How to make Compost a Lot Easier and Faster Too

By Gerry Sankus

Most people who choose to garden are knowledgeable about of composting and know the basics of creating good compost, but often are unsure exactly what the best equipment, if any, is actually required.

The most basic form of a compost pile is exactly that, a pile of vegetation, garbage and scrap items such as leaves and grass, which then may be surrounded by an enclosure. This works very well, but requires a fairly long period of time and a certain amount of maintenance to ensure a good final product.

Finished compost should appear like fine loam with a sweet earthy aroma and should not be a slimy glob of muck. An important process in achieving this quality is turning the pile over regularly in order to mix and aerate it and let oxygen enter into the compost to create aerobes, which are the microbes that hasten the breaking down of your pile into good compost.

The disadvantages of a pile are obvious. They are rather unsightly, they will attract vermin and small animals such as raccoons, dogs and rats, they may have an unpleasant odor, and they will also probably irritate your neighbors if you live in a fairly well populated area. As a matter of interest, many towns and cities now ban open compost piles because of the above reasons. One great advantage of a pile is that it is fairly easy to turn with a pitchfork it in order aerate the raw compost, plus larger amounts of compost can be processed at any one particular time.

Compost bins are much more suitable to the home gardener. They should be vermin and child proof, be odor free (if you provide the correct proportions of carbon and nitrogen in loading the bin, odors will not be a problem) and visually more pleasing. A bin can be problematic when you aerate the compost because it is usually difficult to turn the compost over efficiently. Another drawback is the emptying of the bin if it does not have an access door at the bottom. Also if a bin sits directly on rough, sloped or uneven ground and is designed as a ball which has to be rolled in order along to mix the contents, that system mixing operation could be extremely difficult. Aerating need to be done regularly, so the easier, the better.

A compost tumbler is definitely the best system. Tumbling the contents provides aeration without the use of tools and will also speeds up the decomposition time. Do not believe the claims of "compost in just a few weeks". This sounds good but Mother Nature works in her own style and we can speed her up only so much. The great advantage of a tumbler is the ease of turning and aerating the compost, which should provide a finished product in about 10 weeks.

Features to look for:

Sturdy dark colored containers which will absorb the suns heat, especially important in cooler climes.

Well built with sturdy stands or legs, a full composter can weigh over 150 pounds or more.

Can the composter be moved if necessary in order to be closer to the garden area currently being worked on.

There should be a method of collecting the compost tea which collects at the bottom and if utilized, is a fantastic product to pour on your planting beds or directly on the plants as a fertilizer

Other things to think about:

If you need a large amount of compost, will one composter be enough? New material can always be added to your composter, but the process is quicker if one load is processed at a time.

Hide a kitchen composter pail in a handy location to toss your daily scraps into. - 17274

About the Author:

Dick Murray is a retired jack of all trades who has kept his love ofgardening alive with the creation of informational web sites such as backyard compost tumbler More and more families are beginning to grow their own fruits and vegetables due to their increased concern regarding the quality, price and safety of our food supplies.