Urban Compost Tumblers

Writing about urban compost tumblers brings up a few interesting points for discussion. People are still very dubious about the claims that you can make compost in 2-3 weeks. I think the misunderstanding comes about because some people who have been composting for decades simply say that it isn't possible. This misunderstanding is easily cleared up.

When we talk about making compost in such a short space of time we are talking about once the rotating composter has been filled. It is not going to make compost in that short space of time from the moment you start using it. Once you have filled it with suitable composting materials then it is only a matter of weeks before you can use it on garden. Obviously the quicker you can fill it the better. Use lots of good quality soft organic matter and once it is filled you will not have long to wait. This will beat a conventional compost bin by a matter of months. Urban compost tumblers are almost miraculous in the speed that they make compost but you still have to be realistic in your expectations.

The better the quality of the materials you add and the more you use the composting tumbler as you should, the better the results will be.

How To Use Urban Compost Tumblers Effectively

To get the most out of your urban compost tumblers you need to ensure that you use it in the best possible way. This will mean that you should always add good quality materials to it. By this I mean no woody are hard to break down materials. These will increase the time it takes for the contents to compost.

You should ensure the contents are always damp but not sodden. Without adequate moisture no organic materials are going to compost quickly. If the contents are too wet they will also take longer to compost and you will have some very bad smelling contents.

Site the rotating compost bin somewhere warm and sunny. The extra heat from the Sun will bring the contents up to a higher temperature and ensure that the contents break down as quickly as possible. If you do this just ensure the contents always stay moist.

The most important thing to remember however is to actually rotate the drum. This is the main design feature but something that many owners fail to do on a regular basis. Urban compost tumblers need to be tumbled or turned three times a week or more. By ensuring that you regularly mix up the contents you will get the maximum benefit from the rotating compost bin. The churning of the contents is the key to quick compost.

It keeps everything at an even hot temperature ensuring maximum speed of compost making. Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter as i have already stated is my compost tumbler of choice. Because it is horizontal it makes the turning of the contents much easier and the easier it is the more inclined you will be to do it.

You must ensure that you mix up the contents regularly. It is the even distribution of heat that makes the compost so quickly. The mixing also breaks up the contents in to small pieces. The smaller the contents are the quicker they will turn in to compost. If you use the composting tumbler as you should then you will get compost in a matter of weeks. The addition of the compost activator will also help to speed up the process quite a bit. At the very least you should add some rich garden soil to help the process along.

Follow these guidelines for the urban compost tumblers and you will get very good compost in a very short space of time.