Ringer 3050 Compost Plus 2 Pound Box

Ringer 3050 Compost Plus 2 Pound Box

This all-purpose activator kick-starts the compost process with essential organisms and nutrients that efficiently break down organic material. Transform common yard waste–such as lawn clippings, dead leaves, pine needles, and twigs–into compost within 60 to 90 days. Use the rich humus that results as fertilizer or mulch, or double dig into a vegetable or flower bed for an exceptional soil amendment. This two-pound box contains enough activator for several batches of compost. –Mary Park

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Who knows?
It’s hard to tell if anything other than the natural process of decomposition is taking place especially since the ingredients are not listed.

5 Stars Great Product
Used the Activator and it really sped up the process. I was having a slow go before I used this, so highly recommend.

5 Stars I Re-Order as Necessary
Ringer All Purpose Compost Plus is a product I used to be able to get back East. It has been difficult to find in the Midwest. I am glad that I can obtain the product via Amazon.

3 Stars Is it working ?
It’s hard to tell if this product is working. I received it as ordered applied it as directed to just one side of the compost barrel, it doesn’t seem any different than the other side after 3 weeks.

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Mantis Compost Bin Thermometer 201101

Mantis Compost Bin Thermometer 201101

From the Manufacturer
Compost is all about accurate temperature. This 20-inch thermometer measures up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit - perfect for measuring the temperature of the heat core of your compost.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars flimsy
The item was not packed well..no instructions in the box…and it seemed flimsy. I am still not sure if it is working.

3 Stars Really handle with care
This thermometer worked well for a while then got stuck at 80 deg. I think the shaft twisted slightly apart from the face part as I pulled it out of one of my compost piles.

1 Star Regardless of negative reviews - I bought and it failed miserably
I figured I would give this item a try even though there were quite a few negative reviews. The item was shipped and received the day after I had bought it here at amazon (new - not used). I was caught off-guard when the thermometer was shipped in a piece of folded cardboard and not in a box. Upon opening the package the thermometer did have its own box, but whomever shipped it decided to crush it in a cardboard sandwich which might have worked quite well except the thermometer stem which has the same strength as the am/fm antenna on your car had a nice big bend in it. However, even this didn’t deter me as I figured the technology in thermometers is proven and the bend wasn’t a crease - so I straightened out the stem and stuck it in my composter. My pile had been going for four days and was nitrogen rich, so when I stuck the thermometer in and it read 75 degrees F I knew it wasn’t working (It was July in Dallas and our daily temperatures average 3 digits alone - nevermind the heat generated by decomposition). To confirm this though I did stick a digital thermometer into the middle of the pile and it instantly read 105 degrees F. Thermometer might have worked if it wasn’t packaged improperly; however, I still would be unsatisfied with the overall quality and durability of this item in correlation with its price tag. Mine is being returned and I think I’m just going to use a simple and cheap digital meat thermometer for my compost since it seems to work so well and gives an instant reading.

4 Stars It measures temperature.
This thermometer measures temperature, which is to say that it displays a reading of the thermal activity contained within the object into which one inserts it. It’s flimsy, sure, but it’s also long.

I give it four stars only because it would have been nice if it were powder coated in rainbow colors.

4 Stars handle with care
Mantis Compost Thermometer #201101These are tricky to handle; if you so much as twist the dial getting the thermometer out of the package it won’t work very well, if at all. Instead, hold the thermometer by the probe. I use 2 of these in the barn to measure the temps on my hay bales and when handled correctly, they give very accurate temperature readings.

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Yard Butler CA 36 Compost Aerator

Yard Butler CA 36 Compost Aerator

Folding wings harpoon into the heart of the compost pile, opening when withdrawn. Aerates, circulates and turns the compost.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Not the best
For the price, this should work better. I find that the “fins” at the bottom stick together and don’t move the compost as well as I would like. I’d also like them to be longer. A pitchfork does a better job. Dissapointing.

4 Stars it’s decent
i’ve had my yard butler for about 1 month. i have one of those barrel type composters that’s next to impossible to be able to turn over and aerate the contents, this item works well. the only wish i could have for it, is if the wings that open on it were a little bit longer, i have to stick it into the composter several times to really turn the stuff over. that said, i would still recommend it, it’s a nifty tool that solved my problem. ed

5 Stars compost
works great! sometimes it gets stuck and i just have to clean it off, but it works well and i would recommend it to others.

3 Stars Better than nothing for enclosed compost bins

The best way to turn a compost heap is to get a garden fork and just go to town, but if you have those closed plastic bins (like I do now), that’s not a viable option.

That’s why I bought this compost tool and it’s better than nothing since at least it helps move the compost around. However, it’s not easy to push the tool down into the heap and half the time, the tines don’t open up when you pull it back up. The tines are also quite short, so they don’t catch much when they do open.

Still, I haven’t found a better alternative and if you use a up and down motion (rather like churning butter) it helps somewhat.

In short, I give it a qualified recommendation if you have no other way of turning your contained compost pile.

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5 Tray Compost Worm Bin System The Worm Factory Terracotta

5 Tray Compost Worm Bin System The Worm Factory Terracotta

Worm composting is an incredibly efficient way to convert kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. But sorting out the undigested scraps can be messy and inconvenient. The Worm Factory automatically separates food scraps from finished compost. Simply fill the bottom tray with red wiggler worms, bedding and food scraps. As the worms finish digesting, they will migrate upward into the tray above, leaving rich castings behind. In full operation, the Worm Factory houses 10,000 to 12,000 worms, consumes 5 to 8 pounds of food a day, allowing you to harvest a full try of castings per month. Each Worm Factory comes with full instructions to get you started. The Worm Factory is made in the U.S.A., constructed from high quality recycled plastic, with a limited 5 year warranty on materials and workmanship. It is very simple to assemble and can be stored in or outside.

