When starting to compost, one must ask, what exactly is better, the compost bin or the compost tumbler? It really all depends on who you ask and what their current lifestyle is. For example, does this person have time to commit to your compost and his garden? More importantly, right? Whatever your answer, it may well dictate whether you’ll buy a compost bin or a tumbler. Let’s consider a few factors to help you decide:
Compost bins are easy to use and are just as easy to put together with little or no parts. Popular compost bins like the Garden Gourmet and Expandable Worm Tower, which can be found at Composters.com, require small parts and take no more than 20 minutes to put together. Those who use bins find it therapeutic and satisfying to personally turn their compost over with a pitchfork; No one ever said that a little fresh air could hurt you! For composting bins like the Expandable Worm Tower, it’s the worms that do most of the work. All you would have to do is take the finished compost the worms have produced (known as worm castings, black gold, or even rich soil), spread it over the soil in your garden, fill the trays with more organic matter and dirt, and repeat. !
As easy and efficient as compost bins are, they can sometimes get a little messy. What if you have a compost bin as opposed to the Expandable Worm Tower or Garden Gourmet where finished compost is easy to dispose of? You may need to manually dump the finished compost into a rolling barrel, where it can get a bit chaotic and messy. Unless you have no other commitments and plenty of time on your hands, compost bins may not be the way to go.
A little more expensive, but perhaps worth the extra money, compost tumblers are ideal for those who don’t have that much time but would love to have the resulting fertile soil for their garden. The nice thing about having a compost tumbler is that there is no need to manually turn the compost over. The main point of a tumbler is that you can easily turn it with a crank or just by turning it, thus aerating the compost inside. The downside to cups, however, is that they can also get dirty, especially if you have to roll them around the garden when the compost isn’t ready yet. Also, you may need to purchase the compost tea catcher separately, depending on the model.
When it comes down to it, it really comes down to personal preference. I’ve repeatedly mentioned that things can get dirty, but that’s the beauty of composting; you are allowed to get down and dirty! Whatever decision you make, be sure to consider your lifestyle and commitments to ensure a successful composting experience.