A Blackwall Products Tumbler Aerobic Compost Maker came up and I was lucky enough to get it. I sent my Daughter and her partner to pick it up for me in their van and they delivered to the allotment which meant I was allowed to visit my allotment to let them in so they could deposit the tumbler on the plot. I was not allowed to carry it encase I hit my leg!
I have read a lot about tumblers and have always fancied having a play but it appears from Which Magazine Research that an ordinary cheap compost bin makes compost quicker.
So why you may ask did I go after the tumbler? Well my plan is to use it exclusively for drying out and composting weeds. I have tried drowning them and that is way to stinky and messy so I thought I would give this a go. They will be off the ground and can bake away nicely in the tumbler perhaps even making it into a conventional Dalek once dried to a crisp.
The instruction label on the Tumbler is very weather warn and faint and I could not read it so I took a photo and here is what it says:-
Tumbler Hints
1. To load the Tumbler, steady the frame with one foot and the barrel with your knee and unscrew the lid.
2 Load the Tumbler and turn to mix the ingredients. Make your first load as large as possible it holds up to 8 cubic feet.
3 Leave in the upright position for 3 days after the first load, to allow compost temperature to increase.
4. after the third day turn the tumbler once each day (At least one or two complete revolutions ) The tumbler will produce compost within 3 weeks.
5. To empty the Tumbler place a plastic sheet underneath, remove the lid and turn the Tumbler to empty your compost on to the sheet. The Tumbler is ready work again.
Good Composting
1. make sure you have a good mixture of organic materials. e.g. vegetable peelings , grass cuttings, garden weeds, dead flowers, tea leaves etc.
2 Materials can be added to the Tumbler during each cycle, but leave at least 10 days free from addition before emptying. In the summer grass cuttings can be added each week with a good mix compost will be produced every 3 weeks.
3 Keep your materials chapped small to help decomposition. Use an activator to start the process (Available from your garden shop)
4 Shake your weeds and plants to remove most of the soil from the roots, soil will reduce temperature increase.
My aim is not to make compost in this fast but to use more weeds as I don't compost weeds at the moment as much as I should
It was nice to see the splash of colour & flowers
How many litres capacity has it ?
ReplyDeleteapprox.200 Litres
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