Easy Backyard Composting

L. David Roper
roperld@vt.edu
http://www.roperld.com/personal/roperldavid.htm

This is web page http://www.roperld.com/science/composter.htm.

Why Make Compost

I tried several different types of composters before I settled on the tumbler one described here .

Urban Compost Tumbler

For details about the tumbler composter and how to order it, see the web site:
http://www.urbangardencenter.com/products/composter/uct9/index.html. I highly recommend getting two. I am sorry to report that the Urban Compost Tumbler is no longer being made: http://www.urbangardencenter.com/.

Some items that I have found helpful in using the tumbler composter:

Dig a 1-foot deep trench under the composter and out about a foot on one side of it to make it easy to empty it. I got a narrow sled to put under it, as shown in a picture below, for ease of moving the compost after it comes out.
Use an oil on the two large bowls when putting them together and put brass screws into the tabs where the two pieces latch. The instructions do not say this.
Put the lid on immediately and keep it on for a few days after putting the composter together before putting wastes in the composter. Otherwise, the top opening can get out of round, making it difficult to put the lid on.
When putting the lid on pound around down on it with your fist before turning it to latch.
I find that putting about 3 shovels of dirt and garden waste, e.g. leaves, with each bucket of kitchen waste makes a good compost.
I find that I do not need to put any water in them. Enough gets in by the food scraps and the garden waste and some rain water. Actually, I removed the plug from the bottom to let as much drain out as possible.
Paper towels can be put in the composter, if they do not have toxic chemicals on them. Use http://www.goodguide.com to find out non-toxic cleaning liquids to buy.
I fill them about half full to reduce the amount of force needed to rotate them.
I fill one and then allow it to stew while I fill another one, rotating both three times each time I put kitchen scraps in one. I find it much easier on my back than the old method of turning compost by a shovel.
I fill them only about half full or less to make it easier to turn them and to get more complete mixing when turning. When it gets too hard to turn, I start using the second composter.
To get complete composting the device needs to be in the sunlight and kept clean, so that the black surface absorbs as much solar energy as possible. Mine are in the shade; the material is black when I take it out, but not fully composted. I depend on worms to finish the job.
The compost may freeze during long spells of cold weather. In such a case you may have to put new material in another container outside sealed from pests. The lid may freezed shut making it necessary to use a hammer to gingerly break it free.
There is a drain hole in the bottom. Use a stick to clean it out as needed, so the water can drain out.

The company that made these composters no longer exists. It appears to me that a similar vertical rotating barrel composter is available at https://www.thecarycompany.com/plastic-rain-barrels-56bcom.

Another important part of composting is how to store compostable material in the house before taking it to the composter outside. I tried several ways and finally settled on a 2.5-gallons bin with an activated-carbon filter in the lid:

L. David Roper interdisciplinary studies

Green Cone Food Digester

The location of our composters is not ideal: There is much shade. Even with the two tumblers the compost is still not quite done when I take it out. So I added food digester. I bought the Green Cone Digester.

The black 18"-deep basket goes underground.

The hole is ~2'x2' with ~6" of rocks under the basket because of clay soil.

Only food scraps are to go in it. My plans are to put about half of our food scraps in it to give the tumblers a longer time to cure the compost.

References

L. David Roper, http://www.roperld.com/personal/roperldavid.htm
18 July, 2020