My old compost pile vs. the tumbler I caved and bought last spring

I used to just dump kitchen scraps in a corner of the yard and let it rot for like a year... it smelled bad and took forever. Then my neighbor Jan told me about this tumbling composter she got for 75 bucks at a garage sale near her place. I picked one up for $120 at the hardware store in March and now I get usable compost in about 6 weeks flat. Has anyone else noticed a big difference switching from a pile to a tumbler?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendyk6312d ago

My mom tried the pile method for years and the raccoons loved it more than she did. She switched to a tumbler last summer and now she actually enjoys checking on her compost. The faster turnaround time made a big difference for her garden too.

mila39511d ago

I remember reading somewhere that tumblers get hotter inside because the air moves through them better when you spin them, and that heat is what breaks everything down faster. That made sense to me after I switched. My old pile was always wet and cold in the middle, but with the tumbler you can actually feel the warmth when you open it up. I think the turning also keeps the microbes mixed in so they don't just die off in one spot. And yeah, no raccoons digging through it at night is a huge bonus.