With a yard the size of yours, you might consider building a traditional compost bin, rather than purchasing a tumbler or plastic bin. The prices on these can be quite high. Since I live in the city, I do use plastic-bin composting, but I've built my own bins out of large garbage cans.

You also don't need to pull seedlings out of your compost (unless you want to transplant them somewhere and use them). Just turn/tumble them in next time around, and the seedlings themselves will decompose along with the rest.

Can I put too much of one thing in, like grass clippings?

Yes, you need a balance of ingredients. Too many so-called 'greens' and it can easily get too wet and quite smelly, too many so-called 'browns' and it gets too dry and inactive.

But balance isn't too hard to achieve - basically 2-3 parts brown to 1 part of greens. This is explained in more detail in the FAQ's here linked on the forum front page.

Does it matter what kind of grass the clippings are from? Can I put the gum balls & pine needles in after I've raked under the sweet gum & pine trees?

No to the first and yes to the second. ;)

Couldn't I just buy charcoal you use for grilling & throw some in the bucket each time I emptied it?

No, totally different stuff. Charcoal for the grill has chemicals in it. But your container doesn't necessarily smell and I'll hazardous the guess that you won't find too many here using charcoal filters on their containers. ;) More $$ for little benefit.

A 5 gallon container with a lid works well. Just don't let the container sit for days in the sun without emptying it and keep some shredded newspaper in it.

And please understand that you don't have to have a tumbler to compost. Far more of us compost without one than do. The easiest and most effective way is just a pile or a bin open to the air. Again, the FAQ here more details on the various types of composting containers.

Tumbler composting is batch-at-a-time composting while bins and piles are continuous process composting.

Welcome to the forum. Lots of good reading here! ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost Forum FAQ's

"Too many so-called 'greens' and it can easily get too wet and quite smelly, too many so-called 'browns' and it gets too dry and inactive."

A lousy C:N ratio does not necessarily mean that the moisture level will be incorrect.

"The easiest and most effective way is just a pile or a bin open to the air."

What's easy and/or effective to one person may or may not be easy and/or effective to another.

"Tumbler composting is batch-at-a-time composting while bins and piles are continuous process composting."

Not necessarily true. I've batched in piles and I've continuously fed a tumbler.

Lloyd

According to the book TEAMING WITH MICROBES by Jeff Lowenfels, some of that cut grass will make a dandy mulch for your vegetables and annual flowers so you won't have to worry about composting it before using it. The bacteria (beneficial) will help break it down and provide more nutrients for your plants. This will help a lot when you don't have access to as much C (leaves and such) as N (grass clippings/other greens) during the summer.

Now Lloyd you know those are very broad, general statements at best, done in an attempt to provide very general answers to the questions posed. :^)

Of course a lousy C:N ratio does not necessarily mean that the moisture level will be incorrect but it sure does increase the odds that it will be.

And of course what's easy and/or effective to one person may or may not be easy and/or effective to another but you and I both know that most experienced composters would agree that bins are easier and more effective than tumblers. That point has been hashed and re-hashed here.

And of course one can choose to batch in a pile and do continuous in a tumbler but that is not how the structures were intended nor used by the majority. I'm happy that it works for you but even you have to admit that someone new to using a tumbler would have problems doing continuous composting with it.

So have another beer or two and keep in mind that we are talking to a beginner here - one who from their post feels they must spend $$ on a tumbler and needs to know that is necessarily true. ;)

Have a good day up there in the cold.

Dave

"So have another beer or two"

Can't, I have to work this afternoon and consuming alcohol within eight hours of my shift would violate the criminal code of Canada.

Well Dave I guess I misinterpreted your words because they sure seemed specific to me. Might be a Canadian translation thing.

I do not admit any person (new or experienced) would have difficulty in using a tumbler as a continuous method. To presume I would, is kinda arrogant to my deluded mind.

Nor will I presume to know what is easiest or most effective for anybody else.

Nor will I admit that something that has supposedly been hashed and rehashed has been settled. (peat and covering piles come to mind).

