Published Friday, October 30, 2020

There are a few more things to mention about compost, which we touched upon a couple of weeks ago. If you search the archive, you will find information on ‘hot piles’ and ‘cold piles’ and the reasons for each. Let’s go on to two more types of composting: the tumbler and the worm bin.

The compost tumbler is simply a way to make a hot pile enclosed and compact. This will have compost ready to use in a few weeks. One of the main advantages of a tumbler is that it is very neat and clean. So, what is a tumbler? Picture a barrel with a rod through the middle, a crank at one end, and a little door. Mount it on a frame and start adding vegetable waste. For those who would like to construct one themselves, Grit offers step-by-step directions.

Advantages? Well, that depends. If you have a lot of vegetable matter to dispose of, a traditional hot or cold is best. We have cold piles all over our acreage.

Why? There are far too many to turn properly. If, however, you have a smaller piece of property, the tumbler is a terrific idea. All your kitchen vegetable waste in one spot, no ugly piles of ‘whatever’ lying around the property, and, if done properly, odor-free.

There are a few pointers to remember. First, keep the brown (carbon) to green (nitrogen) ratio about 25 to 1. Second, put in a ‘starter’ – a bit of already composted material or some manure. Last, keep the pile damp. Then just crank the handle daily to mix things up.

The big drawback? You are only starting one tumbler. The solution? You can keep vegetable waste in plastic bags and stick it in the freezer. When you empty the tumbler, you can refill it with a month’s worth of vegetable matter from the freezer. The bonus is that freezing helps break down the plant matter and the pile will mature faster.

Our last compost maker is the worm bin. For the bin, you will need a plastic storage container with drain holes at the bottom and air vent holes on the sides and on top. Shred some cardboard and newspaper, add a few handfuls of soil, and fill the bin about three-quarters full. Dampen everything and let it sit for a couple of days before you add the worms.

What kind of worms? You are going to need red wigglers. I suggest a post on gardening pages on the internet to see if someone has some for sale. The alternative – and I have used it – is to go out and find them yourself. Pull back the debris at the surface of the soil and look for them. Red wigglers are aptly named. They are small, slender, and wiggle like mad when disturbed. They are also reddish and have big appetites. Add the worms and your kitchen plant waste. Red wigglers will eat like mad. The end product is ‘worm castings’ – which means just what you think it does. After all that eating, something has to be excreted. It is the worm castings that you want to harvest and they are amazing! When you plant something new, add a cup of castings to the soil, mix well, and the results will be the best ever!



Okay, not one of my best pictures, but I’m sure you recognize the eucalyptus. Great in flower arrangements, a lovely dried plant, smells refreshing, and I am asking you not to plant it. Why? The eucalyptus is allelopathic, like teak or black walnut trees. The plant poisons the ground around it and keeps other plants from germinating or growing so it is harmful to both native plants and the animals that feed on them. Just a word of caution.


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Editor's note: More information on this article or about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com