Garden Compost (II)
Tips on preparing garden compost (II)
Why You Need A Compost Tumbler For Your Garden
By Anthony Tripodi
If you’re looking to turn your garbage into gardener’s gold and
do it in a hurry, then you should try a compost tumbler. If you
have a compost bin then you know how great it is to add compost
to your flower beds and vegetable garden. But making compost
takes time and it’s usually in short supply. A compost tumbler
is a great time saver when making compost.
Some gardeners believe that compost is better than fertilizer
because it doesn’t just feed your plants, it also improves your
soil. Improving your soil keeps your plants healthier so they
grow stronger and more capable of fighting off diseases or
beating droughts. Compost is decomposed organic matter and is
high in nutrients that plants love. Bacteria and other micro
organisms help break down that decomposing organic matter and
their short life cycles become part of the process itself. When
they reproduce their offspring continue the process while the
parents bodies break down and add to the organic matter. It’s
nature’s way of recycling.
Creating compost will usually take a couple of months. If you
get the ratio of browns to greens right, turn the pile to keep
it aerated and don’t let it dry out you’ll be rewarded with
fresh earthy compost. The more you tend your compost pile, the
quicker your garden waste will become compost. Neglect the pile
and it will still become compost but it’ll take a lot longer.
For an example of this examine the rich soil in a forest. As
leaves and tree litter fall to the ground, there isn’t anyone
there making sure it’s the same wetness as a wrung out sponge.
But by the time the next season rolls around, a lot of those
leaves have begun decomposing and in the process, they’re
feeding the trees and the cycle continues without any help from
man.
The gardening season can be very short depending on where you
live. In the Northeast we have about 4 months of time to grow
the flowers, fruits and vegetables that we love. So unless you
have a huge bin of compost ready to go on the first day of
spring you’ll need some more during the growing season. A
compost tumbler is perfect for making compost fast. Now you
probably won’t make enough compost to fill new beds but the
amount you can make is perfect to give your plants and nice top
dressing.
Or if you are a composter with a pest problem, the compost
tumbler will keep the critters out of your pile. The most
popular tumblers are sealed up and only have holes for air. If
rodents or snakes have been problems for you in the past then
the compost tumbler is the solution that you’ve been looking
for.
There’s a few things you’ll need to do a little differently if
you’re used to bin composting. First off, you’ll need to add
all the raw materials at once. Don’t continue adding or else
your compost will never be done. Add what you want and then
start turning. Try to turn it everyday. If not everyday then at
least a few times a week. The first few batches will take the
longest unless you already have some compost that you can toss
into the tumbler. Or you can use a compost activator. That’s
all activators really are anyway. Just someone’s else’s compost
to help get your pile started. The bacteria and micro organisms
have to get in there somehow.
Be sure not to over water when using a compost tumbler.
Moisture doesn’t escape as easily inside the tumbler as with a
regular compost bin. And most likely your ingredients such as
grass clippings or coffee grinds were already moist to begin
with.
After about 3 weeks the compost should start to look like
compost. It should be an even color and you shouldn’t be able
to tell what you put in the tumbler. If your waste is still
recognizable then let it decompose a while longer. And don’t
forget to smell your compost. It should have a nice earthy
smell to it.
If you’re looking for a neat & compact composting solution that
works quickly and won’t receive a lot of attention from your
neighbors, then look into a compost tumbler. You’ll be tumbling
your way to a great garden this season.
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About The Author: Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of
http://WatchItRot.com - The Compost Guide. For more information
about Compost Tumblers and all of your composting and gardening
needs, please visit http://www.watchitrot.com
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