ComposTumbler

Hi people! Quick question: Has anyone every bought a ComposTumbler? I just got an ad for it and it looks really great, but it is quite pricey. How well does it work, and is it worth the price?
Thank you
Zelda

Look at the Garden Watchdog under C for Compostumbler.

I've heard better things about the Mantis Twin Composters.

Thanks for that. I dont think I'll buy it.
Zelda

I've composted for more than a few years, have a barrell tumberler. Not worth cost or trouble. There has beens millions of pages and words on compost. They all work. If you want to compost small amounts, get a 33 gallon trash can, drill 1" holes in it, add compost material, start having fun. I use small hay fork to turn. In our heat, usable compost is out in several weeks. As a futher thought, I'm stopping all "piles" and going to composting on spot in all beds. Much easier and works just as well. May not be as attractrive as purchased mulch, but works same. Larry

zeldonian, I'm not one for spending hundreds of dollars on what mother nature has been doing for free for billions of years. I agree with the spot composting. I have portable compost bins I bought at the hardware store $12.00 I place them near where I'm working, and fill em up, I turn them by lifting the bin and moving it a foot away, and fill it back up. I water them periodically. I also started making compost tea, I put about a gallon of compost in a pillow case, nylons, etc anything fine mesh. in a 26 gal garbage can. with a aquarium heater, aquarium pump with 2 airstones. you can get creative as far as additives. I add mollases, fish fertilizer, alfalfa meal . I let this steep 3 days to a week. then mix with water and spread on lawn and garden. good luck, hostajim1

~bump~

Am 11 days into my 8th batch of compost using the ComposTumbler since buying it last year. Not having used it for one complete year, I still endorse (too strong a word?) its use. I still have my compost pile in the corner for bags of live oak leaves that take SO long to compost (months and months).

This CTumbler has been a boon to my gardening here in Florida sand. I use rubbermaid-type garbage cans to throw in stuff while the CTumbler is cooking a batch. Then empty the CTumbler, throw in the garbage can(s) of waiting organic stuff, add fresh lawn clippings, spray in some water, turn the tumbler and let the composting begin!

Hubby has been turning the CTumbler since I broke my arm and he is getting into it! Takes its temp. daily so we can keep track of the cooking process. Some days we need to hose in some water to keep the microbes cooking the load. We've been harvesting every 2 weeks in prime-time summer. If the compost temp. is still too high to use in the garden, we let it finish the cool-down in extra empty garbage cans. Right now I have 2 garbage cans with cooled-down compost ready to go to various garden spots.

Well, anyway, this system (rotating drum with ventilation and water drainage areas) has helped us tremendously. After waiting ten years (first saw it in Organic Gardening) due to the cost, it has more than paid us back. :)

Sue