If you need a small tumbler that will make great co*post, then you should take a look at the VIVOSUN co*post Tumbler. It has two chambers, so you can fill one up and let it finish processing while you work on filling the other chamber. It’s easy to move thanks to its sub-25-pound weight. It’s also vented for added aeration and to release gasses created as a byproduct of co*posting. The list price is $120, but you can often find them on Amazon for under $110, which makes them an excellent value.
Earlier I mentioned that when anaerobic co*posting isn’t done correctly, it can create a foul-smelling and harmful product. But, when done properly, this process ferments your food scraps into one of the best co*posts available.
The key is using the included bokashi starter, which speeds up the process, outco*petes bad bacteria and reduces odors. The process for using this kit is pretty simple: add food scraps, add some bokashi starter, and occasionally drain the liquid. When the bin is full, set it aside for a few weeks until the co*post is fully broken down. Then it can be used for making co*post tea, foliar sprays, or directly added to soil.
Vermico*post is the most beneficial co*post to make on a small scale. It’s packed full of micronutrients, microbial life, and a little bit of plant-available nitrogen. You can add worm casting directly to soil, potting mix, and seed starting mix. You can also mix it with rainwater to make a foliar spray or soil drench. Not to mention that your worms will eat up a lot of your kitchen and yard waste.
The best vermico*poster for home gardeners is the Urban Worm Bag. That’s because it’s easy to remove castings and load in scraps. It’s perfect for keeping in a garage or shaded place outdoors—worms like to be kept from 50 to 80 degrees.
To get your worm farm going, set up your Urban Worm Bag (no tools required), then add two bricks of coco coir and 1,000 red wiggler worms. Instead of coco coir, you can use shredded cardboard or newspaper as a bedding. Also, keep in mind that you shouldn’t feed your worms a lot when you first start. Feed them or two cups of food scraps per week until you see that they’re eating everything you add. Then you can begin adding more food. Be sure to add more bedding each time you feed your worms. The Urban Worm co*pany reco*mends adding two times the volume of bedding to food. So, add two cups of bedding if you add one cup of food.
Making homemade co*post doesn’t have to be co*plicated, and it doesn’t require one of the best co*post tumblers. You can take a pile of wood chips, turn it every couple of months, and a year later you’ll have a pile of co*post. If you want to take that pile and make it even better, you can add different types of organic matter like grass clippings, leaves, and vegetable scraps. You can also make a simple frame from shipping pallets to house your pile.
The Jora co*poster is four times the price of other co*posters because it’s made from metal and is well insulated. That means it’s more durable and produces a finished product faster. Plastic tumblers like the VIVOSUN are cheaper and lighter but can break down when exposed to sunlight over the years.
co*post tumblers are available in a wide range of volumes, and you should choose the size that best fits the amount of food and yard waste you produce. For reference, a 70-gallon co*post tumbler is a good size for a family of four. A 30- to 40-gallon tumbler is ideal for one to four-person households.
You don’t need a large co*post tumbler to make good use of food waste and benefit your garden. Alternatives like a worm farm or bokashi bucket are excellent alternatives to making big batches of traditional co*post.
A co*post bin takes more physical work to rotate, but you can make a bin of a much larger capacity than what is practical for a tumbler. A tumbler is easier to use, but is limited in its size.
Do not put cigarettes, gum, metal, plastic, rubber, milk cartons, wood (takes too long to break down), liquid, milk, diapers, and cat litter in your co*post tumbler.
If you want to make good use of your food waste and provide your garden with quality organic matter, then a co*post tumbler is absolutely worth it.
co*posters range from highly-effective garden tools to trendy yet ineffective ones. To avoid the hype, consider your co*posting needs and choose the best co*post tumbler that matches your budget and capacity needs.
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