*Worms must be purchased separately because they are live and many variables such as weather conditions apply. Colors: Black and Terracotta

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars One piece broken, but overall okay
During shipping the bottom of the bin was broken. It’s a hard plastic so it just snapped and cracked. Luckily it was the bottom of the bin so it doesn’t affect the purpose of the product and can still be used (and you can’t even see where it was broken). It’s a nice red brickish color and so far the worms have adapted well. I couldn’t tell when I purchased this, but the bin has just a plastic ‘roof’ (a sheet of hard black plastic). I was looking at bins on line that have an actual roof and may have purchased that set instead, however the worms are not crawling out of this one and it is helping to allow air in on the sides so it seems to be doing okay. Feels good not throwing away compost and I’m really looking forward to using the worm poop and tea in the garden this year :))

5 Stars Don’t over think it …
Like the other reviewer, I was worried about all the rules and chopping. Believe me, you don’t have to chop everything up super fine. It will probably be faster if you do, but I don’t bother. I do run fruits through the microwave to kill fruit flies though.

The system works great and it is easy to harvest the castings.

3 Stars Not what I expected
I just bought my worm farm and it’s not the composter I expected. Perhaps my opinion will change in the next few months of use, but the instructions lead me to believe I am more raising worms than making compost. The purpose of the worms is to speed up the process–I should have great compost/worm castings in 3 months; however, to get the great compost I’m expected to chop up the food scraps (and note: no citrus peels)–some people actually use a blender. (I haven’t figured out how big the little red worms mouths are, so I’m not sure how small I need to make their bites.) Also, the instructions suggest you can microwave your scraps to make sure you kill bacteria, etc. Maybe I’m an overly cautious new owner–I’m definitely lazier than all this expected compost-work! Anyway, time will tell just how tolerant my worms are of my lazy ways. Rest assured, though, I’ll do what I can to keep them alive.

5 Stars Growing worms is easy
I have had worm farms before, but this is the easiest way to actually seperate the food from the castings. You use a system of trays, intially placing the food in the bottom tray, and the tray above it is mostly fiberous material. Then you stop feeding them on the lower tray and then start adding food to the tray up above, and then adding another more fiberous tray.

This system eliminates the feeding the worms in one spot and then pulling out the castings, trying to leave all of the worms in there you can. I like that the worms have more mobility so just in case your feeding area is too wet they can move around. I also like there is lots of air in this system so everything doesn’t get too wet.

The tray system was easy to put together, it took only a few minutes. It also comes with your initial bedding of coconut husks. Ideally you will want to put your farm into place, and wet down your bedding, and then get your worms. There are instructions on the top of the lid of the bin to tell you what to feed your worms with, and a great guide that also comes with the bin. I highly recommend this worm bin.

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Mantis 4000 00 02 ComposT Twin Composting Bin

Mantis 4000 00 02 ComposT Twin Composting Bin

The Mantis Compost-Twin 2-chamber rotating composter is the composter’s dream come true. Now you can “cook” one batch while you add organic scraps to another with no mess, no odors, and no hard work. It is built with a sturdy tubular frame and features fully enclosed chambers and four aerator vents. The easy-to-turn handle and gear system makes for easy mixing. The composter’s chambers each have a 10-bushel capacity.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Meets expectations
OK, it isn’t cheap. And you need to assemble it. And it is kinda large. But I love it. Just what I wanted - large capacity, easy to turn, well made. The doors are thin, but seem to be adequate for purpose and the latches are excellent.

Assembly takes some time, but isn’t hard. You WILL need a helper for some things, but I did most of it by myself. Took about 90 minutes. Read the instructions first, then go back and assemble. Instructions are accurate.

The thing is big - you need about a 3 x 5 foot area for it.

I have loaded both sides with grass, leaves, scraps, etc. Should have some nice compost for the spring.

4 Stars Love it - keeps the rats out
Honestly, we were getting rats. Lifting the compost off the ground solved the problem and now we get faster compost. It’s easy to turn so the compost actually gets turned regularly which yields faster composting. We can fit our yard cart underneath so moving the newly made compost is easy too.

5 Stars Great Composter. It really makes compost in two weeks.
I was skeptical about the claim of making compost in two weeks–my previous stationary composter from Price Club took about a year. But now two weeks later, I have about 10 cubic feet of compost. I don’t have a chipper-shredder, so I chopped up the big pieces with scissors.

One reviewer had trouble removing the doors–my doors don’t have this problem–they come off and go back on easily.

Unfortunately, I can’t get my wheel barrow under the composter without bending the composter’s metal frame. I wish it had two more inches of room on the bottom.

For those wondering whether they can use all the compost this thing can make–don’t worry. If you want to mulch an 8000 square foot garden with 3 inches of compost, you’ll need 2000 cubic feet of compost. You’ll easily use all the compost you can make.

At first, I wondered whether such an expensive composter could pay for itself. So I computed–it can make about 200 cubic feet of compost/year. Compost costs about $1/cubic foot. So it makes about $200 worth of compost/year. It’ll easily pay for itself.

3 Stars Compost Twin
Talk about a nightmare to put together! Two people and three hours (and must swearing) later, we finally got it put together. So far, so good, and I’ll let you know how it goes in the spring.

5 Stars Keeps the Bears Out
It’s working and keeps the Bears Out, I can hear them tumbling it at night but they can’t get in. A little heavy to rotate, but I still love it.

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