If you’ve been a vegetable gardener for very long, you’ve probably discovered the importance of compost for gardening. Compost improves any type of soil, whether it is clay or sandy. The rich organic materials from compost help increase soil fertility, and also give the soil a more sponge-like consistency that soaks up water, and releases it as plants need it.
What’s not to like about composting, right?
The Spin Bin is a compost tumbler that was introduced for the 2010 season.
Tumblers have both advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
Materials are off the ground and sealed away, keeping pests and rodents out.
Easy to keep your materials aerated and mixed — a key to successful composting
Don’t need tools for mixing.
Can be faster at composting, when used correctly.
Disadvantages:
Tumblers sometimes have a smaller capacity than regular compost bins, or piles.
Tumblers don’t always generate as much heat when composting, if the user isn’t skilled.
So although you’ll often see ads for “compost in 14 days!” with various tumblers, it’s unlikely that a regular person will get results like that. Typical results will be several months.
With that being said, I still like the convenience of using a tumbler — especially the pest proof part. I live in an urban area where rats and squirrels are both a reality, and I had trouble with them getting into my regular compost bin. There’s nothing creepier than running into a rat!
And FYI, the best way to avoid rodents if you are composting in a pile or unsealed bin is to make sure any kitchen scraps are buried way down in the pile. If you just throw them on top, it’s like sending a written invitation to every pest in the neighborhood for free dinner.
Compost tumblers if you have poor soil, and live in a setting that “invites” pest are a must. I have heavy clay soil and have had to build my soil up through composting, soil conditioning and a steady fertilization regiment. The most important part though has been the composting since it really is the quickest and economical way to improve poor soil.