Hi- I am going to start composting for the first time using a tumbler. What should I use and where is a good place to store my food scraps (green material) until I have enough saved up to compost with my brown material? Thanks!

I don't know how tumblers work but usually you add material as you acquire material. I use a small bucket with a lid under my sink to store material. When its full, it goes into the compost pile. Keep adding until its full.

Daisy

Welcome to garden.org, @jillmckelv !

My one and only experience with a compost tumbler (many years ago) was quite a disaster... I think I was pretty much only throwing in the veggie trimmings and such, and no "browns," which are drier, and it all turned into a nasty, smelly mess

Like Daisy, I also use a small lidded bucket (from ice cream) to store the scraps, then take it out to my compost pile every few days.

I hope someone will have some better info for you -- but I would say put the "brown" material into the tumbler, then just start adding your veggie scraps as they accumulate. If it seems like things are getting too wet, add more browns.

Tumblers tend to not have enough air passage in them. They were never adequate to my need. Try a tower composter instead.

I would freeze kitchen scraps until you have a bucket full of them. And, I would set the contents of that frozen bucket in a colander until it fully thaws (and drains). Mix greens and browns at a one to one rate as you fill your composter.