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Tumblers are all about speeding up the process, if you are willing to let nature take it's course you can just use the double or triple pile system, if you alternate layers of high carbon and high nitrogen garden waste you can avoid turning altogether or at least more than one or twice a year. You know you've got it right when your pile gets hot!
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Polar bear, I know nothing about compost tumblers. I don’t have a farm. My place is 3 or 4 acres that was subdivided from an old farm. I have the part with the old house and barn. I plant on all of the space I can. I thought of you today when I was reading an email from my son. He’s in the Artic doing photography for a research crew. He included a couple of photos he took of polar bears.
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Thanks GA and smeshque - I figure most people here garden/farm on large scale (compared to my small backyard), so wouldn't be using compost tumbers and wouldn't know about them, so no suggestions.
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Polar- the compost wizard is a good one.
GA- we grow winter wheat
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Years ago I drooled over compost tumblers and mini tillers but I was poor and had a strong back so I never invested in either. My dad had a basic 5HP rototiller (the kind with the tines at the front) to till the garden in the spring and between the rows if weeds got ahead of us, they can be a beast to steer though. I rented a large rear tine tiller one year when ours was in the shop, they sure make everything easy if you have a big space to clear.
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This thread has been moving so fast that I haven't been able to keep up on responding. I remembered that someone asked about good compost tumblers, and found that post:

PolarBear, 4 days ago:

"My husband wants to get a compost tumbler. His back is not young anymore and he doesn't want to mix and turn the heavy compost loads. I don't blame him. So, I'm in the market for a good large compost tumbler. They are expensive. Any recommendations?"

Any help for our Bear friend?

I used to collect indoor compost and freeze it in those 5 quart ice cream pails, then bury it in situ in areas that weren't close to where I had just planted. It worked well; even the squirrels didn't bother it as much as I expected.

However, now that the City has proclaimed a rat epidemic, I no longer use food in compost. But if I did, I would get a tumbler.

Anyone have any suggestions for good tumblers for PolarBear?


And to anyone else who might have asked a question that hasn't yet been answered, please don't feel ignored. We have some rain predicted and I want to skim the older answers to see if there are other unanswered questions. (I feel somewhat "maternal" since I started this thread and don't want anyone to feel left out!)
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Smeshque, ah, another dehydrator fan!

Does anyone else grow their own wheat and have it ground? One year I grew buckwheat but decided after I discovered 12 cardinals in the buckwheat plot that I'd leave it for them. I've never seen that many cardinals together, and clearly they were enjoying a nice banquet.

Daughterof1930, renting is a great idea! And there's a Home Depot close to me. I could save a lot by doing that.

I'm going to check with my local HD, and possibly Lowes, to consider this.

What kind of tiller did you use, and was it effective for your needs? I know some cyberfriends who use Mantis tillers; I think there might have been a Toro tiller as well, but I need to check my research from last year or the year before when I first started considering one (it takes me a long time to decide to buy something like a tiller!).
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GA—our Home Depot store rents garden tillers in different sizes. We rented one a few weekends ago and the workers there were great about talking to us about our needs and recommending a size. We added a new bed along the back of our yard where the ground is very hard and the tiller was a must. The policy is to rent for four hours or 24 hours. We had it for 24 and it was about $60.
And I’ve planted several dozen vinca in the front yard, the kind that are annual flowers, in shades of pink and purple.
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My mom planted periwinkle along the house where nothing would grow and it was a very cheery little vine that filled the space politely, I had no idea it was an invasive species when I planted it as a ground cover at my sister's place. It does make a good ground cover if you plant it where it is contained on all four sides, like an island in a circular driveway. I've found all plants that creep are very challenging weeds, you need to aggressively limit their spread by tilling their boundaries often.
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GA I use a dehydrator to dry my herbs and also make tomato and also kale chips.
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I loved organic gardening magazine back in the day. Sure wish it was same today.
Ga, the vincas I have self seed which is why I love them. I don’t have to buy every year.
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GA, Liked the New Shelter magazines. Undergrad I took several Housing classes. A local architect built 5 or 6 houses along the New Shelter model. There is geodistic style house on the other side of the lake that he built.

My grandmother had a cider press. I think one of my cousins has it. I’ve got her butter churn and butter moulds. I’ve actually used the churn a couple of times.

