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My partner bought a rubbermaid container from one of the big box stores and drilled holes on the top. She plans on just shaking the container every week. I wondered if anyone had a tumbling composter. I saw one in a garden shop for $200!
So we resorted to the rubbermaid container for now.
Composting just happens. The aeration just speeds up the process. I have a big roller but when it is full, it is too heavy for me to move. In a year or so, I get black gold. I also just throw it on a fallow bed and let it rot.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
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We have a roller one. It was great when we lived in a small townhouse. We still use it, but I want a few more piles so we can have one to add to, one to let sit, and one to use. The problem with the roller ones is you either have to stop adding stuff and let it rot, or you have to manually screen out still rotting parts to get the wonderful black gold One year, our compost sprouted peppers b/c we hadn't let it rot long enough to sterilize the seeds. Since we love peppers, it was OK
You need to add some red wiggler worms to that tuperware ! Do a search for vermacomposting and just do it ! I cut a 55 gallon drum in half and put the two halves in my crawlspace. Added moistened newspaper and table scraps and the worms. They made the best compost I have ever seen.
If your non worm compost is composting correctly it will go through two distinct temperature changes. The second will get pretty hot. I have melted a plastic tumbler because of this.
I plan to start a compost pile this summer and have been trying to get info. When they say not to put certain items in or it will smell really bad, is it just local to the immediate area or does it go all over the neighborhood?
I plan to start a compost pile this summer and have been trying to get info. When they say not to put certain items in or it will smell really bad, is it just local to the immediate area or does it go all over the neighborhood?
Compost only smells bad when it is not aerated - it needs to be exposed to the air, preferably turned over from time to time, to stop it going rancid.
The addition of worms helps this process as they wriggle about and keep the air going through. However, they will naturally appear in your compost, providing you leave the base in contact with the soil.
There are hundreds of sites with info, such as What can I compost?
which tell you what not to add (mainly meat, dairy and cooked foods, tho I think some cooked veg is fine, just not too much.)
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One year, our compost sprouted peppers b/c we hadn't let it rot long enough to sterilize the seeds. Since we love peppers, it was OK 
