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Re: Compost tumbler - good investment?

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Yes, I have experience with it, but so far not that good. BUT let me hasten
to add that my several attempts weren't very good because I didn't know much
about composting.

If you want finished compost in the 14 days they advertise, you have to be
very precise about your ingredients (carbon and nitrogen ingredients). The
first two times I tried it, I missed. I don't quite remember what I did
wrong the first time (LOL -- probably everything), but the second time I
didn't moisten it down sufficiently. 

I've just not gotten around to making a third attempt. You've got to have
your grass clippings (or other green stuff) and carbon (brown stuff) at the
ready, and sometimes that's a bit of a trick. 

Also, if you want a quick (14-day) finished compost, nighttime temps must
not go below 65 degrees, so for many people, that limits its usefulness.

I do believe that if I found the right knack, that it would be wonderful.
And it is easy to turn -- very. So I guess I'd say I'd recommend it if
someone were aware of these provisos.

I should also say that for people who aren't particularly interested in
14-day compost, it works just as well over longer periods of time. Love that
easy turning! I believe one of the testimonials talked about just throwing
the day's kitchen scraps in -- called it something like the bottomless
compost pile or similar. 

I don't regret getting mine, and maybe now that I've talked about it some
I'll crank it up the next time I have grass clippings, and see if I can make
it work this time. Practice makes perfect. 

Let us know what you do!

Patricia
Zone 7b, West Georgia

At 02:52 PM 8/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
>Hi all,
>
>I am currently using a circle of wire fencing as a compost container. It takes 
>a long time for me to fill, and turning it is time consuming.
>
>Does anyone have experience with the barrel-shaped compost tumblers that are 
>advertised in gardening magazines and on HGTV? They promise to speed up the 
>composting by making it easy to turn the stuff.
>
>Thanks,
>Elizabeth
>Cary, NC, USA, Zone 7b
>
>
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