There’s not a chemical concoction out there can deliver nutrition as handily as organic compost. But compost can be labor intensive enough to cause even the most patient and hard working of gardeners to run to the nearest nursery for fast food to feed their plants.
To prevent that mistake, we’ve handpicked some easy to use composters that take a lot of the work out of the wait. To keep your compost airy and fresh, these composters spin so you don’t have to. What could be easier than that?
1. Spin Bin Composter
This composter is built to hold up to 60 gallons of composting materials. Made from recycled plastic, the bin is designed for maximum compost production with air ventilation slots for plenty of oxygen circulation. With twist locking lids on either side, this spin composter can be loaded from two sides. And this big helper in the garden only takes up about four square feet and weighs 22 pounds.
If you’re looking for an efficient, well-built composter, give this composter a spin! To find out more, here’s a product link for the Spin Bin Composter.
2. Compost Wizard Dueling Tumbler
If you’d like to work more than one batch of compost a time, this dual tumbler compost bin is for you. Made from recycled plastic and BPA free, this composter has two airy chambers. Each chamber holds 25 pounds of composting material.
With an additional compost tea collector that sits underneath the bins, it will hold up to 5 gallons of compost cocktail to serve to your plants. Two separate twist lids make this an easy to load composter, and it only weighs 28 pounds. Perfect for a sunny to partly sunny corner of your garden.
3. Yimby Tumbler Composter
Another two-chambered composter, this composter allows you to run two batches of compost at a time. With excellent ventilation and proper spinning, you can expect kitchen and yard scraps to compost in as little as two weeks. At waist height, you won’t have to bend over at all to load this one up. And its above ground design keeps varmints at bay, too.
The sliding door on this recycled plastic model helps you keep track of which batch is “cooking” and which is ready for use. Its total capacity is 37 gallons, and its lightweight steel frame makes this a great option for smaller spaces.
4. Large 80 Gallon Lifetime Compost Tumbler
For a large capacity composter, this 80 gallon model is ideal. Made in the U.S.A. from High Density Polyethylene Plastic and powder coated steel, it’s built to last a lifetime. A bar on the inside of this tumbler turns and aerates the material for maximum effectiveness. Its dark plastic absorbs and retains heat to hasten the decomposition process. In spite of its large capacity, it will only require a 4×4 foot plot of space.
5. Joraform Compost Tumbler
This dual composter allows you to begin one batch while the other batch is already cooking. A Swedish made model, it is specially insulated so it heats up to keep that temperature elevated long enough to create compost from kitchen scraps quickly. This attractive, heavier 82 pound model is made of galvanized steel. Its elevated design keeps pests away and is appropriate for household use.
Our list wouldn’t be complete without these build your own composters for you independent types out there:
6. DIY Spinning Composter
This spinning composter looks nice enough, and functions very well, too. To build this composter, hunt around to find a large food storage type plastic barrel. Your neighbor may have one you can take off their hands, or you can easily find one online on eBay or craigslist.
Buy one 3 inch toilet flange and one 10 foot length of PVC pipe along with a PVC cap. Line up two pressure treated 2×6’s in 10 foot length with a handful of wood screws. You’ll need two hardware hinges and one window sash latch with compatible nuts and bolts to go with them (rather than the screws that come packaged with them).
Finally, you’ll need a 4 foot galvanized pipe in a 1 inch diameter, and another handful or so of wood screws. With the help of some good tools and some elbow grease and a few pieces of screen, you can have a homemade spinning composter in several hours or less.
7. Homemade Double Barrel Composter
For those of you who just can’t wait to feed that beautiful, black compost to your plants, check out this double composter. One is for use now and one is for use later. You can rotate the timing between the two barrels so that you’re adding compost to your garden every couple of weeks or so. And speaking of rotating, we love how this spins in a snap to keep that compost turning and airing.
To build this double barrel composter, round up two 36 inch tall barrels online or from salvage stores. Find three 4x4x8 foot long boards and one 10 foot long piece of pipe. Then buy 4 hardware latches to hold the doors of your composters closed. Check out this video for details on how to use these materials to design your own.
Your garden is going to love you!
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A VERY inexpensive method is to get a black or dark green plastic trash bin with a screw-down or locking cap, drill holes in the bottom, and put your compostables in. Once a week, roll it around on the ground. In summer, compost happens pretty fast. The efficient way to work this is to have two, and use them in alternate 2-week cycles in summer. Keep them in the sun–with small loads, you can get breakdown to soil inside a month.