I bring a rock home from every trip I take. I have them in my flower garden.
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SpiritDancer has started a favorite foods cooking thread at:
https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/cooking-is-good-therapy-438777.htm?orderBy=recent&page=1#comment862722

That reminded me...does anyone here use a dehydrator?
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Sharyn, I'm pretty sure it's vinca minor. I wish it was an annual; it's so prolific, especially when there's nothing to keep it in bounds.

Real, I didn't know that peanuts can break up the soil, but it makes sense because they produce root systems with the peanuts subsurface. I grew them once, years ago; your comment reminded me of that. Maybe I'll grow them again, with some added coffee grounds so the worms can help break up the soil.

I could also grow sweet and white potatoes. I'm planning to use morning glories and vining plants such as pumpkins as ground covers.

BTW, did anyone know that morning glories can kill unwanted small trees and saplings? I train them to grow on the tree, and they seem to block out air and smother the tree.

Not asking specifically where you lived, but it must be interesting and of a specific geologic category to have geodes. I found a brachiopod in my rose garden; that was a very contemplative moment .... this little fossil that lived millions of years ago somehow was (probably) brought by a glacier and deposited in my yard.

Becky, did you ever get the New Shelter magazines? They were wonderful, as was Mother Earth News way "back in the day." Ever since I saw a plan for a cider press in MEN, I wanted to build one. Maybe....some day....

I loved the times when those magazines were prevalent; there was so much more of a widespread attitude of cleaner living, of more "close to the land living".
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I have vinca that is perennial. I tear out in the fall and then it comes back in spring. It spreads everywhere.

I loved the old Rodale magazines. Also Mother Earth News. Haven’t read one of those in years. Now I mostly watch P Allen Smith on PBS. His vegetable shows are fairly good.

I’ve got a bunch of plants started. I’m tripling my garden this year, I think. I canned and froze what I thought was plenty. But I’ve run out of green beans, tomatoes, frozen corn, broccoli, Brusselsprouts. I have about two weeks worth of potatoes left. No sweet potatoes. We’ll be having to buy at the grocery now.
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GA, peanuts are good to break the soil up as well.

I don't know about Rodale mags, I have a book that is an
1 1/2 inches thick and is all about composting.

I have found that I really have to see what works in my yard, it has its own micro climates so I have not had any luck with anything but plant and see.

I agree about the prices of plants, I think it depends on where you live. I pay on sale 99cents per pound for broccoli. I can't grow it, it just bolts. I really like the plants that keep on giving. Kale, tomatoes, shard, herbs, artichoke, asparagus and the like.

Cwillie, I have found some geodes while out rocking but I have never gone to a cut, I usually just do it where ever I am.
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My chicks are doing well. I was worried I would go out this morning and find some dead ones. The little girls are totally fascinated. They were in the barn watching them right up until dinner time. Tomorrow I’m going to walk them out the road to a friend who has a dairy farm. She has pen full of little bulls. They’ll be picked up to go to auction Thursday. She also has dairy goats.
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I like to grow vegetables to can and freeze. I live in an area where grocers don’t carry a variety of fruits and veggies and they been transported at least 1200 miles or more. I order my seed potatoes from a commercial farm up north. I have my tomato, cucumber, cabbage plants started indoors. I buy onion sets at local feed and seed. I like knowing how my vegetables and berries are grown. I don’t use salt in my canning or freezing, minimal sugar. Order other seeds from  a store in Vermont.
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GA, are you referring to vinca major? The vincas I have are an annual.

Aphids are starting on the roses now. I used neem oil and am happy with the results.
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Real, are you interested in geology as well? Ever been to any of the geologic cuts? Do you collect geodes?

Smeshque, yes, I was asking about the manufacturer. I've looked at Mantis and another brand which I can't remember now. I found a good video which compared 3 brands in action; one was clearly better than the other. But I always like to get input from those who have tillers.

Some areas have grown so clogged with vinca that it's literally impossible to shovel and break up the masses.

One thing I'm considering is using Daikon radishes and worms. Another organic gardener uses the Daikons as a cover crop in the fall; they send out deep roots, then die but break up the soil before they pass away for winter. I'm thinking of trying them to see what they'll do in the spring.

I also need to solarize, but was thinking of large sheets of plastic. I have lots of space, so I thought I'd solarize one bed at a time.

