Prepatory Materials for www.mastercomposter.com Course:
Choose the Compost Bin that’s Right for YOU
by
Mary J. Tynes
Course: Choose the Bin that’s Right for You
Second Edition
Copyright © 2000-2001 by Mary J. Tynes
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission
from the author. For information, contact Mary Tynes at the address below.
www.mastercomposter.com, 3941 Legacy Drive #204-197-B, Plano, TX 75023-8320, United States of America
Disclaimer
The purpose of this eBook is to educate and entertain. This eBook is provided as-is without warranty of any kind and the publisher
and author expressly disclaim all implied warranties, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose. The publisher and author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to
any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.
In some instances where a product has been mentioned or recommended, the author may receive a commission if you purchase it.
However, all recommendations have been made based on the author’s experience, not incentive.
All rights reserved worldwide.
© 2000-2001, Mary J. Tynes
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COURSE CONTENTS
The materials for this course are reprinted from past newsletters. They cover the process of bin
selection, compost pile covers, and a tumbler product review and experiment.
Table of Contents
SECTION I..FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN THE PURCHASE OF A COMPOST BIN ................................................................ 4
ARTICLE I. FORM TO BE PRINTED : THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS A TWO-PAGE FORM TO BE PRINTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A SINGLE 8.5 X
11” PAGE . THIS FORM WILL GIVE YOU A CONCISE PAGE OF NOTES THAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING.............. 4
ARTICLE 2. GUIDE TO CHOOSING A BACKYARD COMPOST BIN. THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS AN ENTIRE NEWSLETTER ISSUE WHICH COVERS
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CHOOSING A COMPOST BIN, INCLUDING PRICE, DIMENSIONS, VOLUME CAPACITY, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE,
DURABILITY , AERATION, MOISTURE RETENTION, APPEARANCE , AND EASE OF USE. ................................................................................ 7
SECTION II. COMPOST BIN COVERS............................................................................................................................ 21
ARTICLE 3. COMPOST COVER-UP. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF COVERS FOR COMPOST PILES. SOME BINS COME
WITH COVERS, BUT MANY DO NOT. TWO RELATED ARTICLES THAT APPEARED IN THE SAME NEWSLETTER ARE ALSO INCLUDED HERE. ....... 21
SECTION III. TUMBLERS ................................................................................................................................................. 25
ARTICLE 4. TUMBLER BINS – PART I: THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES A PRODUCT REVIEW I PERFORMED ON A TUMBLER TYPE OF COMPOST BIN.
THIS IS A TEST OF A PARTICULAR TUMBLER, BUT THE RESULTS MAY INTEREST YOU. THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TESTS MAY ENCOURAGE YOU TO
THINK PRACTICALLY ABOUT WHETHER THIS IS THE TYPE OF BIN THAT WOULD WORK BEST FOR YOU. ........................................................ 25
ARTICLE 5. TUMBLER BINS –PART II: THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE CONCLUSIONS OF MY TUMBLER EXPERIMENTS. ................................. 29
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Section I..Factors to Consider in the Purchase of a Compost Bin
Article I. Form to be Printed: This article contains a two-page form to be printed on
opposite sides of a single 8.5 x 11” page. This form will give you a concise page of notes
that you can take with you when you go shopping.
This form is the Pull-Out Section mentioned in the newsletter issue contained in the next Article.
Instructions:
1. Fill in the questions on the first side.
2. Make notes as you read through the material.
3. When you are considering bins, take a moment to review the notes so that you remember all the
factors we have discussed. You can see a wide variety of compost bins on the Internet. Keep a list
of questions that we can discuss on the teleconference that is part of this class.
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Article 2. Guide to Choosing a Backyard Compost Bin. This article contains an entire
newsletter issue which covers various aspects of choosing a compost bin, including price,
dimensions, volume capacity, safety, maintenance, durability, aeration, moisture retention,
appearance, and ease of use.
This newsletter issue originally appeared in 2001. There are many more bins available on the market
at this writing (2009), but the basic considerations of choosing a bin have not changed. This material
will give you a good foundation for choosing a bin. Essentially, you have to determine what you
want and need before you can evaluate any bin. So review these materials first, then use your
favorite Search Engine to shop through the many bins currently available. Be sure to search within
forums as well to see any feedback from those who have actually used the bins you like. Some sites
where you may start are
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/accessories.html
http://www.composters.com/compost-bins.php
Make sure you bookmark those you feel would be good choices for you. Send me the links of up to
5 that you would like to discuss during the teleconference portion of this course. I can’t promise
expertise on every bin on the market, but we can look at them together as a class and help you
assess them.
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Section II. Compost Bin Covers
Article 3. Compost Cover-up. This article provides a brief discussion of covers for
compost piles. Some bins come with covers, but many do not. Two related articles that
appeared in the same newsletter are also included here.
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Section III. Tumblers
I am including some information about Tumbler-type bins because many people are interested in
these bins. Some companies that produce tumblers imply or claim that materials decompose faster
in this type of bin. I have not found that to be the case. However, tumbler bins have some
advantages. I use mine for rose stems, holly leaves, and other thorny or prickly garden trimmings that
would be unpleasant to come across while I was sifting my regular compost pile. In a tumbler, I don’t
have to handle the thorny materials until they are composted. I am not trying to discourage you
from purchasing a tumbler, but am encouraging you to be an educated consumer.
Article 4. Tumbler Bins – Part I: This article describes a product review I performed on a
tumbler type of compost bin. This is a test of a particular tumbler, but the results may
interest you. The descriptions of the tests may encourage you to think practically about
whether this is the type of bin that would work best for you.
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Article 5. Tumbler Bins –Part II: This article discusses the conclusions of my tumbler
experiments.
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