Composting

etjeep

etjeep

New Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Location
Cary, NC
Anyone know of any local suppliers of composting equipment? Wife wants to make compost for the garden. I made some nice batch compositng bins 2-bin, 4'x8' elevated with airation slats on bottom, 4'x4'x5' frames with pig wire sides, but left it with the house in NJ. I think it cost me about $100- $150 to make at the time. Its still standing 12 years later.

Was thinking of a continous rotary composter like this one;
http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/sunmar/index.html

I have too many things to do right now, so I am not in the mood to build anything. I like the features, dump it in the top, turn the crank. You don't have to fork the piles, etc. The small one is $310 plus shipping. I would consider buying a knock-off if I could find something locally.
 
Granted we live out in the woods, but I just dug a hole about 40' from the house, then dumped a pile of mulched/shredded leaves beside it, and just dump the compost in the evening, shovel on a scoop of leaf mulch, etc...Plan is that once that one fills up, (Which is mostly is) to let it sit for a year, meanwhile start another one, and just dig that one up to use next year...
if you're in the city, though, and can't do that, I've heard mixed reviews on the drum/tumblers...never used one myself...
but I like their ad
:)
awww.peoplepoweredmachines.com_sunmar__img_sunmar_in_out_rounded.jpg
 
I've done the batch mode and you are correct if you manage the carbon (leaves) and nitrogen (grass clippings) in the proper ratio the pile stays happy and relatively odor free. If you turn it to aerate it, the composting will happen faster. You can always be ready with lime or fertilizer if the ratios get out of whack, but that kinda defeats the purpose of free compost. Where I am at is definately not the country.

We have an above-ground compost dump out in the back but I found that once I let it get cold, due to lack of time to manage it, the earthworms seem to like it. My six-year old and I call it the worm farm which is convenient when we want to go fishing.

Back to my question, I was wondering if something similar to the rotary continous composter can be purchased locally?
 
etjeep said:
Back to my question, I was wondering if something similar to the rotary continous composter can be purchased locally?
Click to expand...
As I recall Burke Brothers hardware in Raleigh used to carry those...not sure if any of the big box stores do...(just checked homedepot.com - they have smaller home composting bins...)
 
thanks Mike, I usually check craiglist but did not this time.
 
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