I asked about natural tick repellent on another forum. I'll gather the links and share them. They're certainly not welcome in my yard, and thus far I haven't been plagued. But the tick population is increasing so I need to be vigilant.


CWilie, Rodale's Organic Gardening was a literal Bible of how to garden organically, but it gradually deteriorated and just segued away from its core issues. I have boxes full of old OG magazines that I've saved. At one time all the articles were indexed.

I haven't seen seed potatoes, but haven't been to stores that might have them. I've noticed that onion sets aren't even sold in grocery stores anymore. And the place where I bought buckwheat is now just lawn machinery.


Linda, I love posts in which gardeners share the wonder and pleasure of gardening.

The device that you bought to make applesauce - is it like a Kitchen Aid mini food processor? I bought 2 for Dad, one to puree food at his house and another for my house. I haven't used them for anything else yet, but can think of a lot of uses once the garden starts producing.

I really am enjoying reading all these posts not only about flower gardening but all the ancillary issues.
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It used to be that a big vegetable garden was the thrifty way to feed your family but this year I've noticed they are selling individual vegetable plants for $2. That may make sense with some veggies like tomatoes or cucumbers but why would I buy a broccoli plant when I can get broccoli in the grocery store for under $1 a bunch? And what's with seed potatoes selling for $10 a bag when I can buy a sackful to eat for less than half that?
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Oh, another Rodale fan! Remember when the magazine was pocket sized and full of great information instead of ads?
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Also, worm factories produce great fertilizer.

Does anyone know any natural tick repellent. They are already so bad here. I hate ticks. :(
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Cwillie- Dh fishes and he puts the waste in some areas of the garden. Even makes a "tea" to be used in garden. It is great fertilizer, he learned that from his grandmother.

Garden, we use tiller, to till areas. Are you asking what kind as in what brand of tiller? Ours is a troy built, Horse. Works great and does a wonderful job preparing the ground. We also have killed the weeds with a tarp, kills them within a couple of days, really quickly.
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Cwillie, you can always ask a farmer if you can fill a couple of buckets, usually they are happy to get rid of some, they have a fresh pile everyday.

If you compost correctly, it is the most amazing process, my first 3x3 pile, poop, dried stuff and greens, a little water and a little time - beautiful soil, smells like fresh cut apples, no kidding. When you do it right, no foul smells at all. I use my old rugs to cover my pile, very dry here and keeping the moisture up is important. The bugs I get I never see except on the edges of compost pile. When we started we got the Rodale book on composting, wonderful instructions.

Glad you got out and found some cool rocks, that is my all time favorite past time, I am a rock hound. I think just getting out into nature really brings me back in balance.
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I have four raised beds. Three are clean of last years debris, but one is only halfway weeded. I literally am in the weeds this year, lol. My hope is to put compost in one of the clean beds and get tomatoes and peppers going this weekend. My garden is my haven so years like this where life keeps me from the garden, I plant more flowers and less veggies. Flowers take less upkeep. Hoping to spend Mother’s Day at the nursery with my daughter. Two of the kids have the gardening bug and the third just planted his very first garden, a tiny potager. It just warms my gardening mama heart....fourth generation gardeners. We have a nice crop of apples and the grapes look good. The wind knocked off plums but I think we’ll still have some. I bought a great game get for my Kitchenaid to make applesauce. It’s like an electric food mill. My FILs apricot tree is loaded so we’re hoping to harvest and make jam before his house is sold.
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GA, I got mine about 1979. It’s not the big heavy duty one, but it’s heavier than the new light weight ones. Light weight one wouldn’t work on rocky Maine soil. I have no idea if they still make the kind I have. I’m expanding my garden this year. Hoping to have lots of good veggies to can. I used to use my Dad’s big one, but it was a struggle for me.
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Becky, do you have one of those old big "honking" tillers? Or one of the lighter weight ones? Dad used one of the old ones, managing to wrestle it through cutting up sod. It did a heck of a job cutting up the soil and pulling out the weeds.

I was thinking of one of the lighter weight ones; they're not as powerful, but I don't think I could manage those big old ones. Heck, I don't even have a way to get it from Dad's to my house.
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GA, I plow my garden under. Then use my old Rototiller. I use black garden plastic. I leave it in between rows because it keeps the weeds down.
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My chicks arrived. The post office said they came into the airport. PJ went into the airport and picked them up. They’re in the barn. None squashed or dead.
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