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Compostimproves soiland helps both indoor and outdoor plants grow stronger, healthier, and faster.
Learn how to build aDIY compost tumblertomake better compostand to do so cleanly and with less effort.
What Is Compost?
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Why Compost?
The drum is raised to waist height for easier access.
Paddles on the inside of the barrel lift and tumble the compost as the drum rotates.
Vermin such as rats and larger mice cannot get into the compost if the drum is kept sealed.
Safety Considerations
Bacteria, fungi, and other microbes are active ingredients in compost.
Avoid adding raw poultry or any punch in of raw meat, pet poop, and human waste.
The outside walls of the drum should be smooth.
The drum should be cylindrical with straight or convex sides.
Cut the Wood for the Stand
Cut the two-by-fours according to the sawhorse bracket instructions.
If there are no instructions, cut two two-by-fours to 36 inches and eight two-by-fours to 40 inches each.
Place the short two-by-four across the top as the horizontal top brace and screw that in, too.
Repeat for the second stand.
The long side of the rectangle should correspond with the drum’s length.
Mark with the indelible marker.
Center the hinge’s pin directly over the line.
Space the dots equally.
Cut out the door with the jigsaw.
Keep the cut-out piece.
Use the 1-inch paddle bit.
Repeat on the other end of the drum.
Lay one piece on theoutsideof the drum several inches above the access panel.
Mark four equally spaced drill holes with the indelible marker.
Repeat this on the opposite side of the drum.
Drill 1/4-inch holes at the marked locations.
Repeat on the other side.
Turn on the pipe caps by hand.
Mark the center of each brace (18 inches).
Rest the ends of the pole over each mark.
Secure the ends to the tops of the braces with pipe hanger straps.
Screw each pipe hanger strap over the top of the pipe and screw it into place.
Compost tumblers make it easier to turn the compost pile, especially when the pile is wet.
Thebest ingredients for a compost tumblerare green materials and brown materials, along with water.
Green materials include vegetable and fruit cuttings, grass clippings, and coffee grounds.
Brown materials are things like branches, twigs, and even clean, uncoated cardboard.
The quickest you might make compost in a tumbler isroughly two weeks.
Keeping the compost moist and aerated by tumbling the pile will accelerate decomposition.
