compost tumbler on ground

I have one of those large tumblers that sit on a frame with a handle to turn it.
It is very heavy and hard to turn and I have arthritis in my hands and my wrist are weak.
Do you think it would tear the tumbler up if I put it on the ground and rolled it every day?

As long as your not rolling it over rocks you should be fine I would think, go slow!

Cricket,
My daughter who also lives in Al. has one of those but so unhappy with it. they took it out t of the frame and happier with the one I made her. Bellie

This message was edited Jul 21, 2011 3:02 AM

Can you post pics and/or "how-to" for the composter you made for your daughter? TIA

I described it on one of the thread because I am extremely busy with golf season. i am mandated to play 3-4 times per week!! LOL!!!

I will look for it and will post here. Belle

Texas gardener,

It is under homemade bins/composter.

Bellie

This message was edited Jul 20, 2011 8:02 AM

Thanks bellie=
I have put mine on the ground and in the process of filling it up. That might take a week to complete since I have
to gather everything up and shred it.
If it tears up then there is no love lost. If it works then I will keep using it. It sure was expensive.

Had a compost bin from Gardeners Supply made from black polyethylene which finally gave out. Difficult to turn the compost and even more difficult to get it out of the bin. I'm thinking about one of those compost tumblers I've seen in the catalogs. Any recommendations? bellieg and CricketsGarden have raised some doubts about them. I would like to compost if I can, but I don't have a lot of space.

I question the vlaue of expensive tumblers. Maybe they keep rats out and look better than a pile on the gorund.

But if a pile doesn't sit on the ground, how do worms get in?

In theory, maybe it makes it easier to turn the heap, but most people with tumblers don't talk about the ease. I alwaus thought a few jabs and twists with a fork, or dragging a pick through it, or shoveling some from one side to another was dead easy. Ask me again in 10 years! Maybe I'll know better then.

One thing I've started to do for tiny piles of waste too small to merit wheelbarrowing is to prop 3-4 concrete paving stones around the pile, like an 18" tall tipi. That hides it from the neighbors and holds in the moisture and "compost juices".

I agree with you Corey about the worms. I bought a composter from the City because they were encouraging composting which I had been doing for years.I ended up making it as a plante rbecause the rodents were able to somehow open it!!

I use heavy duty trash barrels with lids, made several openings at the bottom bury it 6 inches so the worms can get in.I cover it with heavy rubber like the grill cover and make sure the lids are weighted so the rodents does not bother them. l have tons of worms and I give it to my kois in spring. I keep my compost till spring and they all go to the beds.

Like I said my daughter had the tumbler which costs over $100.00 but happier with the trash barrels.

My barrels are several years old.

I love composting and nothing goes to waste!!!

Belle

Belle again,
I need to add to put the trash barrels to make it secure so it does not topple. Oi have mine secured against the fence surrounding my leaf and grass compost. I wish I could take a picture but very busy with my golf game.

Belle

Hi Belle

>> I use heavy duty trash barrels with lids, made several openings at the bottom bury it 6 inches so the worms can get in

Can you still tip it over, even though it's buried 6"? That was almost the only feature of 'store-bought' compost containers that appealed to me: there might be a really easy way to flip the pile over topsy-turvey.

The other feature is that it would hold in mositure so that the sides of the heap would not dry out so fast.

(My day-dream is to have several BIG compost heaps, a yard big enough to feed them, and a small forklift. I would set the tines close togther and use them to tumble the heaps as needed, then put a big bin on the tines and carry YARDS of compost and compost feedstuffs hither and yon.

It is a dream I have!

Corey

Coery,

Yes you can tip them and rebury.It had worked well for me over the years.I refuse to pay over $100 for a composter.In fact few month ago I had to empty them because I compost old bread from the food pantry where I volunteer at.

Belle