Spinning Composters

A spinning composter is a composter which contains all the material in an enclosed container, which the user can spin. This spinning mixes up the material, and, so it is claimed, speeds up the composting process. For people who need compost on an ongoing basis, speed is a sought-after element of compost making. Spinning composters are also nicer-looking than an open compost pile or one enclosed by wood. Many models look nice enough to leave them in plain view, rather than hiding them by the back fence or behind a shed. This enables composting in high-class neighborhoods where an open pile would be frowned upon. Most if not all spinning composters are made of plastic, and the nicest-looking ones are some shade of green. There are also black ones, which are claimed to get the compost hot even faster, but these don’t have the good looks of the green versions.

There are two basic types of spinning composters. The standard type, which does one batch at a time, and the “continuous use” variety, which can accept new material at all times. With the standard type, you put in an entire load of new material, and wait for it to compost. Then you remove the finished compost, and add another batch of new material. Continuous-use composters, on the other hand, are an upgraded version which allows you to keep adding new material at all times, provided there is room for it. These use a double-drum setup to move material along an outer drum, then into the inner drum as the entire unit is spun. Completed compost moves to an output port, where it can be collected.

A spinning composter makes the hardest part of the job—turning the compost—easy. Instead of having to churn it with a pitchfork or similar implement, the user just turns the entire composter. Usually this is done with a crank, but with smaller models, the composter can be turned directly. This easy turning makes it more likely that the user will actually turn the compost instead of putting off the job. Therefore, speedy results are more likely.

In a regular compost pile, the outside layers dry out due to exposure to the air. Since composting cannot take place in dry material, the usual result is that there will be an outer layer of unrotted material. In contrast, a spinning composter keeps the material from drying out, and therefore allows the composting to occur in all parts of the mass of material. The enclosed nature of a spinning composter also prevents the other bane of composting: Waterlogging. Rainwater can’t get in and make the material too soggy. With just the right amount of moisture at all times, conditions inside a spinning composter are far more ideal than those in an open pile.

Spinning composters offer very fast composting with relatively little effort. Under ideal conditions, it can take as little as three weeks to turn new material into compost. While conditions in the average backyard are usually not laboratory-ideal, the conditions inside a spinning composter are often better for allowing microbial action than the conditions in an open pile.

The enclosed, professionally-made appearance of a spinning composter makes it possible to do composting without the ugliness of a traditional pile. Even when piles are contained by wire, or hidden by wooden enclosures, they are very obvious. Open piles can draw complaints from neighbors who don’t want to look at the “mess,” or are afraid of rodents taking up residence. The neat and enclosed spinning composters allow people to do composting even in places where an open pile would be unacceptable.

Like with many products, costs of spinning composters vary between brands, models, and sizes. On average, however, a spinning composter is a sizable investment compared to the cost of some chicken wire or wood planks. This cost is worth it for those who prize speed of composting or are highly interested in aesthetics. A good spinning composter will last for years and greatly lessen the amount of work required for fast composting, though, so it can be worth the money to get one.

It can be tempting to pack a spinning composter to the brim. This, however, will stop the composting action. It is important to leave enough room for air inside the enclosure. Proper aeration is one of the keys to good composting. Another consideration is size: Many spinning composters don’t hold too much material. To get a lot of compost, you will need to make sure to buy a large composter.