There’s a lot to cover when you talk about compost. First let me talk about Lifetime’s new Composter, available at BuyLifetime.com with free shipping! If you’re not familiar with compost, don’t worry, I’ll cover that further down in this article, too.
I saw initial designs and a prototype at a recent company meeting, and being the “back to nature” kind of guy that I am I wanted one right away, but I had to wait until the product made it to market. Yesterday I was able to buy my very own Lifetime Composter.
First off, this thing is HUGE, but it doesn’t take up a lot of space. It fits easily in a 4-foot square (the footprint of my old compost pile), and wow, does it hold a lot! 75 gallons or 10 cubic feet to be exact.
The theory behind most tumbler-style composters is that by rolling or “tumbling” the composter every day or so you aerate, mix, and turn the compost regularly, and it’s much easier than doing it by hand. This, combined with the enclosed nature of the tumbler helps 
keep the heat inside, which speeds up the process. I’m sold on the tumbling variety, but have never purchased one for myself due to the terribly high prices – until now.
One of the name-brands that I looked at has a list-price of $534.00 – and MORE! Go to Google and search for “compost tumbler” and take a look at the prices (and the sizes), don’t forget to add shipping costs if you’re going to order online.
So, why choose the Lifetime Composter?
So far I love this thing! I’ll write later with some pictures of my first batch of cooked compost.
Now, for those of you who don’t know about composting, you really need to start making your own compost today!
Anyone who has a yard needs to do something with their yard waste. If you have a kitchen you have to do something with your kitchen scraps. If you don’t have a compost pile, compost heap, or some other kind of composter you’re missing out on one of the best things you can do for your yard!
Compost, when you buy it from the nursery or lawn and garden store, is very, very expensive.
Someone has a turkey farm, they pile the manure, turn it a bit, and in 6-8 months they bag it and sell it to you as compost.
Someone has a saw mill, they pile the saw dust, mix in some soil, turn it a bit, and in 6-8 months they bag it and sell it to you as compost.
Someone grows vegetables, they pile the trimmings and damaged food, turn it a bit, and in 6-8 months they bag is and sell it to you as compost.
See a pattern here? Instead of those people paying someone to haul off their waste, they turn it into compost and get you to buy it! You’re just spending money on someone else’s waste! What a racket!
You have yard waste (lawn clippings, trimmings, weeds, etc.) and table scraps (egg shells, greens, fruit peels and cores, unused vegetables), all you need is a place keep it all, turn is a bit, and in a month or so you’ve made your very own compost! (Depending on how often you turn it and how much mass you have, of course.) That’s where tumbler-style composters like the Lifetime Composter makes easy work (no pitch-forks required).
Cooked compost is a necessary component for Square-Foot Gardens, for anyone who has house plants, and anyone with trees, shrubs, or a lawn.
For lawns, if you have a dry or “hard packed” spot, top-dress that area with a layer of compost just thick enough to cover the area so the tops of the grass is barely showing. Repeat the top-dressing every few weeks until the problem is solved. Adding the compost adds organic material and fertilizes the area, helps balance soil pH, and helps prevent drying out.
For trees, top-dress around the base of the tree, staying a few inches away from the trunk and covering the entire drip-area beneath the tree.
For shrubs and bushes, top-dress 6- to 8-inches away from the outer-most leaves. For flowers, top-dress lightly.
For Square-Foot gardens, add a trowel or two every time you harvest or plant a square.
Give it a shot and let me know how your composting goes!