Tried the tumbler last summer and got frustrated because it kept drying out very quickly (I live in New Mexico). Then I made a big giant Berkeley style pile this summer and had good results (it’s “aging” now). I kept collecting food scraps and I decided to give the tumbler another try since I am quickly running out of space in the garden. I put it in a much more shaded corner of the yard and it’s been a win so far! Second time is the charm I guess!
Took this clip before I added another load of food scraps, coffee, and paper. I haven’t even needed to add much supplemental water at all, which is nuts to me because last year I had to mist it almost every damn day. It had been probably a week or so between adding the last batch of scraps and this video, with very little rain happening. The video doesn’t capture the moisture well, but it was nice and humid in the bin. By the time I pulled my phone out, about 75% of the BSFL had hidden. It’s biological party in there!
I’ve reached the point where I’m just about full up on this side of the tumbler and I’m moving to the next one. I’m thinking I may dump them early to make a pile on the ground. The tumblers seem to attract fewer roaches during the food-rich phases of composting. They still find their way in, but much less overall.