Compost bins and tumblers are a hassle-free way to create good-for-your-garden compost.

Leaves turn brilliant colors, evenings cool and the kids go back to school. So long summer, hello fall garden cleanup.

You may already know that composting is a better way to deal with bags of leaves and backyard waste. But if you’ve avoided composting because it seems like too much work and mess — or you just weren’t sure how to start — fall is a great time to try your hand at turning this year’s yard debris into next year’s natural fertilizer.

Composting delivers many benefits. Modern gardeners face strict waste removal ordinances in many communities. Plus, growing environmental consciousness inspires gardeners to minimize their eco footprint while cleaning up the back yard. Composting is a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to convert your yard debris into “black gold” – a nutrient rich, all-natural, safe fertilizer for next spring’s planting season.

Fall, by nature, is an exceptional time to begin composting. Dry leaves, grass clippings and woody materials represent a large percentage of total yard waste. Each offers either the carbon or nitrogen components necessary for the decomposition process that takes place during composting. Add air and water, and you’re well on your way to rich, loamy compost.

The trick to successful composting is to maintain a working balance between carbon and nitrogen. A simple rule of thumb is to use one-third green and two-thirds brown materials. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms that reside within the material.

You don’t have to live with an unsightly, foul-smelling compost heap to do your part for the environment. Compost bins and tumblers are a hassle-free way to create good-for-your-garden compost. Bins are basic, but tumblers add an element of motion, something that can enhance the quality of your compost.

Tumblers add an element of motion to enhance the quality of your compost.

The Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler by Clear Air Gardening is a good example of how tumblers work to produce great compost. The Tumbleweed holds 58 gallons worth of kitchen scraps and yard waste. When full and finished breaking down, each batch contains enough compost for a medium sized garden or flowerbed, or a 10 feet by 10 feet area of lawn.

Unlike typical tumblers, the Tumbleweed features a stainless steel rod running through the middle of the bin that helps break down materials even more quickly than tumblers without a rod. The twist-lock, animal resistant lids on each end make filling and emptying the compost tumbler simple. Built-in vents allow rainwater to drain easily, keeping your compost moist, aerated and odorless. The end result is organic, nutrient rich compost in as few as 21 days. All that’s required is a daily spin of the tumbler.

Compost materials can be added to bins and tumblers year round. Although the process will naturally slow or cease in the winter when temperatures decline, the process will resume again in the spring and summer as temperatures slowly begin to rise.

First time composters may be surprised to find that finished compost smells earthy, fresh and natural. They may be even more surprised to learn that compost can suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and increase water retention in the soil — all great benefits that ultimately save consumers money while safeguarding the environment.

Convenience and environmental stewardship aside, compost is essential to vibrant lawns and healthy gardens. The rich macro and micro nutrients in the well-aerated compost replenish the soil that grasses, shrubs, trees and flowers need to grow and fend off disease.

Compost started in fall can be used for planting fall bulbs, trees, transplants and as mulch to protect vegetation from winter’s cold. Fall leftovers can be used to prepare the soil in spring for vegetable gardens, flowerbeds and around trees and shrubs. As mulch, compost will retain moisture in the summer.

For more information on creating your own “black gold” by composting, visit www.cleanairgardening.com.

Courtesy of ARAnet

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Above: Compost photo by Björn Bastian.

It is important to note that composting does require a little extra work. The pile needs to be turned, and you need to make sure that you have adequate break down of the items in your compost pile. You need to be discriminating in what you put in your compost: it should only be items that will break down naturally. Plant matter (including pulled weeds) and some foods are excellent in compost and will add to the health of your soil, and thus to your landscape over all. There is no reason, however, that your compost pile needs to be a true pile. A bin can help you better contain your compost and keep it from being spread across your yard in a smelly mess by animals or a really fierce storm.

The first thing you need to do before you build a compost bin is decide what your needs are. Many people actually use a three-bin system. The bins may be connected, or they may be individually lined up. Some people use the bins for different types of compost (regular compost, slow compost like woody plants, and leaves collected in the fall). Others like to have a three-bin system for the turning purposes. Move the compost from one bin into the next, allowing it to turn. Then you can start a pile in the newly vacated bin. By the time the compost makes it into the third bin, it is ready for use. Others find that a single bin is sufficient for their needs, and just go out to stir it around occasionally.

Next you need to determine what materials you will use to build your bin. It is important to note that some exposure to the elements is necessary for more effective and quicker composting. Chicken wire is not particularly good for compost bins as it can stretch out of shape very easily and does not wear well. Materials like 16-guage plastic-coated wire mesh and hardware cloth are better choices, as is hog wire. Wood makes an interesting choice, but it is important to note that it will eventually compost itself and will need to be replaced. Do not used pressure-treated wood, as it has toxic levels of copper and chromium, and there is evidence that arsenic can leach into your compost. Other materials that are acceptable for building compost bins are spoiled hay bales, old cinder blocks or bricks, wooden pallets, snow fencing, and a discarded rabbit hutch. The hutch is desirable because there is very little that needs to be done to make it ready.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to build a compost bin is to construct it from wooden pallets. Most warehouses, grocery, and hardware stores are more than happy to give these away for free, or for very cheap, as it saves them the trouble of having to discard them. You can use plastic ties to hold four of them together in a box formation. Adding another bin to create a system is easy: just attach three more pallets using one side of the already made bin to complete another box. Be warned: after about two years you will need a new bin, as this bin will be composting itself.

A cinder block or brick bin is also rather easy and cheap to build. If you visit a demolition or construction site, you are bound to find the materials you need readily available. Simply ask for permission to take them. As with the pallets, if you take them away, it saves the company from having to pay for the costs associated with disposing of them. Simply create a square enclosure by stacking the blocks or bricks on top of each other. Make sure you leave space between the blocks for ventilation.

 

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