Can you gardeners help me with making a compost barrel?

Question

I have a 55 Gal barrel with a removable top. I planed on building a stand so the barrel can rotate 360 deg. but that's as far as I know what to do. Could you guys suggest what if anything else I need to do using my yard clippings collected while mowing to make compost for the garden?

Answer 1

Here's instructions on making an insulated compost can using a plastic garden can with a lid, four bales of straw or hay, a shovel, a drill with a one-inch drill bit, and a utility knife.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_soil_water_mulch/article/0,1785,HGTV_3634_1435196,00.html

Good Luck! Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

If you go by the "instructions" you'll go crazy. Trust me I have been doing this for years, my compost bin is cinder blocks as the wall and an open bottom. You don't need anything fancy, remember this phrase "compost happens" it will happen anywhere, sometimes it just takes longer, so don't get all caught up with the ratio deal, the thing I have found that matters more is the amount of moisture your pile has. I water mine when I remember to and it seems to be doing fine. I have even thrown meat and dairy in the compost with none of the dreaded bad effects everyone says will happen.
Just remember to always cover up anything you put in the pile with dry material, leaves, dried grass, wood shavings, etc..
If your mostly going to have grass, start aving your leaves now, cut grass will break down very quickly and become stinky in a very short amount of time so you want to mix in some dry material and then top it off with dry material and you should be fine.
As far as having a rotating drum composter, I have no experience with these, I can't help you with that. I hear the composting process takes less time but you need to start out with smaller size material, which is true for even a pile. Something that I wold think would be a concern for piles off the ground is run-off, make sure you have a catch basin to catch the compost "tea" that will run off.
Have fun with it, the only way your going to learn is to do it, my first pile was a disaster! I threw a cheeseburger into a five gal. bucket composter I made and within a couple of days I had maggots evrywhere!
Now I know not to do that again!
Learn by doing.

It isn't complicated and it is a lot of fun to see your trash turn into next years humus.
Happy composting