What is a Compost Tumbler?
A compost tumbler is used as a tool for those interested in composting as a safe and viable alternative to throwing their organic waste away. Normally when composting, people hear about having to turn the compost from time to time. There are reasons for this turning, some say even because it’s just plain fun to go out and turn the compost a little, to make you feel like you are actually doing something. For those doing backyard composting, this usually means a pitchfork, and a personal mantra like: tumble compost… tumble compost… tumble compost… (over and over). A compost tumbler is usually a little more than just a pitch fork and a power phrase.
Some tumblers, look like spinning beer kegs, others globes, some can even be just a barrel on its side, rolling around the yard. The important thing is that they mix and turn the compost so as to get more efficient results. Better looking humus (the final product), is probably the most important reason. But also, by frequently turning the compost, you can achieve safe and enriching humus more quickly.
The main purpose of turning compost is to aerate it. What compost needs to be really efficient are hungry oxygen breathing microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, some are even thermophylic (which means they really love heat!). So that by turning the compost, it actually gets more oxygen throughout its mass. Tumblers are great for this, since with a hardy turn a week or as much as you like, these microorganisms can get all the oxygen they need.
Secondly, by turning or tumbling compost, you ensure that the intense internal heat is well distributed throughout the full body of compost. Whereby pathogens and bad news organisms can be effectively annihilated, building in this way a safe and hygienic product. The point of this becomes even more important when using compost to not only recycle organics, but when thinking about urban sanitation. By allowing the heat to be properly distributed throughout the compost, even the most vile pathogens die. This could be the most energy efficient process for disposing of the most pollutant of urban organic wastes.
Thirdly, the more compost is turned and tumbled, the better it gets chopped and mixed into little pieces. Making the final product more pleasing to the eye, which can be very good if anyone plans on selling the humus once finished. Good looking humus usually means profitable revenues.
Lastly, by using a compost tumbler, the composting process speeds up. Not that it is in any sense less efficient, but rather the CONTRARY is true. By tumbling, the process is even more efficient, since it equally distributes heat, and oxygen throughout the compost and the more you tumble it, the more it chops itself up and even looks better. Compost tumblers are tools for better and more efficient composting. They make sure that all that evil pathogenic stuff from organics, can become an integral and harmonizing part of the environment and nature itself.
