tumblers

Tumblers

How do they work?

Tumblers are useful for mixing materials. There are lots of different types, but they can all be spun round, or ‘tumbled’, so that the materials inside are well mixed. This means that plenty of oxygen is added, and it makes the job of turning your compost very easy. The compost produced can be added straight into the garden, but it’s a good idea to add it to another composter on the ground to allow it to mature with worms and bacteria from the soil.

Tumblers can work as a hot composting method, if you add enough materials in the right ratios. This makes them suitable for composting all food waste and perennial weeds.

Why use a tumbler?

Compost is sealed in the vessel, off the ground, making it secure from rats.
May speed up the composting process, but this takes practice and more effort.
Easy to turn compost
Can be used for hot composting

What are the downsides?

They are expensive
They can take up quite a lot of space.
They can be heavy to turn
They are prone to fruit flies and clumping if the mix is not right.
They are more ‘fussy’ about what materials you add. You need a supply of dry woodchips to mix with food scraps.

Instructions

Where to put your bin – When choosing where to put your composter, remember you will be adding materials regularly, so put it somewhere easy to get to. If placing it near a fence leave a gap of about a foot/30cm, and if possible put it somewhere with some shade. Sometimes compost can attract tiny fruit flies, so most people prefer to not put their composter too close to their house.
Chop – The smaller your chunks of materials, the quicker they will break down. Chop up any larger pieces with a spade or shears. Aim for chunks no bigger than 5cm if you want fast results. If this is too hard to manage, don’t worry, you will still get great compost, it will just take longer.
Add materials – Each type of tumbler will have its own instructions telling you what quantity of greens and browns to add. Follow the instructions closely. Usually they will require that the browns include some woodchip. If you are adding dense, wet fruit and vegetable scraps or grass clippings, these need to be mixed with plenty of coarse woody material, such as woodchip, to prevent large clumps forming
Turn – Most tumblers have a handle that you turn, some are a ball that you roll on the ground. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Is it wet enough? – You are aiming for a pile which feels damp. If you have a lot of very wet greens, like food scraps or grass clippings, and you have mixed them well with your drier ingredients, this may be enough to dampen your pile. If not, water it well. If you’re not sure, it’s better to make it too damp than too dry.
Repeat – Keep feeding your tumbler every 1-2 days until it is about three-quarters full. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions). Turn it each time you add materials. Keep turning it every few days.
Remove your compost – You should get composted material in a few weeks. You will know your compost is ready when you it is dark brown, crumbly, and any green materials are not recognisable. Your compost is not fully matured at this stage. Leave it in a bin which worms can access for a few months or use it on the surface of the soil as a mulch.