I use a plastic 'dalek' style compost bin. It's not very easy to turn things though. That said I do manage to get fine compost from it, I just have to wait a while. Heat helps. It's not done well this year when the summer was a washout, but last year when it was sunnier, I had compost unusually quickly. Mostly I put veg peelings in there and some soft-ish prunings from the rampant jasmine and honeysuckle cut up small. Unlike a conventional heap you may not need to add any moisture. You could try a revolving bin but I wouldn't buy one as the model I saw needed a large volume of compost adding all at once which wasn't feasible for me.

Dalek? Like on Dr. Who? A giant salt shaker thing?

I have a few gallons a week of stuff, I'd guess. Mostly weeds and grass clippings. I can't turn it at all, as it is in a very tight spot. Stuff on the bottom ought to be done by now.

Yes, like on Dr Who. Sorry, I haven't checked this page lately! It doesn't say 'Exterminate' unfortunately.

I'm a passive composter and I have great compost in a year. I have three wire bins: one that I'm using, one that's cooking, and one that I'm adding to. I never turn them and they are just fine. I usually top them off with wet leaves so that the tops are usable because the tops don't decompose as quickly as what's underneath.

My garden is a 15'15 patio. Not much room for a composter! I do my "composting" by growing worms in a small worm farm in a shady corner.

The worms get veg peels, banana peels, *NO* citrus peels as those are toxic to worms, eggshells, weeds and some dead leaves, and shredded junk mail moistened with rainwater. Worm compost is *very* nutrient dense, so a little goes a long way. I dilute the worm compost and use it instead of Miracle Gro.

I also do some "lasagna gardening"-- When I prepare a big deep (4 gallon or bigger) container for planting, I put chipped up dead branches and leaves and dried grass clippings in the bottom, then a layer of shredded newspapers, shredded junk mail, & chipped up cardboard, then some more dead leaves etc and press down to eliminate air space. This fills the deep container up about halfway.

In a 2-3 gallon container I just add about 6" of random shredded paper plus some dead leaves, press down, then proceed to the next step:

I sprinkle on 2-3 handfuls rabbit manure which I get free for cleaning the bunny cages at the Humane society, water the pot well and fill the rest up with bagged potting mix, water again and plant my plants. Works very well for most perennials, bulbs and tomatoes, and within about 6-9 months the stuff on the bottom has become soil. :)

Late reply, but yes I've got one of the tumbler compost bins up on my balconey. I like using it there, its up and away from encouraging any pests to gather and it is on the same floor as my kitchen so I can throw scraps out there easily. I turn whenever I remember, not too regularly in the winter, but it works really nicely. It was pricey, but two of us went in on the order and got free shipping. In the city, I have to be very vigilient in keeping it rodent free and covered.