Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler by Clean Air Gardening
April 25, 2009 by Julie
Filed under Moms Living Green
I was so excited to get started on my garden this year. In the interest of helping to green our earth, save money on groceries and more, we have doubled the size of our garden this year. Another green move-we bought a real compost bin.
I have composted in the past somewhat but developed a real passion for it this past year after I realized that much of the scraps we were throwing away could be both returned to the earth and benefit our future harvest in great ways.
But I ran into challenges.
I have medical issues with my back and as a result, I have always had to adapt my gardening. For instance, my garden beds are in waist-high boxes so I don’t have to bend when weeding, planting, etc. The boxes are quite a bit of work (for someone else) to build, paint and fill with dirt but it’s 
the only way that I can garden so it is worth it to me.
So as you can imagine, hand-turning compost contents with a shovel is a no-no for me. And therefore I was excited when Jayme at Nest in Style reviewed a compost tumbler by Tumbleweed. All you do to break down the compost is spin the barrel. It’s rust resistant, which I need here in the Northwest, and it has openings at both ends to add and remove the contents. The bar that runs through the middle assists in breaking matter down.
We assembled it yesterday and it is already halfway full from what I had saved to compost. We have already added water a couple of times and tumbled it several times. And it is already well mixed. I can’t wait to add it to my plants.
You can help green our earth too by composting and using the result to enrich new growth. To get the best mix, you need layers of both green and brown colored items. You can compost:
- Paper after it has been shredded
- Produce scraps, skins and seeds
- Eggshells
- Mowed grass
- Shrub and tree trimmings (cut small)
- Leaves
Stop throwing it away! Compost instead and enrich the earth for all of us.
More From Julie
Thanks for mentioning us in your post!
I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the Tumbleweed so far. I have one at my house too.
Tumblers don’t typically hold as much material as a large bin that sits on the ground, but they often do make compost faster. And they’re much, much easier to keep your contents well mixed and aerated, as you mention. They also keep your compost contained, and up off the ground and away from any squirrels or other pests.
What I like specifically about the Tumbleweed is that there is a lid on either side. So it doesn’t matter which end is facing up — it’s easy to add more materials.
Don’t forget that if you make coffee at home, you can also throw in the coffee grounds and the filter into your compost pile or bin. Coffee grounds are a nitrogen rich material. And if you buy all of your coffee at Starbucks, they give away free coffee grounds too if you just ask.
Thanks for coming by Lars! And thank you for adding in the part about coffee grounds. I forgot them on my handy list within the post. I am going to ask at Starbucks the next time that I go. Loving the Tumbler!
A very great post Julie!!Enjoyed it!