Compost tumbler – Pros and Cons

Compost Tumblers are also known as Batch Composters because they can prepare compost pile in batches. Much has been talked about the efficiency, versatility, and accessibility of compost tumblers. Some can roll along the ground; some can rotate on a base, while others rotate around a central axle. The question is, should you spend your money on getting a brand new compost tumbler?

There are different types of compost bins you can find in the market. Many smaller composters are designed to be kept inside the home while others are meant to be kept in the open-area or garden. Compost Tumbler is designed to be kept in your garden. It’s very different from your usual composter such as

• Stationary composters
• Worm composters
• Food waste digesters
• Countertop food waste processors

Let’s talk more about compost tumblers, the advantages of owning one, and their pros and cons.

What are Compost Tumblers?

Compost tumblers, also known as batch composters, are a common type of garden composters. They are fixed with a rotating drum that can spin by cranking a handle or a unit itself. One composter may contain several compartments that you can fill batches of organic materials and waste hence the name “batch.”

The size of a tumbling composter will differ according to your need. You can get compost tumblers ranging from 15 gallons to 124-gallon capacity. A small composting tumbler is enough to produce a finished compost pile for a small yard.

Rest assured, it’s guaranteed that with a decent tumbler you can avoid touching the compost heap or open the lid to turn it occasionally.

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How does it work?

The Composting process is an eco-friendly and effective way to get rid of kitchen waste such as kitchen scraps, vegetable peels, carbon-rich materials (paper), dry leaves, grass clippings, food waste, etc. By using effective composting methods like batch composting, you can reduce waste by 70% and at the same time produce a nutrient-rich finished compost pile for your garden soil.

Compost tumblers rely on the power of bacteria and fungi mixed with the heat as a composting process to decompose compost piles quickly without the growth of weed seeds. If you take away the heat, the decomposition process becomes way longer and weed seeds could grow sooner. To ensure that everything is in perfect condition, you should keep compost bins outside in the sun and only add materials that can be decomposed quickly and at One-Go.

Make sure to add only organic materials you can add into a tumbling composter. You can throw in leaves, food waste, food scraps, green waste, brown material, kitchen scraps, wood chips, grass clippings, and any vegetable waste, ranging from potato peelings, and even coffee grounds. You can also add newspapers, sawdust, and wood shavings.

Strictly avoid adding meat, meat products, bones, and skins as food waste into your composter. Flesh and bones can create a strong odor that attracts small pets and rodents. Decomposing these materials may take longer than usual.

Many householders argue that traditional composting is way much quicker than tumbling composter when it comes to creating finished compost, so let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of using tumbling compost bins.

What are the Pros of compost tumblers?

• One big advantage of a garden composter or outdoor composter like compost tumblers is that it can prepare a large amount of fresh compost in One-Go. The large dual chambers of compost tumblers can easily hold a large amount of compostable material.
• The multiple holes for aeration, multi-sided design in the dual-chamber, and deep fins help to regulate temperature and moisture inside the tumbler. The “tumbling” turns these piles into quality compost efficiently and quickly without the need to turn the pile regularly.
• Compost tumblers are efficient in keeping rodents and small pests away from the compost heap. The dual-chamber compartments are held well off the ground and the tight-lid structure ensures no pests can get inside the compost material.
• People with back problems or other physical aches can enjoy using compost tumblers because all you need to do is rotate them. The conventional way of composting by turning the heap using a shovel can be hard to your back and arms. Compost tumblers can help you avoid these problems.
• If you have limited outdoor space, keeping a compost tumbler can be a great idea. Instead of dual-chamber, you can get a single-chamber compost bin.
• Tumblers can quickly decompose compostable materials when the condition is perfect.  The balance between carbon and nitrogen is critical, so ingredients need to be measured. The ratio of green waste and brown material should be assessed. Moisture levels need to be monitored, as does the temperature. The end result is quite rough but would be useful as mulch.
• Most compost tumblers are painted in black to ensure the compost bin retains heat to help decompose green waste and brown material. They are made out of 100% recycled plastic and non-corrodible metal to ensure they stay in shape in any weather.
• Most compost tumblers are insulated with a close-fitting lid that allows decomposition at a much higher temperature and a higher speed (30-90 days, compared to around six months for ordinary compost) and results in finer compost.

What are the cons of using compost tumblers?

• You’ll always find a difference between the composts prepared from a heap and a tumbler. Composts prepared from heaps rely on the power of compost worms that can eat up double their weight and produce mulch quickly. You can’t add worms in the tumbler because when the temperature rises they can’t escape and will die. There’s no way you can create compost tea. With tumblers, all the good work that worms do in churning material into mulch is lacking.
• Not all compost tumblers are fitted with proper aeration holes. In that case, you must turn the organic waste frequently.  To ensure that you get a compost tumbler with an aerated design, ensure to check with your manufacturer.
• Whenever you add more organic waste such as food scraps, yard waste, and grass clippings into the tumbler during the continuous composting, it will add more time to the wait because all of the new materials have to break down. Unless you’re filling both dual chambers at the same time, your finished compost is going to take longer than usual to decompose.
• Tumblers don’t work well during colder months because they aren’t able to heat up by themselves. The only around this would be to ensure that your tumblers are properly insulated.

Despite all naysay, compost tumblers have worked well in most households. Although preparing a compostable heap may take slightly longer in the tumblers than the standard compost bin, you can avoid all the extra work required to flip the heap, and cover and protect the compost. Make sure to buy a durable compost tumbler with a well-insulated design.