Should I buy this compost tumbler??

The larger the tumbler the harder to turn. The only way I could turn my 80-gallon Lifetime tumbler was to hang on the side grips and use my weight to get it started.

I'm trying worms on a bigger scale instead of using the dual Lifetime tumbler we bought last summer. My kitchen scraps at least disappear in a couple of days, where the tumblers would be sitting... at least for now.
( Not sure in Summer what I'll do about garden culls. I cant blend those. Maybe I can put them down into a trashcan and use a string trimmer on them, get them pre-shredded. )

What do y'all think of a worms instead strategy?

OhioGardener wrote:

Soose wrote:What do y'all think of a worms instead strategy?

I think of it as worms in addition to, rather than instead of.

TY OhioGardener.  I am just about to give up on the compost tumblers and put most in my open bins for now, let them compost the long slow way.  These Lifetime tumblers are heavy for me personally to turn well when they get full.  (I'm not real strong but am working on that with a gym trainer.)
But mainly, I don't feel I have the time to manage the operation.  Worms are my speed - a few minutes to blend the smoothie every 2 days.  It's just not working to have someone else do it -- btdt tried since last SPRING and have to accept it's not happening.  I am at the far ends of using up my bandwidth on other gardening tasks. 

I guess I could have a pre-collection bin for greens, then build the mix myself and manage the steps where we adjust the temps by adding greens or browns, and give the task of turning tumblers to one of the guys. 

Let me get your procedure down in some easy steps and when we have some warmer temps (stuff froze when we had our very rare 2F degrees back beginning of this month), I'll give it a go.  Though I do not have any kitchen scraps -- they're being fed to the worms now.  I'm going to have to barter for some.

Add 10gal veg scraps/juice pulp to one tumbler.  Add about 1/2 gal pine pellets.  Toss.  Measure temp after a couple of days. 

OhioGardener wrote:And, you will soon learn to use the smell of the compost to adjust the greens or browns as necessary. If the compost smells sweet and forest-like, it is great. If it smells of ammonia it has too much green and needs some browns added. If it has no smell and looks dry, it has too much brown and needs some greens added.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t23566p25-new-lifetime-compost-tumbler#304321

OhioGardener wrote:Always keep in mind that there is a huge difference between Compost and Worm Castings, they are not interchangeable.  Generally speaking, compost is a growing medium, and worm castings is a soil amendment.

TY, point taken.  My worms are bedding and eating in 12" deep compost.  (I know that's deep but it's winter and I wanted to give them some extra insulation in the IBC tote.  )    I don't know how to separate the castings out. 

Ok, I will have to try to turn my attention back to the compost operation, either that or just take a risk, to buy a whole load of compost -- after I get the seed-starting operation up to speed and the greenhouse assembled.  I just need to accept the reality that a whole better part of a year to work with the compost manager here -- the person in charge of it --  to try to make it functional, has none of it had the needed end results.  And if it's going to be done I'll have to do it,  despite my being overloaded with all else.  I really have enough to do without being the compost person here.  I can manage the worms.

OhioGardener wrote:

Soose wrote:What do y'all think of a worms instead strategy?

I think of it as worms in addition to, rather than instead of.

I agree. Worm castings are high in phosphorus like manure-based composts. These should be limited to 5% and 20% of the total composts, respectively.

sanderson wrote:I agree.  Worm castings are high in phosphorus like manure-based composts.  These should be limited to 5% and 20% of the total composts, respectively.

I will have to work on the compost routines.  Don't get me wrong, I like composting.  I'm just overloaded with things to do and remember and manage.