixing. The composter's chambers each have a 10-bushel capacity.
This is perfect. It means you can fill one chamber and start the final composting process without having to wait for it to finish composting before you can add anything else. It is more expensive but let me tell you a little story.
My Mother is an avid gardener but has never been a composter. I am always buying here an odd bag of gardening soil, or potting soil, on numerous occasions throughout the year. This year I said to her again, start composting properly or at least buy in some good soil or compost. What finally convinced her to start composting was when I added up the cost over a year of the bags of soil she had purchased. Try it for yourself, you will probably realize that an investment in an urban compost tumbler, even the dual chamber one, will fairly quickly pay for itself. If nothing else, get a smaller one and at least make some of your good quality soil.
Now, back to the most important qusetion when it comes to these compost bin tumbler mechanisms, but first don't forget to read about more benefits of the compost bin tumbler.
Can You Really Make Compost In 2-3 Weeks With A Tumbling Composter?
This to me is very important. If you get your composting tumbler from the cheapest source possible, which is via the links to the side, you are in for a rela treat.
All the information I could find leads me to believe it is possible. It seems 14 days may be pushing it a bit but, if done correctly, you can get good compost using an urban compost tumbler in about 21 days.
I have to say I am very impressed. Considering the time it take to make compost conventionally is about three months, these composting tumblers seem fantastic.
I really would recommend that you browse the urban compost tumbler reviews and choose the one most suitable for your needs. Don't forget my little story, if you buy in soil (ever) then you will save a lot of money in a year or two if you start making your own compost. If it only takes about three weeks as well, it sounds perfect.
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