I do not concede that the manufacturers of all tumblers intended that tumblers be used in a batch process only. Nor will I presume to know how the majority use their tumblers.

I guess when it comes down to the nitty gritty, I disagree with most (but not all) of what you said but I am willing to agree to disagree.

I use tumblers, many variations, I use bins, several variations, I use windrows and piles, I practice sheet composting. Each has it's pros and cons and can be used in different venues utilizing different feedstocks.

There is no best in all situations, there is no easiest in all situations. Every person has different circumstances and I would rather show them the options available and some of the pros and cons of the various techniques. But that's just me.

Lloyd

I am wondering why have 4 acres that has to be mowed? How often do you it mow it?

You will find that few of the commercial composters hold sufficient volume for the material you will be producing to compost, and they are very expensive. I find that 2 4 x 4 x 4 compost piles produce almost enough for my 1-3/4 acres.

Sure Lloyd, we can agree to disagree. That's what makes the world go round. ;) No arrogance was intended in any way and I'm sorry you took it that way.

But there are many posts here from folks, both new and experienced, having problems using tumblers and many discussions on which is the "easiest" approach to composting. So I'm far from being alone in making those claims. ;)

Personally, in addition to my bins and piles, I have 2 of them, picked up at yard sales where the owners had given up on trying to make them work. But I would never recommend that someone new to the composting process, as the OP is, invest all those $$ in one up front. Try the simple approach first and then expand into the world of tumblers if you wish.

It's all compost in the end, no matter how it is made.

Dave

Dave

I actually agree with a few of the points you raised in your first post and pointed out those that I believed to be not correct.

I did not, nor do I yet, read anywhere that the OP stated they are a "new" composting enthusiast. Seeing as how she has been a member since 2002 I won't infer that she is not familiar with composting. She may be, but I am not going to assume it.

TTFN

Lloyd

Thank you for your input. Although we usually have a vegetable garden every year, I never really did much composting. I consider myself a beginner although sometimes we'd spread leaves in the garden before having the area bushhogged & disked. Sometimes we'd have a controlled burn & burn the garden spot. I'm not sure why we'd do this other than that's what some of the older relatives do. Any leftover vegetables or plants was thrown out somewhere in the garden area or left where it was until the area was disked. I kept the coffee grounds for the houseplants & plants closer to the house.

I thought the tumbler-type would be easier to work as my husband & I got older (not that I'm that old!). I know not to expect any composter to work as great or as quickly or as easily as they advertise, but this kind is the one I'm leaning to the most.

I'm not sure I understand the question about why mow the 4 acres. If you are asking why mow so much, it's because we have to or the area would fill up with brush & poison ivy. If you are asking why have 4 acres, it came with the house.

It sounds like this may be your first compost pile. I always suggest something cheap and simple.

I would forget the tumbler for a cheap simple mesh bin. My tumbler was only used for 18 months, before I went with the mesh bin. I have eight mesh bins on a 1/4 acre. They are made of 1/2" or 1/4" mesh hardware cloth, 24" high. Thirteen feet of this stuff (3.14 x 4 = `13') costs about $15. The tumbler cost $350, but one poster said he saw five tumblers rusting at his city dump. You might try there if you have access to the local dump or landfill.

Type of grass is not too important, at least to me. Those who do not attempt a higher heat might have more change of the studier grasses sprouting.

Reduce the size of the materials as fine as possible.
Fresh cut grass and finely shredded leaves (in the right ratios, with a 4' diameter pile, air and water added as needed); gives me compost in about four months. If you start with whole leaves and whole sweet gum balls, you're going to wait for years for compost.

Any compost pile or bin or product will work, to some degree. With complete compost ignorance, I started with a plastic bin. When the results were poor, I bought a tumbler. When this proved to be way more work than the advertising suggested, then and only then did I take the effort to learn about composting. After that I went with the mesh bin, and then bins.

I would say my seven mesh bins are require the same effort than my one tumbler did. With eight bins, I always have ready compost in one, one empty if some great ingredient becomes available, and a pile with a hot core in case some smelly fish parts are given to me.

Take your time rather than rushing out to buy or make a composting system.