Compost Aerators - Compost Turners - Tools to Speed Your Composting

If you have an active compost bin or pile, a compost aerator or turner is an easy and low cost way to speed up the compost pile. Here’s a look at several types of compost tools that will help you turn the pile with a minimum of effort.

The purpose of a compost aerator is twofold. One, as the name implies, by turning the pile you get air into the middle of the pile more efficiently so the microbes can do their work. It also helps to distribute the moisture more efficiently, so you don’t end up with a slimy mess if you are trying to compost a large amount of green material like grass clippings.

Just as importantly it gets the uncomposted material worked into the middle of the pile, so that it gets into the more active part of the pile, and by doing this you can increase the speed of the overall composting of your bin or pile. This is the same basic principal that makes compost tumblers work faster.

The type of tool that may work best for you depends some on your particular type of composter. *READ MORE BELOW*

Compost Aerator $21.95 Store: Gardener’s Supply Company Holland Imports P845 Compost Aerator 36 Inch $27.67 Store: UnbeatableSale, Inc. Compost Aerator $28.95 Store: Yardiac.com Compost And Mulch Fork $59.95 Store: Yardiac.com AMES TRUE TEMPER/SNOW TOOLS - 5TINE COMPOST FORK - MFG Part: 74156 $42.64 Store: Capitol Supply Super Hot Compost Starter $18.95 Store: Gardener’s Supply Company Tumbling Compost Mixer $149.00 Store: Gardener’s Supply Company Brushed Stainless Steel Compost Pail $19.95 Store: Gardener’s Supply Company

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If you have a compost barrel, or bin, which has enclosed sides, you will probably want an aerator tool. My personal favorite is the Compost Crank. This tool works pile turning into the pile, and then is pulled out to do the turning action. The advantage is that you easily control how deep you put the tool, and if it you have grabbed too much material to easily pull out, you simply “unscrew” the tool so it is grabbing less material, and out you pull.

The other common style is the winged tool, which typically has one or more sets of folding wings that lay flat against the tool as you push it into the pile, and then fold out as you pull the tool out of the pile, grabbing the material and turning it over. These work pretty well, but you can find yourself twisting and pulling if you snag too much material. These are typically lower priced than the Compost Crank. For a big pile you can find heavier duty tools that have more than one set of wings or more than one handle, which helps manage the whole effort better.

Finally, if you have an open compost pile or bin or a set of bins you and you are turning the pile from one bin into another, a mulch fork or pitchfork may be your best option. These typically have a slightly flared set of tines to help grab more of the material, and you can toss a lot at one time with these. Fiskars makes an excellent compost mulch fork.