By now everyone knows about composting, but did you know that with a compost tumbler you can create organic fertilizer for your garden in as little as 6weeks?  The compost tumbler provides a great way to reduce household waste, provide nutrients for your garden vegetables and flowers, and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. Using composters will improve the quality of your soil with the least amount of time and effort. 

Healthy soil provides a stable base for plants to grow, and yet is loose enough for roots to penetrate, well drained, and rich in organic matter. This is one step on the road to self sufficiency, and will help with saving money as well.  Compost tumblers come in various shapes and sizes, and you can likely find one that is right for your household and garden. 

There are various sources of plans for building your own compost tumbler as well.  Basically a compost tumbler is a cylinder set sideways on a stand with some means to allow a turning so that the compost contents can be turned over periodically.  The most simple design will include a 55 gallon drum set on a stand with rollers.  The most convenient way of filling and emptying the unit is to have an opening cut into the side of the drum with latches attached so that it can be tightly closed.  In addition to an opening, small holes, around 1/4 inch in diameter, will be required, for air to infiltrate and expedite the composting process. 

 Some of the advantages of  compost tumblers are the neat appearances compared to messy compost piles, and exclusion of vermin from the compost drum.  For more information on the compost tumbler,  visit http://www.composttumblersite.com.

Hal Merrill