How to Make a Tumbling Composting Unit
- 1). Stand a 20- to 35-gallon heavyweight plastic barrel on a clean and dry floor. Measure its length from its tight-fitting lid to the base and its width, using a measuring tape. Write the measurements down with a pencil.
- 2). Form a rectangular bed of bricks, rocks or landscaping blocks over a well-drained and shaded spot in a corner of your garden of backyard for the barrel. Refer to the dimensions to determine the length and width of the bed. Lay a single row or "course" of bricks or blocks over the area.
- 3). Drill ½-inch-wide holes over the body of the barrel, the base and lid. These holes provide excess water that can cause an unpleasant odor from draining out, and allow tiny bugs and insects that assist in the decomposition process an access to the contained waste.
- 4). Fill two plastic buckets with kitchen and yard waste. Collect "green waste" such as glass clippings, vegetable peels, food scraps and softwood plants in one bucket and "brown waste" such as wood chips, twigs, shredded brown paper bags, cardboard pieces and coffee filters in the other.
- 5). Add alternating layers of "green" and "brown" waste into the barrel until it's 5 to 7 inches below the top. Keep each layer 2 inches thick, and chop up or shred any large waste into 2-inch squares before adding.
- 6). Mist the contained waste in the barrel lightly with a garden hose. The contents should be moist enough to drain several droplets of water when a handful is squeezed. Add wood chips that absorb excess water in case you accidentally soak the contents.
- 7). Replace the lid firmly over the top of the barrel. Wind a length of bungee cord from its lid to the base that prevents it from coming loose or falling off during the tumbling process.
- 8). Tilt the barrel until it rests on its side. Push it toward the rectangular brick bed so the contents mix thoroughly while it rolls or tumbles. Remove the front row of bricks and place aside. Push the barrel inside and replace the bricks to hold it in place.
